Call Jim Rutherford the ‘Miracle Man’. As he’s done so often throughout his brief but remarkable tenure as Penguins GM, the Yoda-esque exec marshalled all of his considerable experience, savvy and negotiating skill (perhaps ‘the Force’ too) to acquire center Derick Brassard—arguably the most sought-after player at the NHL trade deadline.
The fact that the Pens have a legit shot at a Stanley Cup three-peat stands as a glowing testimonial to ‘JR’s’ work. Patric Hornqvist, Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino, Trevor Daley, Carl Hagelin, Justin Schultz, Ron Hainsey and now Brassard…the names of his key pickups reads like an honor roll of recent black-and-gold heroes.