"We might have to make a decision at some point," Rutherford said Tuesday, according to Jonathan Bombulie of Trib Live. "(But) I'm not aggressively doing anything."
"I met with Fleury," Rutherford added. "He's handled himself so well. When you talk about 50-50 split, I think guys can buy into that, but if you get into the season and one guy takes over the other, does that work for both guys? I don't know, so there's a lot of things to think about right now."
Rutherford is also waiting for official news in regards to expansion draft guidelines before making a firm decision on how to proceed. If only one goalie can be protected, the Penguins would likely defer to 22-year-old Murray, expediting the need to trade Fleury before next summer at the latest.
"We might have to make a decision at some point," Rutherford said Tuesday, according to Jonathan Bombulie of Trib Live. "(But) I'm not aggressively doing anything."
"I met with Fleury," Rutherford added. "He's handled himself so well. When you talk about 50-50 split, I think guys can buy into that, but if you get into the season and one guy takes over the other, does that work for both guys? I don't know, so there's a lot of things to think about right now."
Rutherford is also waiting for official news in regards to expansion draft guidelines before making a firm decision on how to proceed. If only one goalie can be protected, the Penguins would likely defer to 22-year-old Murray, expediting the need to trade Fleury before next summer at the latest.
The St. Louis Blues have signed depth forward Scottie Upshall to a one-year contract worth a reported $900,000, Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Upshall appeared in 70 games last season, scoring six goals and racking up 14 points after signing late last summer as an unrestricted free agent.
He also appeared in 17 postseason contests, contributing three points.
Upshall will earn a decent raise from the $700,000 contract he signed after making the team on a pro tryout.
The 30-year-old defenseman has signed a five-year deal with the Arizona Coyotes worth a reported $27.375 million. The deal carries an average annual valuation of $5.475 million, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN.
"I am very happy to join the Coyotes," Goligoski said. "Arizona is a great place to live and play and I'm excited to join an up-and-coming team that has a ton of talent and a very bright future."
The Coyotes acquired Goligoski's rights from the Dallas Stars, and have apparently wooed the impending unrestricted free agent during a two-day team tour.
"We are thrilled to sign Alex to a long-term contract," said general manager John Chayka. "Alex is a great skater and a smart, efficient defenseman who moves the puck well and makes his teammates better. He will help solidify our defense and support the growth of our young players. He will be a great addition to our team and we welcome him and his wife Amanda to the pack."
Over the course of his career split between Dallas and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Goligoski has averaged 0.49 points per game and has been a positive possession player in five-on-five play, according to Corsica Hockey.
The Coyotes had approximately $38 million in available cap space prior to this signing, and still need to spend over $14 million in order to reach the salary floor.
Ahead of the NHL draft and free agency - which opens July 1 - we're looking at three teams from each division facing integral summers. Next up, the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division.
New York Rangers (101 Points)
Needs: Revamp blue line, extend RFA forwards
The Rangers could - and should - look very different next season.
Their first-round playoff exit was predictable, given their heavy reliance on Henrik Lundqvist and their putrid possession numbers. One reason they ranked 26th in even-strength Corsi For percentage was their overmatched defense corps, and that group needs to be improved upon this summer.
The trading of Keith Yandle's rights to the Florida Panthers was likely the first domino in what needs to be an overhaul of the blue line by general manager Jeff Gorton.
Dan Boyle is leaning toward retirement, and he's not making any friends on the local beat, so it's time to cut bait with the 39-year-old one way or another. The Rangers reportedly don't plan on buying out Dan Girardi, but they should either do that or try to trade him, although his declining skill set and unfavorable contract won't make that easy.
Girardi and Marc Staal are on the books for a combined $11.2-million per season until 2019-20, and Staal's deal runs until 2021. Those deals essentially cost them the flexibility to re-sign Anton Stralman and Yandle.
They do have a solid group of talented, relatively young forwards. Gorton needs to lock up restricted free agents Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, and Kevin Hayes, all of whom have shown promise and should improve next season.
New York Islanders (100 Points)
Needs: Replace Kyle Okposo, be selective with their own free agents
The Islanders won their first playoff series in 23 years, but they were dismantled by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round and will no doubt look to retool this summer with the goal of a deeper postseason run.
Brayden Schenn is a pending restricted free agent coming off a career year with 26 goals and 59 points, and his production has improved every season, so Hextall will likely have to give him a big raise.
The Flyers don't have a ton of cap space, with about $10.5 million and eight pending free agents, but they need scoring depth more than anything else.
As long as a potential Schenn extension doesn't prevent Hextall from adding further offense, he'll be expected to take care of both items on the agenda.
Ahead of the NHL draft and free agency - which opens July 1 - we're looking at three teams from each division facing integral summers. Next up, the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division.
New York Rangers (101 Points)
Needs: Revamp blue line, extend RFA forwards
The Rangers could - and should - look very different next season.
Their first-round playoff exit was predictable, given their heavy reliance on Henrik Lundqvist and their putrid possession numbers. One reason they ranked 26th in even-strength Corsi For percentage was their overmatched defense corps, and that group needs to be improved upon this summer.
The trading of Keith Yandle's rights to the Florida Panthers was likely the first domino in what needs to be an overhaul of the blue line by general manager Jeff Gorton.
Dan Boyle is leaning toward retirement, and he's not making any friends on the local beat, so it's time to cut bait with the 39-year-old one way or another. The Rangers reportedly don't plan on buying out Dan Girardi, but they should either do that or try to trade him, although his declining skill set and unfavorable contract won't make that easy.
Girardi and Marc Staal are on the books for a combined $11.2-million per season until 2019-20, and Staal's deal runs until 2021. Those deals essentially cost them the flexibility to re-sign Anton Stralman and Yandle.
They do have a solid group of talented, relatively young forwards. Gorton needs to lock up restricted free agents Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, and Kevin Hayes, all of whom have shown promise and should improve next season.
New York Islanders (100 Points)
Needs: Replace Kyle Okposo, be selective with their own free agents
The Islanders won their first playoff series in 23 years, but they were dismantled by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round and will no doubt look to retool this summer with the goal of a deeper postseason run.
Brayden Schenn is a pending restricted free agent coming off a career year with 26 goals and 59 points, and his production has improved every season, so Hextall will likely have to give him a big raise.
The Flyers don't have a ton of cap space, with about $10.5 million and eight pending free agents, but they need scoring depth more than anything else.
As long as a potential Schenn extension doesn't prevent Hextall from adding further offense, he'll be expected to take care of both items on the agenda.
Evgeni Malkin doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Rumors swirled Tuesday on social media that the Chicago Blackhawks were kicking tires in regards to the Pittsburgh Penguins center, but general manager Jim Rutherford quickly doused those flames.
Malkin was limited to just 57 games during the regular season, but still managed 27 goals and 58 points. He also added another 18 points in the postseason.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment have filed an opposition to the logo by Snoop Dogg's marijuana products business "Leafs by Snoop", according to TSN's Rick Westhead.
The opposition was filed on June 8 while Snoop's products - including eight strains of marijuana - have been sold in various Colorado pot shops since November, around the time Snoop filed his trademark application for Leafs by Snoop.
Christopher Sprigman - an intellectual properties professor at the New York University School of Law - suggested to Westhead that MLSE might argue Snoop's logo could cause confusion in the marketplace or that it meets the requirement of fame, but he feels both cases would be difficult to prove.
In the meantime MLSE's legal representation has asked for more time to detail its opposition, where a clear reason for the counter should then arise.
It looks like the Arizona Coyotes' attempt to lure free agent Alex Goligoski to the desert has worked, as the two sides are nearing a five-year deal worth approximately $5.5 million per season, according to multiple reports.
The Coyotes acquired Goligoski's negotiating rights from the Dallas Stars on June 16 for a 2016 fifth-round pick, and the 30-year-old defenseman reportedly liked what he saw from Arizona's pitch.
Alex Goligoski's visit to ARI is over. ARI met with Goligoski's agent Ben Hankinson. Deal not done (yet) but Goligoski thoroughly impressed.
Goligoski carried a $4.6-million cap hit, and scored 37 points in 82 games last season, averaging nearly 24 minutes per contest with the Stars at a plus-21 rating.
After Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the Coyotes are thin on the blue line, and Goligoski should be able to step in and make an impact immediately. With over $38 million in cap space, giving him a raise shouldn't be a problem for Arizona.
According to Dreger, the Blues might still make a run at extending Shattenkirk - who has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.25 million - but if they fail to do so they will start intently looking at dealing him.
Shattenkirk led all Blues defensemen with 14 goals and 44 points in 72 games this season.
