New San Jose Sharks saw changes coming to Pittsburgh Penguins

Mikael Granlund and Jan Rutta figured big changes were in store for the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason — especially after they missed the playoffs in April. Sure enough, general manager Ron Hextall and director of hockey operations Brian Burke were fired one day after the end of the regular season, and new top hockey executive Kyle Dubas was hired in June hoping to give superstar center Sidney Crosby another realistic shot at a Stanley Cup. “The organization in Pittsburgh, the success they’ve had over the years, you could see something was up and something was going to happen,” Granlund said. “It’s just part of the business.”

 

“They have new people managing the team now, so obviously, they want to have their imprint,” Rutta said. “They made a lot of changes, and to be honest, I was expecting that.” One of those major changes came Sunday, as the Penguins, Sharks, and Montreal Canadiens came together for one of the offseason’s biggest trades. San Jose traded Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh, which sent defenseman Jeff Petry and others to Montreal. To help fit Karlsson’s $11.5 million salary cap hit onto Pittsburgh’s roster, the Sharks retained $1.5 million of the defenseman’s contract and wound up with forwards Granlund ($5 million annual cap hit), defenseman Rutta ($2.75 million), a Penguins first-round draft pick, plus millions in future cap savings. Winger Mike Hoffman also came to the Sharks from Montreal. “I knew that Pittsburgh really wanted to get Erik, so if you do the math, they didn’t have the cap to slot everybody on the team. I was one of the guys that was easier to move,” Rutta said. “I wouldn’t say shocked that I was traded. But even if you anticipated it a little bit, when it actually happens the first couple of minutes, your head is all over the place.” With the carnage now out of the way, Granlund and Rutta each said Monday that they’re looking forward to coming to San Jose, a rebuilding team that will likely give both players ample opportunities to play. Granlund had 36 points in 57 games for the Nashville Predators last season before he was acquired near the trade deadline by Hextall and the Penguins. But Granlund’s production, and his ice time, fell off sharply, as he had just one goal and four assists over the final 21 games of the season. He averaged 18:38 per game with the Predators in 2022-2023, but saw that number reduced to 15:35 under Penguins coach Mike Sullivan.

Granlund had similar struggles early in 2019 when he was traded by Minnesota to Nashville, where he had five points in his first 16 games in Music City. But over the next three seasons with the Predators, Granlund flourished with 121 points in 194 games, playing over 19 minutes a night. “It took me a little bit time to get adjusted (in Nashville), and that was kind of the same thing,” in Pittsburgh, Granlund said. “Obviously, it’s a role thing, who you play with, the ice time you’re getting, and all of that (plays) a big factor. “But at the same time, you’ve got to look yourself in the mirror and I am confident I can do much more than I did in Pittsburgh. That’s why I’m really excited about this opportunity.

“Obviously, it didn’t work out for me or the team in Pittsburgh, and now I’m confident things are going to be a little bit different next season.” Rutta won Stanley Cups as a stay-at-home defenseman with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021 before he signed as a free agent with the Penguins in 2022. From an offensive production standpoint, Rutta’s season, with three goals and six assists, wasn’t that much different than it has been earlier in his career. But the long playoff runs he went on with the Lightning took a toll on his body. He only played in 25 of the Penguins’ final 39 games down the stretch and needed core muscle surgery in April.

Rutta said his body feels good as he’s started to skate again in recent weeks, although it didn’t sound as if he’s completely sure that he’ll be ready to go for the start of training camp in mid-September. He joins a Sharks defense corps that might play a more conservative style with Karlsson in Pittsburgh. “I’m really excited to be playing hockey in a warm weather state again,” said Rutta, who knows fellow Czechia natives Radim Simek and Tomas Hertl.

“Obviously last year, it was not a successful season because we didn’t make the playoffs. But, I don’t know, a fresh start? I’m just really looking forward to blending in as soon as possible and just start working.”