General manager Jim Rutherford is well aware that the NHL will conduct an expansion draft in June to stock its new franchise in Las Vegas, and that the Penguins will lose a player to the Golden Knights.
He also knows that the Penguins aren’t required to finalize their protected list for another six-plus months, so there’s no need just yet to focus on who they will be willing to expose.
Not when it’s entirely possible that some players will be traded before the NHL deadline Feb. 28, and when performance between now and the draft will influence where some individuals fit into the organization’s plans.