Firing Mike Johnston hasn't exactly had the desired effect. Four games into the post-Johnston era, the Pittsburgh Penguins are still searching for their first victory under new bench boss Mike Sullivan. Unfortunatley for Pens fans, whatever plagued the time prior to Johnston's firing continues to plague them now that he's gone. And while it's fair to say that Sullivan's job was never expected to be easy or that the team would, like a light switch, flip their fortunes in an instant, the fact that the team continues to lose has to be disconcerting to GM Jim Rutherford and is likely fueling Rutherford's reported interest in further trades, beyond the addition of offensive defenseman Trevor Daley this week.
According to a Sunday morning report from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Rutherford continues to chase upgrades on the blueline and likely as a part of that effort, he's been "listening" on offers for rugged winger Chris Kunitz.
Kunitz, 36, has had a difficult year. He opened the 2015-16 campaign by going 23 games without recording an assist and while that's likely thanks in large part to the struggles of the superstar, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, alongside whom he almost exclusively plays, Kunitz, despite his physical contributions, simply hasn't been the kind of steady point producer Pittsburgh is used to. Through 32 games, he's got just four goals and seven assists.
Again, Crosby is the type of talent and Kunitz the kind of complementary player that as Crosby goes, so goes Kunitz. But considering the lack of offensive production in Pittsburgh - they're now 28th in the league with just 70 goals on the year - a top-six winger that's not producing is certainly going to draw ire and/or attention.
Of course, Kunitz likely wouldn't be a top-line forward on most teams. The Penguins and playing alongside and protecting Crosby are a special exception. So if Kunitz is drawing trade interest from around the league, it's likely as a veteran presence and a second or third-liner willing to throw his body around and do the small things necessary to win late in the NHL season.
Kunitz, after the Penguins' Saturday loss to the lowly Carolina Hurricanes, now has 125 hits on the season, sixth in the league. He's played alongside some top-shelf talent in his career and he knows how to work and thrive in the corners and along the boards. There's bound to be fairly significant interest in a guy with a track record like his, even despite his $3.85 million cap hit this season and next.
With the Pens losing and on the outside looking in at the NHL playoff picture, something is eventually going to have to give. A Kunitz deal is a possibility, as is a David Perron trade. But with Rutherford having played his - presumably - biggest chip already by firing Johnston, it's hard to imagine just how he's going to fix such a talented, but clearly flawed Penguins team.
