Josh Maniscalco is a defenseman who's leaving college early to try to make a living in pro hockey.
He's not the first to do it with the Penguins.
A young fellow named John Marino did that very thing in 2019, and had more than a little success during his rookie season.
Marino locked down a top-four position and earned recognition as the future cornerstone of his team's defense corps and, in the process, raised the bar of expectations -- a lot -- for those planning to follow a similar path here.
Maniscalco will be the first to try.
And while their backgrounds aren't identical -- Marino went to Harvard, played college hockey for three seasons and was a sixth-round draft choice by Edmonton before the Penguins traded for his rights, while Maniscalco attended Arizona State for just two years and never was drafted before signing as a free agent -- they're similar enough that comparisons are inevitable.
"Everybody brings Marino up when they talk about Josh," Jim Rutherford said.
But while some outside the organization might expect Maniscalco's pro career to follow the same trajectory as Marino's, Rutherford declined to predict how close he believes Maniscalco is to earning steady work in the NHL, let alone when he might have a significant impact there.
"I wouldn't want to project that until he comes to camp," he said. "I want him to come to camp, give him a chance.
"This is a guy who was thinking about finishing school (before the pandemic convinced him to turn pro). We've been on him for about a year, watching him very, very closely, and we like him. But let's just let him come to camp and we'll give him a good shot at camp, see where he's at."
MORE PENGUINS
• The search for guys to replace former assistant coaches Mark Recchi, Sergei Gonchar and Jacques Martin, whose contracts were not renewed after the Penguins' qualifying-round loss to Montreal, looks to be gaining momentum now that the Stanley Cup playoffs have moved into the second round, although there is not a formal target date for filling out Mike Sullivan's staff. Rutherford, who wanted to wait until the first round was over to see if any potential candidates emerged from teams that were eliminated, said the Penguins have "talked to a number of guys," although he declined to specify how many or to identify them. He did, however, confirm that the search has become more of a front-burner issue -- "We'll probably zero in on that sooner than later now" -- and that he'd have no qualms about hiring someone who had been a head coach previously. He cited Martin, who had been a head coach and GM in the NHL before the Penguins hired him, as an example of someone who benefited from having run an NHL bench. "It just gives you a guy with more experience," Rutherford said. "And maybe some different ideas." -- Molinari
• Although it probably won't happen anytime soon, for a variety of reasons, there's still every reason to believe Jason Botterill will rejoin the Penguins' front-office staff at some point. Indeed, barring an offer to take over as GM of another club, Botterill -- the Penguins' former associate GM who was fired this spring after a three-year run as GM un Buffalo -- looks to be a virtual lock to return. It won't necessarily happen soon for a variety of reasons, ranging from the Penguins' general fiscal restraint rooted in the revenue lost because of the pandemic to the fact the Sabres still owe Botterill two years of salary, but both sides have a strong interest in a reunion. If and when one does come off, it will be interesting to see precisely what kind of title Botterill gets and, more important, what his duties are. During his time as associate GM, he was general manager of the Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre. Bill Guerin, then an assistant GM, inherited that role when Botterill went to Buffalo, but when Guerin was named GM in Minnesota last summer, Rutherford brought in Mike Vellucci to be coach and GM of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. There's no indication management is displeased with Vellucci's work or that Vellucci is interested in giving up the GM title, so it's far from certain Botterill's portfolio during his return would include overseeing the minor-league operation. A source inside the front office said because of the personalities of the individuals involved, the organization's decision-makers do not believe there would be any concern about conflict between Botterill and Vellucci, regardless of how the GM responsibilities in Wilkes-Barre are handled. -- Molinari
STEELERS
• NFL teams get 16 players on the practice squad this year and when I asked Mike Tomlin a few weeks ago how the Steelers will use those spots, he admitted those spots would have to be used thoughtfully given the circumstances. GM Kevin Colbert expanded upon that thought this week, noting that teams can keep up to six veteran players on the practice squad. "That changed our thinking," Colbert said. "Quite honestly, when we look for players that we call futures that we sign in the offseason, if they don’t have practice squad eligibility, we’re a little reluctant to sign those types because they either make your team or they don’t. With this now a possibility, we decided let’s look for that young veteran that if he doesn’t make your team, he could be eligible for your practice squad. That was part of the reason we signed Curtis Riley, (Wendell) Smallwood, because they are those veteran players that are now eligible players for the practice squad. Not to say those guys are destined to a practice squad, but at least we have those options." The same goes for wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud. McCloud, signed last week, has kicked around with both the Bills and Panthers. In a normal camp, signing that late in the process means you're likely just to be a camp body because the team is short at a position. But McCloud has gotten up to speed quickly enough that he can at least be a veteran the Steelers stash on the practice squad for a rainy day -- or a positive COVID-19 test. -- Dale Lolley at Heinz Field
• The state's decision to not permit fans into the stadiums for games at Heinz Field and Lincoln Financial Field did not come as a surprise. Gov. Tom Wolf's administration has been a follower all the way on its response to the coronavirus, largely doing whatever the governors in New York and New Jersey have already done. But while the Steelers showed some hope that there will be fans at Heinz Field at some point this season, saying the decision will be reassessed at the end of September, the Eagles were a little more cryptic, saying they won't be permitted until further notice. Now, perhaps there are some local politicians to deal with, as well, but it would seem that what would happen on one side of the commonwealth would occur on the other. We'll see. Coronavirus numbers have been much worse in Philadelphia than they have in the rest of the state -- or in Western Pa. in particular. So, maybe the governor would give the OK at some point to the Steelers and not the Eagles. But I doubt it. -- Lolley
• Colbert is always very careful with his words. He never says something he didn't mean to say. So, when he told us this week the team has to keep in mind the 2021 season and salary cap when it comes to signing players to extensions before the end of training camp and mentioned the 2021 cap floor is $175 million, he means that he's going to work with that number in mind. That means the team won't likely be signing any players to extensions before the season starts. The team also won't -- as has long been the case -- negotiate new deals once the season starts. But there's a strong feeling the NFL and NFLPA will come to terms on a 2021 cap that comes in well over that $175 million floor. And it's not just the Steelers who feel that way. How else to explain the Eagles, who are currently set to be $90 million over next year's cap, starting to talk about a contract extension with tight end Zach Ertz that will keep him among the game's highest-paid tight ends? The Steelers are being cautious. And since the cap floor is the only number with which they have to deal with, they should. But it's going to mean they'll have a mad scramble at the end of this season to get players under contract before the start of free agency. -- Lolley
PIRATES
• The Pirates' handling of Ke'Bryan Hayes recently has been confusing, with one industry source telling me earlier this week they are "scratching our heads as well." The club chose not to use its final taxi squad spot for this road trip rather than bring Hayes along, even though Colin Moran and Kevin Newman were banged up. There wasn't even a discussion to bring him along. Hayes will not accrue enough service time to reach super-two status this year, so there is no other reason to keep him at the alternate training site in Altoona, Pa. other than they don't feel he's ready or they want to take a look at other players first. All signs still point to him getting called up eventually this season, but this seemed like a golden opportunity to. -- Alex Stumpf in Milwaukee
• Erik Gonzalez has cooled off significantly at the plate recently, and a change in pitch mix is part of the reason why. He is seeing more fastballs recently, and for the most part, has struggled to keep up with them. The Pirates had two extended pauses recently with the Cardinals and Reds series postponements, creating a pair of three-day layoffs. That is around the same time his troubles with the fastball began, suggesting it is a timing problem. -- Stumpf
• Keone Kela going on the injured list this close to the trade deadline will certainly not help his return value, but that was already expected to be pretty low anyway. Teams rarely part with highly-rated prospects for rental relievers, and this year they will be on the team for one month less than they normally would. Teams would acquire someone such as Kela not so much for what he could do in the regular season, but for the postseason and getting outs in different innings, something Kela has been very vocal about being willing to do. If teams feel he is the guy, the low cost of acquiring him would be worth the potential high reward. -- Stumpf
