Friday, January 10, 2025, 4:36AM |  10°
MENU
Advertisement
The Penguins have met with Michael Grabner, who is one of NHL's fastest skaters.
1
MORE

Jason Mackey: With money to spend, Penguins likely aren’t done

Fred Chartrand/ Canadian Press via AP

Jason Mackey: With money to spend, Penguins likely aren’t done

Throughout the offseason, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has talked about getting more balance throughout his lineup.

He’s halfway home.

With the framework of a deal in place to acquire defenseman Jack Johnson, the Penguins will likely have around $2 million to spend on a forward capable of improving their fourth line or bottom-six.

Advertisement

That’s the balance Rutherford has talked about — having four lines that are threats to either score a goal or change momentum — and here’s a couple of points on where they stand with everything.

Mario Lemieux's son, Austin Lemieux, skates during development camp in 2017.
Sam Werner
Austin Lemieux is looking to take the next step in his own hockey career

The Penguins remain absolutely interested in adding another forward. But they’re not going to force anything.

“I’m not going to spend the money just to do it,” Rutherford said. “If there’s a guy that we like, we’re going to spend it. If not, we’re going to sit on it for awhile.”

One of the guys the Penguins like is Michael Grabner, an unrestricted free agent who will hit the open market Sunday.

Advertisement

The Penguins have met with Grabner, an industry source confirmed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday, and they remain very much interested in his services. (They also tried to land Grabner before the most recent trade deadline.)

Grabner is 30 years old and, along with Carl Hagelin, possesses some of the best wheels in hockey. He’s a terrific penalty killer and scored 27 goals in 80 games last season.

Problems arise with Grabner, however. He’s a right wing, and the Penguins are bubbling over with options there. And because of what he did last season, Grabner could easily price himself out of Pittsburgh.

It also might not be a great sell for Grabner that he’s going to be blocked by Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist and (likely) Daniel Sprong on the depth chart, not to mention Bryan Rust, who can play both sides.

Sam Miletic goes through drills Wednesday in Cranberry.
James Crabtree-Hannigan
Sam Miletic feels right at home in second Penguins development camp

Matt Cane of Hockey Graphs predicted Grabner will fetch upward of $3.8 million per season on his next contract, and that’s likely too rich for the Penguins’ blood. But they are doing their due diligence and checking on several options, the source said.

If the Penguins do feel strongly enough about something — say, Jeff Skinner in Carolina — they’d probably have to move left wing  Hagelin to clear space and goaltender Tristan Jarry as a key piece of the trade that another team might want. (The Hurricanes need a young goalie.)

That, of course, could result in too much moving and shaking for a team that already feels pretty good about its depth.

Smarter, safer options might be players such as Tobias Rieder or Antoine Roussel to give their fourth line a little bit of grit while helping out on the PK. Patrick Maroon, because of his big body and ability to play with skilled players (Connor McDavid in Edmonton), could also be an option.

Rieder made $2,225,000 last year, while Roussel and Maroon carried cap hits of $2 million. If their soon-to-be cap numbers fall in that range, the Penguins could have a move to make.

But the key thing to remember here is the Penguins’ refusal to do anything drastic. They’re only going to pounce for the perfect option.

That’s something we learned with the Chris Kunitz talks. The Penguins talked about what they could offer in money and fit. Kunitz heard from other teams, too. The Penguins could stretch and match and do something uncomfortable for them, but that’s not quite how Rutherford operates.

Patience will be the proper approach. Even if it means waiting until 2018-19 season to find that perfect balance.

Love our Penguins coverage? Consider subscribing.
Support journalism. Subscribe today.

Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.

First Published: June 28, 2018, 3:53 p.m.
Updated: June 28, 2018, 4:01 p.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Torrey Stafford is transferring from Pitt to Texas for volleyball.
1
sports
Former Pitt volleyball star Torrey Stafford transferring to Texas
Taquesha Tucker, right, and her sister, Prashauna Coleman, center, discuss their father, Preston Coleman, alongside their mother, Roxanne McBride. Their attorney, Steven Barth, said Mr. Coleman was brutally attacked inside an Aliquippa VFW post on Jan. 5, 2025.
2
news
'It’s inhumane': Two men charged in brutal 'unprovoked attack' at Aliquippa VFW
Steelers wide receiver George Pickens walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Philadelphia.
3
sports
Brian Batko's Steelers mailbag: Any chance George Pickens is gone this offseason?
Kurt Hinish, left, and his younger brother Donovan compete in everything — board games, cards and fishing when they were younger and now lots of video games.
4
sports
Jason Mackey: Whitehall brothers Donovan, Kurt Hinish will showcase the best of us over 2 playoff games in 3 days
The Pittsburgh Parking Authority is considering removing the residency requirement for employees amid staffing shortage.
5
news
Pittsburgh Parking Authority considers removing residency requirement for employees amid staffing shortage
The Penguins have met with Michael Grabner, who is one of NHL's fastest skaters.  (Fred Chartrand/ Canadian Press via AP)
Fred Chartrand/ Canadian Press via AP
Advertisement
LATEST sports
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story