Jim Rutherford didnt expect to fill all the holes on the Pittsburgh Penguins roster in a day. Good thing, because it didnt happen. Not even close. Still, the new general manager isnt panicking despite losing six players in free agency, including defencemen Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen, and talented winger Jussi Jokinen. Less than a month into the job, Rutherford is taking a pragmatic approach to replenishing the talent around stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The process began Tuesday when the Penguins signed defenceman Christian Ehrhoff, forward Blake Comeau and goaltender Thomas Greiss to one-year deals. The team also retained forward Marcel Goc. Hardly the kind of splashy signings made elsewhere -- Washington spent $67.5 million alone to bring in Orpik and Niskanen -- but Rutherford isnt complaining. "We dont necessarily have to have our team all set for a playoff run in September," he said. Ehrhoff came onto the market over the weekend after the Buffalo Sabres bought out the final seven seasons his 10-year contract. The 31-year-old will make $4 million next season in Pittsburgh. The German-born Ehrhoff has 69 goals and 313 points in 692 games, and Rutherford believes Ehrhoffs skill set will fit in well under new coach Mike Johnston. "He plays a lot of minutes, 23-24 a game, can play right or left defence, power play, penalty kill," Rutherford said. "Hes in great shape and a great team guy. He can really skate and with the kind of team we have, having a guy back there that can skate and move the puck is important." Rutherford is confident the young defencemen in Pittsburghs minor league system will give the Penguins a solid blue line even without Orpik -- the longest-tenured defenceman in team history -- and Niskanen, who cashed in after a career year. Still, Rutherford didnt waste a chance to grab Ehrhoff despite the shortness of the deal. "He loved the opportunity to come with the Penguins," Rutherford said. "He just felt that, lets give it a one-year try with a good team and have a chance to win and then well look at it at the end of the season." Comeau provides depth as a third or fourth line forward. The 28-year-old had five goals and 11 assists in 61 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. Greiss, who went 10-8-5 with a 2.29 goals-against average for Phoenix in 2013-14, will compete with Jeff Zatkoff for the backup spot behind Marc-Andre Fleury. The signings give the Penguins depth, but also leave plenty to address going forward, including who is going to play with Malkin after the departure of Jokinen and James Neal. The Penguins traded Neal to Nashville for Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling on Friday, and Jokinen left on Tuesday to sign a four-year deal with the Florida Panthers. Hornqvist is a candidate to fill out a top six spot, and the return of Pascal Dupuis from a knee injury and Beau Bennett from a wrist injury should give the Penguins some options. Rutherford didnt rule out a run at free agent forward Nikolai Kulemin -- who happens to be a good friend of Malkins -- but isnt sure the money will work. "Theres always a chance but it would take someone getting very, very creative to figure out how that contract fits into our cap," Rutherford said. ------ AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Buffalo, NY contributed to this report. Scarpe Scontatissime Italia . CSKA received the heavier punishment of playing its next European home game behind closed doors, after its supporters displayed racist and far-right symbols in the Czech Republic during a 2-1 loss to Viktoria Plzen on Dec. Scarpe Nike Italia . On the day after Billy Horschel posted his 12th straight round in the 60s, won his second straight tournament against a world-class field and picked up an additional $10 million bonus as the FedEx Cup champion, Watson was kicking back in his seat at a Kansas City Royals game. https://www.scontatescarpeoutlet.it/scon...tlet-c3066.html. Wheeler scored at 4:58 of overtime, with Scheifele getting an assist, and the Jets beat the slumping Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Sunday night. Air Max 270 Italia . After making his All-Star debut in Fridays Rising Stars Challenge, the Raptors sophomore centre wont be sticking around for the duration of the weekends festivities, thinking about the big picture instead. Air Max 720 Scontate . Cruz set the tone with a two-run homer in the first inning, and Baltimore scored eight times in the eighth to pull away for a 12-3 victory in Game 1. The major league leader with 40 homers during the regular season, Cruz added an RBI single to his early blast off Max Scherzer.GREEN BAY, Wis. - Julius Peppers is short and direct when talking in front of the cameras.Not even a looming trip to Chicago to face his old team Sunday will get the Green Bay Packers even-keeled pass rusher to show some emotion.This is just business, Peppers said Thursday. He would know after getting cut by the Bears in the off-season as a salary cap hit.Never hard feelings. Its the business, the 34-year-old Peppers said. People might not go from Green Bay to Chicago, or from Chicago to Green Bay, all the time, but people change teams all the time. Its nothing really extraordinary about this situation.Its also not often that a team gets to add a 6-foot-7 pass rusher who entered the season with 118 1/2 sacks.Yes, I foresee a little extra motivation, but I hopefully dont foresee him having a bigger game against us, Bears running back Matt Forte said. He definitely has found new life over there with a change of scenery and a new team and a new defence.It could have been different had the outcome of the last game between the fierce NFC North rivals gone the Bears way.Fourth-and-8 from the 48 with 46 seconds left. Peppers, with Chicago, rushes free off the right edge.Fullback John Kuhn slides over at the last second and chips Peppers just long enough to allow quarterback Aaron Rodgers to take a step free left. Rodgers finds receiver Randall Cobb down the field with 38 seconds left for a touchdown.Packers win 33-28 to take the division title.If I wouldve made the play, I probably wouldnt be here now, Peppers said.Its kind of like one of those things like, at the time it was the worst thing that couldve happened, he added. But now its like the best thing that couldve happened.Playing mainly right defensive end, Peppers had 175 sacks in his four years in Chicago. His arrival in Green Bay fit with coach Mike McCarthys plan to punch up the pass rush and get more big plays.The Packers, who primarily played a 3-4 defence in recent years, have used more four-linemen looks with Peppers. He has also been asked to cover more than he has had in the past.McCarthy said Peppers is growing more and more comfortable. Lastt week, Peppers got his first sack with Green Bay, forcing Detroits Matthew Stafford to fumble in the process.ddddddddddddTheyre doing a good job of resting him and then playing him so hes staying fresh, Bears offensive co-ordinator Aaron Kromer said. And their defensive line, theyre rotating guys keeping them fresh and thats where you see the difference a€” hes not playing every down so when he comes in he can give it everything.On the field is where Peppers is at his vocal, animated best, Packers defensive lineman Datone Jones said. Midweek in practice, hes a second coach on the field.Jones, a second-year pro, spoke of how Peppers has taught him ways to shed blockers. To Jones, Peppers is a role model.Just how hes studying in meetings, how hes taking notes down and those are some of the things I do every day, Jones said. Its all about the little things, you know you do the little things, you have a bigger payout.Jones said he thought Peppers was going to be very emotional going back to Chicago.If thats the case, Peppers is doing a good job of not letting on.I have nothing but respect for that whole organization, from the ownership to the coaches to the players, Peppers said. This is a business trip. Im a Green Bay Packer now, so thats what it is.But returning with Chicago for the first time to Carolina a€” the team that drafted him in 2002 a€” was different.Going back to Chicago a€” that appears more to be more about business.It was the first time playing against a former team. Its just a little bit different. Carolina is home. So that was the main thing; it was home, Peppers said. Chicago wasnt really home. It was more of a place ... it wasnt home. So, thats the difference.Note: Matthews (groin) was limited for a second straight day in practice, though he said afterward that he would be out there on Sunday. Fellow LBs Nick Perry (wrist) and Brad Jones (quad) were also limited.___AP freelance writer Gene Chamberlain in Lake Forest, Illinois, contributed to this report.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP ' ' '
