PITTSBURGH — It’s so, so easy to conclude the Penguins are on the verge of collapsing and fading into oblivion because they’re old. Because the band got back together because it was well past its prime.
But it’s a flawed argument. Sidney Crosby is on pace for 100 points. Evgeni Malkin is on pace for 84 points. Kris Letang is having a poor season for his standards, yes, but he’s also been through hell and back during the past two months and has looked much better in recent games.
The Big 3 isn’t quite what it once was, but it’s still very, very good. You can still win with those three as your best players. Making proper decisions, however, is paramount when dealing with an aging core. So is having some good luck.
As the calendar is about to enter February, the stretch run awaits. These Penguins will either themselves into the postseason, or the young legs of the Panthers and Sabers — and a notable pair of new legs with the Islanders — will chase them down.
One way or the other, it’s starting to look like the last stand for these Penguins. How did it come to this point?
10. July 16, 2022
On a fairly stunning day, the Penguins made multiple trades. They sent John Marino to New Jersey in a deal that brought Ty Smith to Pittsburgh. Later, they traded Mike Matheson to Montreal in a deal that brought back Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling.
It’s probably too early to accurately grade these deals. But the early returns aren’t particularly good.
Ty Smith. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Two facts are indisputable at the moment: Marino has been the best player in these trades this season, and by a mile. While it’s true he wasn’t playing great in Pittsburgh the past two seasons, his elevated play can’t be ignored despite some bouts with injuries. Petry, meanwhile, has played perfectly decent hockey for the Penguins, but he hasn’t matched what Matheson did in Pittsburgh last season.
Again, Petry hasn’t been bad. But he hasn’t played to the level in which the Penguins were hoping. Smith, meanwhile, has been a bit contributor and has spent most of his season in Wilkes-Barre. For now, these trades have made the Penguins older, slower and less effective.
9. Summer of 2021
The Penguins could have traded Brian Dumoulin that summer. And they should have.
That same summer, Brenden Dillon was traded by Washington to Winnipeg in return for two second-round picks. Dumoulin has two more Stanley Cup rings than Dillon. They’re different-style players, but make no mistake, the Penguins could have gotten an ice haul in return for Dumoulin that summer.
Now, it’s too late. He’s clearly on the decline because of an ankle injury which he never fully recovered from in 2019. Had the Penguins dealt him then, they would have had $4 million to work with under the current cap.
8. Jan. 23, 2022
All roads lead back to Dillon, apparently. He broke Teddy Blueger’s jaw that day.
Since then, Blueger has played in 66 games and has scored one goal. One.
While Blueger was never a prolific scorer before the injury, he did give the Penguins occasional offense. He no longer does. The bottom six is already hurting and his lack of production isn’t helping.
7. July 19, 2021
On this day, the Penguins officially made the decision to protect Jeff Carter in the NHL expansion draft, which was held a couple of days later.
It remains one of the most bizarre decisions in franchise history. There’s no denying how spectacular Carter played when he arrived in Pittsburgh a couple of years ago. He had looked washed up in Los Angeles, and playing for the Penguins brought him back to life. In a big way.
However, the Penguins’ fear of losing him to Seattle was outrageous. The Kraken were never going to consider Carter. Ron Francis and Kraken management wanted good, young players. Look at the standings, and you’ll see the plan is working.
The decision to protect Carter was pure madness.
6. July 21, 2021
Two days later, it cost them dearly. Brandon Tanev isn’t a great player, but he’s a really good one.
Think about what the Penguins need right now.
- Bottom-six help
- More speed
- More physicality
- More depth scoring
Well, it seems to me Tanev brought all of these attributes to the table in a very big way during his time in Pittsburgh. Sure, you can’t protect everybody. But some people are worth protecting. Sometimes, one needs to get a little creative during expansion draft season. Instead, the Penguins traded one player they were afraid they’d lose and protected another who was never going to be claimed.
Speaking of which…
5. July 17, 2021
In the name of the expansion draft, the Penguins traded Jared McCann to Toronto.
Think the Penguins could make use of him right about now? Sure, he could be a streaky player. Coaches would sometimes get frustrated with him. Some felt he was a little mentally weak at times.
Well, guess what: No player is perfect. The fact is, McCann is going to exceed 40 goals in Seattle this season. Maybe he wouldn’t have scored that many in Pittsburgh because his role would have been a little different. But it doesn’t matter. He was a stud in Pittsburgh, and he’s a stud now. He’s fast. He can finish. He’s a good teammate. He can play center or wing.
Letting him go was a huge mistake.
4. Jan. 26, 2022
The Penguins gave Jeff Carter a two-year contract extension on this day.
Why?
Jeff Carter. (Charles LeClaire / USA Today)
Sure, up until that point, he had been a godsend for the Penguins. But suddenly, he looks old. There was absolutely no reason to give him a two-year contract at that point in time. Now, the Penguins are hamstrung by this deal and their bottom six is worse because of it.
Speaking of which…
3. August 2, 2022
Kasperi Kapanen has been a disaster for the Penguins. He was during the 2021-22 season, without question. So, what did the Penguins do? They rewarded him with a two-year contract and even gave him $6.4 million over those two years, which rivals the Jack Johnson deal for the most baffling in franchise history.
Kapanen has responded by being every bit as mercurial this season.
Nothing about that deal made sense then, and nothing about it makes sense now.
2. Jan. 2, 2023
Tristan Jarry hurt his groin in the opening minutes at Fenway Park. He’s played a couple of games since but is hurt again.
The Penguins simply have no chance without him. He’s by far their best goalie and, with a healthy Jarry, the Penguins have a puncher’s chance to beat anyone in a playoff series.
Without him down the stretch, they won’t make the playoffs.
1. Feb. 9, 2021
The Penguins hired Ron Hextall and Brian Burke on this day.
I’m not here to criticize everything they’ve done. Acquiring Carter and Rickard Rakell, for instance, were great moves. Signing Malkin, Letang and Bryan Rust under market value? Great.
Burke and Hextall were handed a potentially impossible task when they took their respective jobs. They were told to win another championship and to replenish the Penguins’ system simultaneously. It was a stupid request from the Penguins. They should have been looking to win another Cup OR replenish the system. Pick one. You can’t really pull off both.
Still, Hextall and Burke accepted. Two years later, the Penguins don’t look like a Cup contender and their system still stinks.
(Top photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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