More Penguins players could be on the move based on GM Jim Rutherford's latest comments

BarDown Staff

Seravalli: Rutherford hoping core shake-up will help Pens become contenders again

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is doing everything he can to turn around his team’s struggling ways and it's evident that his patience is running thin.

After signing a three-year contract extension on Wednesday morning, Rutherford wasted no time by trading away speedy forward Carl Hagelin to the Los Angeles Kings in a one-for-one swap for Tanner Pearson. Based on the 69-year-old’s comments after the move, it seems more than likely that this could be just the first of many transactions made ahead of February 25’s trade deadline.

Media: "Would you describe yourself as a patient GM?"

GM Jim Rutherford: "It depends on when you ask me. I think I'm a patient guy, but my patience is running out."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 14, 2018

Pittsburgh has been uncharacteristically bad of late, dropping five of their last six and falling well out of the playoff picture with the Eastern Conference’s third worst record (7-6-3). To make matters worse, Sidney Crosby is currently sidelined with an upper-body injury, so the possibility of a couple more trades being made is very much in the picture.

GM Jim Rutherford: "This could be the start of more changes. We'll see how it goes. The way things have gone, it's obvious that we had make a change. I feel bad - Hagelin is a popular guy. I like him a lot personally. He was part of winning a Cup... but changes are necessary."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 14, 2018

Rutherford has proven in the past that he’s not afraid to pull the trigger on a trade. The savvy GM has acquired players such as defenceman Justin Schultz and even traded for Hagelin in a two-for-one deal for David Perron and Adam Clendenning in 2016. If things don’t turn around soon, some serious change could be coming to Pittsburgh’s roster.

(H/T Pittsburgh Penguins)