Mark Madden's Hot Take: Don't blame Rutherford; blame time because Penguins' is up

When Jim Rutherford makes a trade, the analysis comes thick and fast. Occasionally, some of it is even worthwhile.

Rutherford has made 51 trades since becoming Penguins general manager in June 2014. How many of those deals made legit impact? His first certainly did, namely the acquisition of gritty Patric Hornqvist in exchange for sharpshooting James Neal. At the time, few liked that swap.

Rutherford’s second year was a good one: He got Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino, Trevor Daley, Carl Hagelin, Justin Schultz and a Stanley Cup. Those players contributed at different levels, but the importance of each has been magnified because, well, Stanley Cup.

But now Rutherford has committed the unpardonable sin of not winning a Stanley Cup for three years. As opposed to, say, Buffalo not winning ever. Don’t forget Philadelphia’s 45-year drought. (I won’t let that happen. Have you ever seen the Flyers win the Cup?)

Every time Rutherford makes a trade, the hoi polloi want it to fix the Penguins.

But that trade doesn’t exist.

Like Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles before them, the Penguins are organically disintegrating. That unfortunate reality is hastened by age and by too many involved (not least their stars) seeing the Penguins and their individual players as they were, not as they are.

Unless regrouping and reinventing are done flawlessly and coach Mike Sullivan figures out what his group really is and makes his players buy it, the Penguins are probably a playoff team but no better. Even perfect self-awareness and the corresponding reorganization wouldn’t make another Stanley Cup any more than a reasonable longshot.

Don’t expect Rutherford to fix that, and don’t blame him when he doesn’t.

Blame time instead. The Penguins’ is up.

Be grateful. The Penguins have made the playoffs every year since 2007, were a legit championship contender from 2008-18 and won two Cups under Rutherford. Vancouver would take that.