Reviewing 2015-2016 Trades of Jim Rutherford

In his first season as the Penguins, general manager Jim Rutherford made some beneficial trades to help out our beloved Penguins organization. During the off season between last year and this year he was able to bring in star left winger Phil ‘The Thrill’ Kessel. Kessel has helped the Pens grow into the team they are today. Phil is not the only key piece that the Penguins brought in to help us reach our ultimate goal, the Stanley Cup. We also have brought in players like Trevor Daley, Carl Hagelin, and Justin Schultz. Bringing guys like them in are always good news for us fans because we gain a new player to cheer for night in and night out. Bringing players in comes with its consequences though, shipping players out. Face it we all know trades happen for a reason and that reason is to help the team win. In this article i’m going to be grading GMJR’s 2015/16 trades.

TOR- Phil Kessel (LW), Tim Erixon (D), Tyler Biggs (RW) for PIT- Nick Spaling (Center), Scott Harrington (D), and Kasperi Kapanen (Winger)

I give this trade an A+, I think bringing in Kessel has helped the Penguins drastically. Sure people thought he was going to have a big year playing with the world’s best player, Sidney Crosby, and arguably one of the NHL’s best top 10 players Evgeni Malkin. He may have not met everybody’s standards, but i think that he produces enough to benefit this team going forward. Phil was the big piece in this deal but Jimmy R was able to pull through and bring him to the Burgh. Rutherford was able to get the Leafs to retain 1.25 mill of Kessel’s 8 million dollar contract for the next 7 years we have him. I think Jim really went all in here and it worked out perfectly.

VAN- Nick Bonino (Center), Adam Clendening (D) for PIT- Brandon Sutter (Center), 3rd round pick (2015)

I give this trade a B-. Brandon Sutter was a work horse for the Pens on the penalty kill. Losing a guy like that is always tough. Jim Rutherford made an appropriate decision to move Sutter and bring in Bonino and Clendening. Bonino helps the PK out kind of like how Suttsy did when he was here. We all know that Adam Clendening didn't work out in the system here in the Burgh so he was shipped off to Anaheim for forward Carl Hagelin. Nick Bonino has helped mold the Penguins into the team they want to be when he stays healthy. A few injuries have made the path for Bonino a little tricky. That is why I give this trade a B-. If Clendening would of played how I personally expected him to play, and Bonino didn't get hurt very often this trade easily could've been an A.

CHI- Trevor Daley (D) for PIT- Rob Scuderi (D)

I'm giving this trade an A+++. Trevor Daley has helped the flightless birds blue line phenomenally ever since getting shipped here from the Windy City. Rob Scuderi had no fit here in Pittsburgh, none at all. Daley has been able to join the rush and light the lamp a couple times but is also able to play some good D when needed. Rob Scuderi needs to face it, he has to hang it up. The Pens made the right move by bringing the young D man when the team was struggling with defense, by getting rid of the weakest link. Trevor has shown that he deserves a place in the Penguins line up day in and day out and as long as he keeps doing what he's doing I can see the guy staying in the 412 for a good while hopefully.

ANA- Carl Hagelin (LW) for PIT- David Perron (LW) and Adam Clendening (D)

I'm giving this trade an A+. This trade was a simple trade for each team to fill missing pieces. Hagelin and Perron both weren't doing much for their respected teams while they were there. But who knew what it was, maybe a change of scenery for Hagelin, he's beginning to turn it up. Hags was on fire when he was on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. The line has since been broken up do to Geno’s injury. I remember I was at the Pens and Devils game in the Burgh and their line was out there and Hags made such a beautiful pass to Kess so he could bury it into the wide open net. I think that Carl is a good fit here and will be a big asset to the team going into the playoffs and into the next 3 seasons we have him. He brings an edge to the game with his speed and helps the Penguins win. Unlike Hagelin, while Perron was here he was having some trouble. He wasn't playing like the David Perron fans wanted back in 2014/15 when he was traded to Pittsburgh from Edmonton. Hags had shoes to fill and he filled them I can't wait to see what the dude brings to the table in the playoffs.

EDM- Justin Schultz (D) for PIT- 2016 3rd round pick

At this moment in time I'm giving this trade a B-. I'm not trying to burst anyone's bubble but face it, the guys not playing to his potential. He may be playing good in some of your eyes but he could be playing so much better. I'll be the first to admit I really liked this trade, I still do. I like Justin a lot, but he needs to step it up more in my opinion. Like I said you may think one thing, I might think the other. We know Edmonton moved him cause the dude wasn't playing to his potential and he's doing the exact same things here for the Penguins. I wish he would step it up more. Yeah he scored 2 goals in the black and gold, but he could score a lot more with the talent he has. In a couple years, I think it will give him time to mature more and help him grow as a player to fit his standards. Who knows he could turn it on here in the home stretch of the season and help the Pens deep in the playoffs. With that, we could only hope, but in a few years I think Justin will be playing how everyone wants him to play.

2015/16 was a big trade year for Jimmy Rutherford and the Penguins, but I think the trades panned out and will help the Penguins achieve their goal, by winning the cup. The team they have right now has a very large chance in going far into the playoffs and winning it all. We can give thanks to GMJR for the success by making us a cup contending team. All it came down to was making the team better, and that's exactly what Jim Rutherford did with his Pittsburgh Penguins, and I expect more great ones to come in the future.