Pittsburgh Penguins: J.T. Miller Rumors Surface, Sergei Kostitsyn Could Be a Possibility
By Mike Necciai
So far, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been tied to a multitude of rumors this summer, which isn’t out of the ordinary for this time of year. Tis the season to speculate and play armchair GM, right? That’s part of the thrill of the NHL offseason.
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Two new names have surfaced in the Pittsburgh Penguins merry-go-round of a rumor mill, and those names are Sergei Kostitsyn and J.T. Miller. Both have a unique set of circumstances, and while Sergei has been mostly discussed as a potential acquisition for the Pens, his brother Andrei Kostitsyn has entered conversations as well.
The Kostitsyn ramblings came just two days ago, and broke due to his KHL contract being terminated. It was reported that he was nearing a deal with an NHL team, and unofficial rumors pegged Pittsburgh as his destination. As I said on Twitter…
And as far as being tied to the #Pens, I’m not sure of how reliable the source is where I saw that. So… we’ll see.
— Mike Necciai (@Michael29Angelo) June 16, 2015
There hasn’t been an update on where Sergei will land, but reports that his brother Andrei is also planning a return to the NHL have surfaced and it’s said that they’d prefer to play on the same team.
How would Sergei, or either Kostitsyn fit with the Pittsburgh Penguins?
Sergei would likely be a depth acquisition. Though he never broke out in the NHL with big numbers, he has scoring potential and showed it in 2010-11 with the Nashville Predators when he posted 23 goals and 50 points in 77 games. If he signs with the Pens I’d assume they’ll give him a shot to play with Evgeni Malkin but I can’t imagine him being the answer in the top-six by any means and would likely fill a bottom-six role.
Andrei Kostitsyn, while not a superstar by any means, showed more consistency in the NHL and has some potential to play top-six.
I don’t see either being a fit for the Pittsburgh Penguins unless in a third or fourth line role, however.
Rumors also surfaced today that J.T. Miller is a potential offer sheet candidate for the Pens.
Daily 5: Forget the Brandon Saad talk, a gusty move by Penguins of presenting an offer sheet to J.T. Miller possible http://t.co/Q2ZLaGuSWI
— Insidepghsports (@Insidepghsports) June 18, 2015
InsidePittsburghSports.com is a subscription based site, so unless you’re a subscriber the Miller info won’t be available. However, this is an interesting thought considering that Jim Rutherford has stated that if a player from another team is a fit he’d be willing to submit an offer sheet. He has done so in the past.
J.T. Miller is a 22-year old with a ton of upside. He recorded 23 points in 58 games for the New York Rangers last season, and tallied 8 points in 19 playoff games. Pens fans should remember Miller very well considering the impact he had on their first round series against New York.
An offer sheet for Miller is much more realistic than Brandon Saad. The compensation that the Pittsburgh Penguins would owe the Rangers wouldn’t be nearly a high, and Miller is a very capable center that would allow the team to move Brandon Sutter if the opportunity presents itself.
Next: 2 Possible Big Name Trade Targets That Are Realistic for the Pens