The Pittsburgh Penguins are at an interesting point in their current timeline. The team is competitive, having made the playoffs each of the last 16 seasons. However, they aren’t the dominant force they used to be.
The Penguins recorded 103 points in the regular season last year, their highest total since the 2018-19 season. And yet, the team failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
Early exits from the Stanley Cup playoffs have become a bit common place. The last time the Penguins made it out of the first round was 2017-18 when they bowed out in the second round. They last made it out of the second round in 2016-17 when they last won the Stanley Cup.
The Penguins want to get back to their former glory. And this season may be their last chance to get there with the team’s current core in place. Here are three bold predictions for the Penguins’ 2022-23 NHL season.
Pittsburgh Penguins: 3 bold predictions for the 2022-23 NHL season
3) Kasperi Kapanen bounces back
Pittsburgh has shown the utmost confidence in forward Kasperi Kapanen for years. The team drafted him back in 2014, and reacquired him in 2020 after trading him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015.
The Penguins continued to show confidence in Kapanen by awarding him a two-year contract in the offseason. This is in spite of the 26-year-old coming off the worst season of his career.
This year, Kapanen won’t experience those same struggles. The Finnish forward will have a bounce-back season in 2022-23. In fact, the 26-year-old will enjoy a career year.
His best season came in 2018-19. Then with the Maple Leafs, Kapanen scored 20 goals and recorded 44 points in 78 games. Kapanen should easily eclipse these totals with the full backing of management, and a better supporting cast around him.
2) Tristan Jarry: Vezina Candidate
The Penguins have had an interesting history in goal recently. Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury backstopped the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cup winning teams. Both Murray and Fleury were traded, opening the door for Tristan Jarry.
And to some extent, Jarry has repaid the Penguins for taking a chance on him. Especially last season, when he was among the top 10 in almost every major goaltending stat category.
His top 10 finishes came outside of statistical categories. The 27-year-old netminder finished seventh in Vezina Trophy voting as the league’s best goaltender.
There are a few factors in how Jarry will get there. The Penguins defense will need to be top-notch in front of him. And he will need to play to the best of his potential. That isn’t a major concern, however.
This year, the Penguins goalie will be a finalist for the award. He will finish top-three, and there is a non-zero chance Jarry shocks the world and comes home with the prize.
1) Crosby, Malkin return to form
In July, it seemed likely that Evgeni Malkin would enter the 2022-23 season in a different sweater. The legendary forward was ready to test the free agent market following a breakdown in contract negotiations.
It isn’t the first time Malkin’s future with the Penguins was in doubt. Following the 2015 season, trade rumors swirled around him. Nothing came of it, and the future Hall of Famer has remained with the Penguins his entire career thus far.
Cooler heads also prevailed this time, and Malkin agreed to a four-year extension right before free agency began. This decision will have an immense effect on Malkin and Pittsburgh’s other major star, Sidney Crosby.
Crosby and Malkin are very close off the ice. Crosby helped campaign for Malkin to receive the extension he desired. And he is no doubt elated to have his guy back in the fold in Pittsburgh.
As such, the Penguins stars will enjoy a return to form this season. Both Crosby and Malkin will record 100+ points and lead the Penguins to major success.
Crosby is no stranger to the century mark. He’s recorded 100+ points in six different seasons. The last time he recorded that many points was 2018-19.
It’s a bit of a different story for Malkin. He has recorded 100+ points on just three different occasions. The last time he crossed the mark was way back in 2011-12. He did come close in the 2018-19 season, but he came up short by two points.
This is definitely a bold prediction. However, these two are still capable of playing at a high level. They can capture lightning in a bottle one last time to lead the Penguins again.
It is a lot to ask of Crosby and Malkin, especially given that both players are in their mid-30s. However, with the weight of contract negotiations and a potential breakup behind them, these two will return to form in 2022-23.
