just bury him, you might need him later the way dmen get injured around here

That is a ridiculous amount to give up just to move Johnson, who doesn't need to be moved, at all.

The most reasonable Jack Johnson option is to actually just stop obsessing with moving him since it is not necessary.

Agreed, we need the defensive depth. its basically a circle jerk at this point to trade JJ. Unless we can trade him for a trade like the Guddy trade i dont feel like giving up assets to trade him at all

Seeing as he has actually been playing well and worth his cap hit this year, maybe the best plan would be to continue to play him. I don't think most pens fans actually watch games. They just look up corsi stats and let that be the end all, be all stat to analyze hockey.

Or just wait until the offseason and buy him out. Wouldn't have to give up any roster players or picks, and it's not even expensive

I think it’s a pretty fair package to move him. ZAR is a bottom 6 player at best, and Hallender is good, but that’s the price you pay to move one of the worst 3rd pairing D contracts in the NHL. If Rutherford can make both Johnson and Gubranson’s combined 7.25 million cap hit disappear... that would allow Pittsburgh to bring in a really solid LHD. I could see Chicago moving on from Dehaan as he’s struggled this season, and he would look great in a pens jersey.

Dumo-Letang
Dehaan-Schultz
Petterson-Marino

Is a damn solid top 6

His cap hit is below average. People act like he has Seabrook's contract. A $3.25M contract on the 3rd pair is nothing to be concerned about (if that is what you are using as a reason to move someone, which you are). Plus, after moving Gubranson with no retention and no cap back there is not cap need to move Johnson either. If someone wants him, fine... but there is no need to pay much to get someone to takehim, and certainly no reason to over-pay for someone to take him.

Don't forget that he is playing well for a 3rd pair dman. I just don't get the vitriol for the guy. Most pens fans are so hard-on for him failing and moving him at any cost. They must not actually watch the games.

Because once you become the whipping boy the only way to become loved in the pens fanbase is to be traded.
Fleury was the whipping boy and Murray was the favorite. Fleury goes to Vegas and is suddenly a hero that everyone misses in Pittsburgh and Murray is now the worst goalie to ever play the game to most pens fans.
Maatta was the reason for every goal against even though he was a career +60 with the pens. He was also terrible cause he never scored, cause you know dmen are supposed to lead the league in scoring. Then he gets traded for Kahun, Kahun starts out slow and tons of people were complaining about that trade.
I could probably go on and on

Admittedly I agree that JJ isn't sticking out like a sore thumb and he's not playing bad, but I think a package like this is what it takes to move him.

He’s still an anchor and brings down every single D partner he plays with. Every advanced stat shows just how bad he is. I agree at this point of the season there’s no point in over paying to move him because as of right now pens have some cap flexibility like you said. But by the draft next year Rutherford has to get rid of that contract. There’s nothing wrong with paying someone 3.25 million to pay on the third pairing if they’re a good D. Like I said; I would gladly take Dehaan and play him on our third pairing and he makes more. But he’s also a very under rated D

People grossly over react to the "need" to get rid of Johnson. He is not even in the top 20 of worst contracts in the league. Yes, it would be nice to move on from it,, but it is not the cause, and won't be the cause, of any downfall of the team. It is less than 4% of the cap, and will be an even lower % next year, the following year, the year after that. His contract is nothing more than a hollow excuse for whatever problems people think that it causes.

Push comes to shove if they bury him it is 2.67% of the cap.

It is not a big deal. It's not really even a little deal.

But in this day and age of the salary cap, every dollar matters. Once again, that 3.25 million could be much better spent elsewhere. Rikola certainly isn’t any worse than Johnson and makes under a million. I’m not a fan of a Rikola-Marino bottom pairing, but it wouldn’t be any worse than Johnson-Marino is right now. Pens would be smart to add another good Defenseman capable of playing in the top 4. Like I said I think Dehaan could end up in pit at some point if Johnson ends up being moved

Well, you can tank Crosby for Johnson being brought to the team, and probably or him still being on the team. It was reported 9for what that is worth) that Rutherford had a deal on the table for Johnson but nixed it. If Johnson is such an anchor on other players and his contract is so bad, why did Rutherford pass on the offer?

JR - Sid, I have an offer for Johnson from so-n-so...
SC - No, I want Jack to stay here.
JR - So-n-so, I am going to keep Johnson, thanks though.