San Jose Sharks defenseman Jan Rutta has become a steady force on the blueline for head coach David Quinn.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Jan Rutta has become a steady force on the blueline for head coach David Quinn.

Rutta was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Erik Karlsson trade. The defenseman only has one assist in his 17 games, but the offense is not his primary value. 

Rutta has been paired with different partners all season. He started with Nikolai Knyzhov, then was with Nikita Okhotiuk, and is now paired with Calen Addison.

Rutta is the classic example of a defensive defenseman being valued because he is right-handed. Addison is also right-handed, but until he and Rutta were put together, Quinn had every partnership as righty/lefty.

"I thought [Addison] handled playing the offside well," Quinn said. "It's not easy. People think you can do it seamlessly, but he handled it well. He's got the skill to do it."

As for what Quinn had to say about Rutta:

"This guy has won at this level. He's got a professionalism to him and a calmness to him. He's got a great personality," Quinn said. "Regardless of who he plays with, he embraces the opportunity to help people, and he's done a really good job. He's gotten better and better as the year has gone on."

There has never been a question of whether Rutta will be in the lineup. Whether paired with Knyzhov, Okhotiuk, or Addison, Rutta has made his pairing look like it had the most chemistry. 

"When you have been in the league as long as he has and you've won, you have confidence, you have swagger, that's where it comes from," Quinn said. "He plays with it, but he also understands his responsibility as an older player and a guy that has his history and experience, how he can help his teammates."

Rutta is averaging 19:28 TOI this season, which would be a career-high. He has become Quinn's go-to guy when a defenseman needs a calm partner. 

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