Rutherford: Penguins not looking to make moves despite recent injuries
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said his club isn't currently looking to make any external moves despite enduring a rash of significant injuries early in the season.
"The guys on this team, they're behind each other," Rutherford told The Athletic's Josh Yohe on Wednesday. "They care about each other. We'll watch it. We'll see how it goes. I'm not trying to make any moves right now. I just don't think it would do us good at this point in time. Almost everyone on this team is playing well and (coach) Mike Sullivan is doing a very good job."
Sidney Crosby, the latest member of the Pens to hit the shelf, was ruled out Thursday for a minimum of six weeks due to a core muscle injury. Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang are also out with long-term injuries, while Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, and Nick Bjugstad missed time before their recent returns to the lineup.
Rutherford wasn't so committed to his roster last year. He shipped out Carl Hagelin, Daniel Sprong, Derek Grant, Jamie Oleksiak, Derick Brassard, and Riley Sheahan in separate in-season deals before trading Phil Kessel to the Arizona Coyotes over the summer.
"I just like this team," Rutherford said. "I don't feel near the pressure to make moves that I did last year."
Despite all the man-games lost this season, the Penguins own a 10-6-2 record and hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.