Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford shed a considerable amount of light on what his team’s defense will look like next season in an interview with Mark Madden on 105.9-FM Friday afternoon.
In a thorough, candid discussion, Rutherford said Brian Dumoulin and Marcus Pettersson will not be traded, newly acquired Mike Matheson will play on his natural left side, Jack Johnson will have to compete for the sixth defenseman’s role, and no free agents will be added to the mix.
The acquisition of Matheson in the Patric Hornqvist trade on Thursday gave the Penguins six left-handed defensemen.
Moving Dumoulin or Pettersson would be an easy way to clear that logjam. They’re solid defenders with reasonable cap hits. There would be no shortage of takers on the open market.
Rutherford summarily dismissed that idea.
“No. I don’t have interest in listening to that,” Rutherford said, adding that he liked the age and make-up of his defense corps as constructed.
With Dumoulin and Pettersson in place, there’s only one spot open on the left side, and if a game were played tonight, that spot would go to Matheson, the general manager said.
“He has the ability to play in the top four, but I think based on coming off the year he had in Florida and trying to adjust to Pittsburgh, the best place for him to start would be on the third pairing,” Rutherford said, adding that Matheson could move into the top four as he gets more comfortable.
With the left side set and Kris Letang and John Marino playing on the right side of the top two pairs, only one spot is available – the right side of the third pair.
Johnson, much maligned in his two years in Penguins colors since signing a five-year, $16.25 contract in 2018, will have to compete for a jersey on game nights, Rutherford said.
Rutherford identified the right-handed Chad Ruhwedel as Johnson’s top competition for the job.
“(Johnson) either has to go and play the right side or he wouldn’t be in the lineup,” Rutherford said. “It’ll be very competitive to see who gets that sixth spot on defense.”
Rutherford also said he does not plan to be active in free agency, even if he were able to free up enough cap space to do so.
“I don’t see that happening,” Rutherford said. “We could possibly do a free agent that slips through the cracks, but it won’t be one of the big guys in the first 48 hours.”
