Kovacevic: Why rush a third-line center?

Jim Rutherford absolutely, positively must find a third-line center before the Penguins' season starts because ... why, exactly?

Really, if he does hit on one of his targets, wonderful. Everyone will have peace of mind, and Mike Sullivan and staff will have a firmer feel for their roster, camaraderie and chemistry will grow, and all that other stuff.

But what's the benefit beyond that?



It's not like they need a third-line center to make the playoffs.

It's not like investing their tiny amount of cap space, roughly $3.3 million, is better done now than later. The trade deadline, for example, offers more options for acquisition and at a considerably lower cost because of the prorated salary.

It's not like they might not have other, more pressing needs in the interim, presuming health and performance issues, only to find out they've got no more cap space.

And it's not like they wouldn't like to buy a few months to see how Zach Aston-Reese and Daniel Sprong mature in the months ahead and how that might affect the forward rotation as a whole.

What's the rush?

• Anyone doubting Carter Rowney's ability to man one of the bottom two center spots needs to queue up the the first handful of games from the Ottawa series. There were long stretches where he was the Penguins' most effective forward on any line.

That's no mirage when it occurs at that level.

• Vontaze Burfict is an idiot. Pacman Jones is an idiot.

Now, both of the Bengals' resident idiots will miss the start of the season, with Burfict just being suspended five games for this cheap shot on the Chiefs' Anthony Sherman 10 days ago:



Burfict's five lines up with Jones being suspended for the opener for ... I can't even keep track of all that guy's suspensions.

The Bengals issued this statement on the matter: "The film shows that the hit was legal, that Vontaze engaged his opponent from the front, and that contact was shoulder-to-chest. The Club will support Vontaze in the appeal process."

The Club is run by idiots.