Analysis: Rutherford’s Hockey Ops Big Need & Names to Consider | PHN+

The news broke from the Pittsburgh Penguins organization on Monday. Assistant GM and longtime confidant of Jim Rutherford, Jason Karmanos, was fired as part of the Penguins hockey ops department’s reorganization.

Karmanos came with Rutherford from Carolina, and the two have a nearly 20-year working history, which ended Monday.

“We would like to thank Jason Karmanos for his contributions to the organization over the past six years,” Rutherford said. “I have been evaluating our hockey operations department, and this is the first part of the process to re-organize our group.”

So, what does it all really mean?

Rutherford’s re-organization of the Penguins Hockey Operations department must ultimately add the one critical element they’ve lost but not replaced. And there is help available.