LAS VEGAS -- Jim Rutherford says he isn't upset, isn't mad at anyone. But he is disappointed in what he's seen from the Penguins through 32 games this season.
The general manager said Thursday outside T-Mobile Arena that he may -- repeat, may -- be forced to shake things up if the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions can't correct what has ailed them thus far.
The Penguins begin this critical three-game western road trip Thursday night against the expansion Vegas Golden Knights. Entering Tuesday's slate of games, the Penguins sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division -- and out of a playoff spot -- but they are also just four points out of first.
"We're in a period where it's important we play better and do well," Rutherford said. "If we don't, at that point, than we have to consider changing things up. With that being said, I think we have a good enough team to come together and do well."
No trade is imminent, Rutherford said, but he clearly wanted to send a message with the threat of a shakeup.
What constitutes a shakeup is open to interpretation. How many players are off limits? Well, you can probably guess (Hint: Think Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Matt Murray, Phil Kessel and Kris Letang).
"I'm not going to define how many fall into that group," he said. "You can guess at that, but they're the obvious."
Breaking up a team that has been so successful, doing what no NHL team had done in 19 years by repeating as champions, is not his first choice, but Rutherford reiterated that he is close to his breaking point with his team's inconsistency. The Penguins won just two of five games on their recently completed homestand, with one win coming against last-place Buffalo and the other coming in overtime against the Islanders.
"We have thought right from the short offseason that it would take this team half of a season to get going, but we're inching closer to that and we're also getting a better picture of where all this might fall," Rutherford said. "So what we've done is terrific and we can all be proud of that. But we can't give up a season just to enjoy what we've done (in the past).
"If I have a chance to mix it up, it'll be very difficult because with as many returning players from Stanley Cups, it could be guys that you know you're forever indebted to as being part of that accomplishment. It doesn't have to get to that. This is a good team and I'm not saying it's going to happen. I'm just saying that we're getting closer to that period that it could be considered."
