The Penguins have long prized versatility, guys who can be effective in more than one role.
A forward who can play both wings, for example, or a defenseman who's able to operate on either side.
And it turns out that players aren't the only ones in whom they value the ability to fit into multiple niches.
Jim Rutherford made that point Wednesday when he named Patrik Allvin, who joined the organization as a European scout for the 2006-07 season and has been its director of amateur scouting since 2017, an assistant general manager
"I'm excited and humble about this opportunity, and we'll see where it takes me," Allvin told a conference call. "I feel I always have something to prove. Every day, it's my mindset. I want to learn. I want to get better."
Allvin, 46, fills a void created when Jason Karmanos was fired last month, and will retain his scouting position, in which he oversees the Penguins' amateur scouting operations in North America and Europe.
"Patrik has made a lot of contributions during his 14 years with Pittsburgh, and has proven to be a valuable asset for us," Rutherford said, in a statement released by the team. "We've been impressed with his hockey knowledge and work ethic, and I look forward to working more closely with him."
The Penguins also announced that Sam Ventura, who has been director of hockey research, has been named director of hockey operations, and will work with Allvin on issues pertaining to the salary cap, collective bargaining agreement and the Hockey Operations budget.
Although Allvin's work has focused on scouting since he joined the Penguins, he noted that he earned a finance degree in Sweden, so matters such as contracts and budgets aren't alien to him. What's more, he said, co-workers with the team have given some valuable guidance.
"Working with good people here over the years, they have involved me in contract techniques, the negotiation part," he said. "But I have to learn a lot here, moving forward, with Jim. He's been around. He's a Hall of Famer. Sam Ventura, Erik Heasley (manager of hockey operations and assistant general manager of the Penguins' farm team in Wilkes-Barre), I'm eager to learn from those guys."
Although Karmanos lost his position rather unceremoniously, most of Allvin's predecessors have thrived in the position before moving on to more lofty positions in other organizations.
"I can't say enough about those assistant GMs who have been here in the past," he said. "I've learned so much from Jason Karmanos, Billy Guerin, Jason Botterill, Tom Fitzgerald, Dan MacKinnon, Randy Sexton ... those are the people I've learned from working extremely close with. The relationships I have with those guys nowadays, I'm extremely fortunate to have worked with those people and learn from them."
None of those guys had to merge job descriptions the way Allvin will, however, and he might have to tweak the way he goes running the amateur scouting staff.
"Obviously, this is new, so we'll sit down as a staff and make sure we have a structure in place," he said.
As an assistant GM, Allvin will have a more short-term focus than he did when trying to identify teenaged prospects, as the Penguins strive to enhance their chances of competing for another championship before the players around whom the lineup is built move into the twilight of their careers.
"The star players we have here, in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, they're such competitive players ... and the drive they have to accomplish more, it's impressive," Allvin said. "I'm excited about the personnel we have here in place in Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre. That's what makes this job even more exciting, to be part of that group.
The success we've had here over the past 14 years, I think we're, as an organization, not done yet. We're hungry to get better. ... Everybody wants to get another Cup."
