New Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta knows a contender when he sees one

When Jan Rutta describes a team as a Stanley Cup contender, he speaks from an area of expertise.

After all, he has played in the past three Stanley Cup Finals and was successful in two of them.

A member of the Tampa Bay Lightning for parts of the past four seasons, Rutta won back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021. He had an opportunity for a third consecutive title this past spring but the Lightning were bested by the Colorado Avalanche, 4-2, in last season’s final.

With the impediment of a stagnant salary cap, Lightning management was forced to jettison a handful of key contributors to their success, including Rutta.

“I wasn’t seeing myself playing there this (season),” Rutta said.” Everybody knows how the cap is, not just in Tampa but around the league. Just simple math. I knew that was probably my last run with the group.”

As a result, Rutta wound up being the Penguins’ most prominent free agent acquisition this past offseason, agreeing to a three-year contract with a salary cap hit of $2.75 million.

Sure, the benefit of a lucrative multi-year contract was attractive. But the opportunity to make a return to a Stanley Cup Final was too.

“The interest of Pittsburgh was known to me ever since we lost the (Stanley) Cup Final,” Rutta said. “So that played a big part. And obviously, the team here, in my eyes, a contender every year. It’s always fun to play hockey into the summer.”

Generally speaking, it hasn’t been fun for attacking offensive-minded players to play against Rutta. A steady defensive presence, the Penguins brought Rutta in to provide some balance to a blue line that has largely been speedy but not always stout in recent seasons.

The 32-year-old isn’t a bulldozer near the crease. At 6-foot-3 and 204 pounds, he relies more on guile than force to fend away opponents in the defensive zone.

“He’s got a good stick and he’s steady there,” Penguins forward Sidney Crosby said. “He can make a good first pass, not afraid to join the rush when he needs to. But mostly, he’s a defending defenseman. Steady.”

In 76 games last season, Rutta (pronounced “ROO-tuh”) had 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) and averaged 16:23 of ice time per contest.

A native of Czechia, Rutta grew up a fan of national hero and Penguins icon Jaromir Jagr and his presence will help maintain a streak for the Penguins of having at least one Czech on the roster since Jagr’s rookie season of 1990-91.

Rutta’s path to the NHL from Czechia was hardly smooth.

Never drafted, he began playing professionally during the 2008-09 season in Czechia for KLH Chomutov of that country’s second-tier league and remained with that club for seven seasons.

Viewed as something of a late bloomer, he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017 offseason as a 26-year old.

“Just a lot of hard work,” Rutta said when asked about his journey. “Especially when I was in Europe. I had to figure out some stuff on ice and off ice….