NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Pittsburgh Penguins enter this season with unfamiliar questions.
Not among them is their commitment to centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and defenseman Kris Letang.
“I’ve heard a lot of people that were highly skeptical of the team’s ability to contend here,” president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas said. “The way I view it is, if people want to bet against (coach) Mike Sullivan, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and others, they can go ahead and do so. But I’m going to bet on them.”
For the first time in 17 NHL seasons together, Crosby, Malkin and Letang missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs after the Penguins went 40-31-11 last season, finishing one point behind the Florida Panthers for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
The bet is that it wasn’t a sign of a new norm, even with those three entering the later stages of their careers. Malkin is the oldest at 37 years old; Crosby and Letang are each 36.
The Penguins rode the core to the Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016 and 2017. They’ll try again this season.
It’s what drew Dubas to Pittsburgh. The GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs the past five seasons, Dubas was told on May 19 that he would not return, and was hired by Pittsburgh on June 1 as president of hockey operations to replace Brian Burke, fired along with general manager Ron Hextall on April 14. On Aug. 3, Dubas assumed the role of GM on a permanent basis.
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Before joining the Penguins, Dubas spoke to Crosby and Sullivan to ensure they were each on the same page.
“In my mind, they’re the best core I’ve ever been associated with,” Sullivan said. “They’ve still shown an ability to be able to compete at a high level. In the short run, I think our challenge is to surround them with what we can to field the most competitive team, to give the group an opportunity to compete for Stanley Cups.”
Enter defenseman Erik Karlsson, the largest boon of a busy offseason. He came to the Penguins from the San Jose Sharks on Aug. 6 in a three-team trade involving the Montreal Canadiens.
Karlsson won the Norris Trophy as the League’s best defenseman last season for the third time, leading the Sharks with 101 points (25 goals, 76 assists) in 82 games.
“[Karlsson] is still an elite player, as he showed last year, winning the Norris Trophy,” Dubas said. “If we have a chance to [acquire] him, we’re going to do it because we believe in the group.”
Karlsson will form a one-two punch with Letang, Pittsburgh’s all-time leader among defenseman in goals (156), assists (535), points (691) and games played (1,005). They could play a combined 50 minutes per game, Dubas said.
“I’ve played against Pittsburgh many times and lost a few times when they went on to win the ultimate prize,” Karlsson said. “That’s something that they know how to do here. And the players that they’ve had here for a long time are all really good players.”
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The defense has been overhauled, even beyond Karlsson. Brian Dumoulin, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with Pittsburgh (2016, 2017), signed with the Seattle Kraken in free agency. Jeff Petry (Montreal Canadiens, later traded to the Detroit Red Wings) and Jan Rutta (San Jose Sharks) were each traded.
Ryan Graves signed a six-year, $27 million contract July 1. He will play on a pair with either Letang or Karlsson. Marcus Pettersson will likely play with the other.
Crosby, entering his 19th NHL season, and Malkin, entering his 18th, continue to lead the forward group, but will do so without Jake Guentzel to start.
Guentzel, who scored 36 goals last season, had surgery on his right ankle on Aug. 2. The first-line left wing is expected to miss about five games, Dubas said.
In the meantime, Reilly Smith, acquired in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on June 28, could fill in next to Crosby.
“The knock is there at the door. Someone has to answer,” Dubas said. “This is the opportunity we waited for all this time. … And I’m just excited to see who comes in and takes it.”
That theme, one of going back to the playoffs by facing adversity head-on, has been discussed since April 13, when the Penguins season ended with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“I just hope that we learn from this. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Crosby said following the season. “Hopefully we’re a motivated group because of going through this.”