Penguins will make some changes, GM says

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- The Pittsburgh Penguins will not look the same next season, general manager Jim Rutherford said Wednesday.
After the Penguins failed to win a third straight Stanley Cup championship by losing to the Washington Capitals in six games in the Eastern Conference Second Round, Rutherford said change is inevitable. The core will remain intact, but after attempting to keep the roster stable the previous two seasons, he wants to upgrade this offseason.

"I think it's obvious that I'm going to keep an open mind to making some changes, and I will make some changes," Rutherford said. "I can't give you a definite answer on who that's going to be right now and exactly which positions, but we're a good team. We will be a good team going forward.
"I think it is fair to say this will be a different looking team by the time we open next season. It doesn't mean there's going to be drastic changes and a lot of changes, but there will be changes in the areas that will become necessary."

Forwards Riley Sheahan, Bryan Rust, Dominik Simon, Tom Kuhnhackl and Daniel Sprong, and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, each can become a restricted free agent July 1. Forwards Josh Jooris and Carter Rowney could be unrestricted.
The possibility of Sprong leaving appears slim; Rutherford said the 21-year-old right wing should be a regular in the lineup next season.
Free agency might not be where the Penguins look to make offseason moves. Rutherford seemed to imply most would be made via trades.
"We'll have a chance to win again," Rutherford said. "We have the nucleus to do that and we also have the pieces in place that are players that other teams are going to want that we're going to be able to make those changes. Sometimes you don't always have those players for [NHL salary] cap reasons or for different reasons."
None of that means Rutherford, coach Mike Sullivan or the players felt the Penguins took a significant step back from their two championship seasons. Sullivan compared the loss to a Hall of Fame baseball player going through a slump.
"Did he forget how to hit the baseball? Probably not, right? So it's human nature," Sullivan said. "I think that's the essence of coaching. You're dealing with people that have emotions that go through ups and downs. It's our job as a coaching staff to figure out, 'How do we help these guys?'"

Rutherford said he thought injuries to forwards Phil Kessel and Derick Brassard, who scored one goal each in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, kept them from reaching their potential. Kessel had various injuries throughout the season, and Brassard had one "that is very difficult to play with," Rutherford said.
Neither Rutherford nor Sullivan disclosed any injuries; Sullivan described Kessel's as nothing significant.
Brassard, who was acquired in a three-team trade with the Ottawa Senators and Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 23, was meant to become the third-line center. He was dropped to the fourth line during the playoffs after returning from a lower-body injury for Game 1 of the first round against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 11.
Sullivan said Brassard was brought in to add depth at center but could have been used at wing. Brassard said he would welcome any role he is given next season.
"I wasn't playing the same amount of minutes, but I'm standing here today," Brassard said. "I was accepting my role. We had a good team and a good chance to win. I would have played, like, five minutes if I had to."
That attitude prevailed throughout the Penguins locker room. Several players were frustrated with being eliminated but also expressed excitement for returning next season.
In particular, captain Sidney Crosby said he has yet to get over the loss to Washington.
"You want to be playing, still," Crosby said, "but you have to evaluate everything and turn the page at some point and get ready for next year."