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Deadline Primer: Pittsburgh Penguins

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Pittsburgh Penguins

Two years, two Stanley Cups for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are looking to take home a third consecutive championship in 2018. The Sidney Crosby-led team has a group of superstars in their prime who have turned around some early season struggles to push themselves into contention once again. Now, with just over a week before the deadline, GM Jim Rutherford is expected to make one of his customary acquisitions to help give the Penguins an extra playoff push.

Record

33-22-4, second in Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$927K full-season cap hit, 0/3 retained salary transactions, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: PIT 1st, PIT 2nd, VAN 4th, PIT 5th, DET 5th, PIT 6th, PIT 7th
2019: PIT 1st, PIT 2nd, PIT 3rd, PIT/MIN 4th*, PIT 5th, PIT 7th

*Dallas will receive the earlier of the two picks

Trade Chips

Daniel SprongTo use a baseball term, the Penguins for the last few years have been an example of a stars and scrubs roster, except have quickly turned those scrubs into useful players. Undrafted forward Conor Sheary, third-round picks like Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust, and late-round castoffs like Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin have all played important roles in the Stanley Cup victories.

Now they’re trying to make it happen once again with players like Dominik Simon and Zach Aston-Reese. That continuous development and promotion has left the prospect cupboard fairly bare for the Penguins in terms of potential impact players, save for one name: Daniel Sprong.

Sprong has been involved in nearly every speculative trade scenario for some time, as the first-round pick continues to bide his time in the AHL. An impressive offensive talent, he could still be used as a legitimate piece to acquire an impact player at the deadline.

Beyond Sprong, the Penguins are left with a good pipeline of goaltending options but the team has already come out to say they’d rather not move any of them. Despite Matt Murray’s early career success, Rutherford knows that his team is just a quick injury away from relying on Tristan Jarry throughout the playoffs.

On the NHL roster, Ian Cole has garnered his fair share of trade speculation after reportedly clashing with head coach Mike Sullivan, but looks unlikely to move now that he’s reclaimed his role. Matt Hunwick on the other hand could be the piece used to create some cap flexibility, as his three-year, $7.75MM contract doesn’t look good less than a year in.

Team Needs

1) Fourth-Line Center: For much of the season, talk surrounding the Penguins involved their search for a third-line center to push Riley Sheahan down and strengthen their group in the middle. Instead, now it seems as though the team is confident in Sheahan to fill that role and is looking for an even less impactful player. Mark Letestu has been linked to the team, and would certainly be a relatively cheap option for them at the deadline.

2) Scoring Help: Even though the Penguins have three players who can each drive a line in Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, the team has been circling around some scoring help all season long. Whether that appears in the form of a big acquisition like Evander Kane or Rick Nash, or is limited to a bottom-six addition like Benoit Pouliot or Thomas Vanek is still unclear. To do anything at the deadline, Rutherford will have to move some salary out, and the bigger the prize, the tougher it becomes to fit them in.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pittsburgh Penguins Third-Line Center Search Cooling Off

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The Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Jim Rutherford made no attempt to hide the fact that they were after a third-line center early in the season. Rutherford admitted several times that he had certain candidates in mind, and eventually went out and added Riley Sheahan from the Detroit Red Wings. Sheahan wasn’t the “impact” player that Rutherford had spoken about, but he was at least a temporary fit for the team as they figured out what to do next.

Many still believe the Penguins will add that third-line player at the trade deadline, bumping Sheahan down a spot and away from Phil Kessel’s unit. Adding more skill would certainly be beneficial, or at least it seemed so before a recent surge in Sheahan’s production—four assists in five games. Now, as Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes in his latest 20 Penguins Thoughts, they may not add a third-line center after all, instead making a smaller deal to strengthen the position.

Mackey suggests that Sheahan’s comfort level with Kessel has improved lately, and he points to Matt Cullen as the obvious answer to slide into the lineup. Cullen, who signed in Minnesota last offseason, is Mackey’s pick to “be a Penguin by February 26, maybe sooner.”

Cullen is on a one-year deal with the Wild worth as much as $1.7MM depending on performance bonuses tied to playoff success, and obviously has a great number of ties to the Penguins organization after winning back to back Stanley Cups with them the previous two years. Though his minutes have decreased even further this season, he could still offer the same dependable presence on the fourth line.

The Penguins certainly don’t have the cap space presently that would facilitate a larger move. With just under $2MM of deadline cap space (as per CapFriendly) a move for an impact player would likely require salary heading the other way. While there are obvious options for that—defenseman Ian Cole being one of them—removing players in the middle of a second-half run isn’t ideal. The Penguins have climbed to within four points of the Metropolitan-leading Washington Capitals, and have their eyes set on the playoffs once again. Whether that will be with a new exciting player skating on the third line, or a more experienced familiar face is still to be seen.

Which Teams Would Have Flexibility In Another Expansion Draft?

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Midway-through the 2017-18 NHL season, it is nearly impossible to predict what rosters could look like following the 2019-20 season, more than two years away. Trades, free agency, and much more shape teams often in ways that no one sees coming. With that said, it seems like another Expansion Draft is coming to add the league’s 32nd team, the Seattle __________, and the timeline most are suggesting is a June 2020 draft date. Like it or not, the general managers of the other 31 NHL need to be keeping that in the back of their mind with each move they make over the next two seasons.

However, it could be that some have already made decisions that could impact their roster protection plans more than two years from now. The structure of the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft will the remain the same, allowing for teams to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie or eight skaters regardless of position and one goalie from being selected. The one caveat that threw more than a few teams for a loop last June was that all players with No-Movement Clauses (NMC) in their contracts had to be protected, unless the players voluntarily chose to wave them i.e. Marc-Andre Fleury. So, with that one aspect of the expansion process in mind, it is possible to look ahead at certain long-term contracts to see, assuming those players don’t waive them ahead of time, who could be locked in for protection in 2020 or which teams will have more flexibility without any such players:

Total Flexibility

Arizona Coyotes (0) – The only NMC players on the Coyotes are defensemen Alex Goligoski and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Hjalmarsson will be a free agent in the summer of the projected Expansion Draft and Goligoski’s clause will have shifted to a Modified No-Trade Clause. Arizona will likely have complete flexibility.

Buffalo Sabres (0) – Kyle Okposo’s NMC expires after this season and Jason Pominville’s contract expires after next season. Buffalo won’t have any restrictions on their protection scheme as of now.

Calgary Flames (0) – There is no one on the roster with a NMC and no one that will predictably get one by the end of the 2019-20 season. Kudos to GM Brad Treliving.

Los Angeles Kings (0) – Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar in their only NMC player right now and even his clause will have shifted to No-Trade by 2020. L.A. is free and clear.

Nashville Predators (0) – GM David Poile does not seem to be a fan of NMC’s in his recent long-term deals and in the new NHL expansion era, that’s a good thing.

New Jersey Devils (0) – see Calgary Flames

New York Islanders (0) – The Andrew Ladd and Johnny Boychuk contracts already look bad for the Isles. They would be much worse if their NMC’s didn’t expire soon. With John Tavares and Josh Bailey both candidates for NMC’s should they re-sign in New York and a defense that needs a re-haul, the Islanders could lose some flexibility, but they should be fine.

Toronto Maple Leafs (0) – The Leafs have no NMC players under contract beyond 2019-20 right now. That could easily change with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander in need of extensions, but Toronto should still be in a good spot. After all, those are players that would protected regardless.

Vancouver Canucks (0) – Loui Eriksson’s NMC shifts to a No-Trade Clause following this season and will be an afterthought by 2020. It’s fortunate, as Eriksson’s tenure in Vancouver has not gone according to plan.

Vegas Golden Knights (0) – The Golden Knights didn’t sign or trade for any players with NMC’s and only drafted two – Marc-Andre Fleury and David Clarkson – who already had them and they both expire before the Knights would be set to become the NHL’s second-newest team. With that said, the current Knights’ roster will see a lot of turnover in the next two years and they may struggle to avoid NMC’s completely.

Washington Capitals (0) – GM Brian MacLellan has avoided NMC’s in any of his recent mega-deals. If he can do it again this summer in his attempt to re-sign (or replace) John Carlson, then the Caps will be in good shape for another round of expansion drafting.

Winnipeg Jets (0) – The NMC in Bryan Little’s contract will both kick in and expire between now and June 2020. The Jets should be left with a fully flexible lineup.

Some Flexibility

Boston Bruins (2) – There’s little concern that Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron will still be playing at a high level in two years. Their NMC’s should be a non-factor for Boston. If David Krejci and, especially, David Backes still had their NMC’s too at that time, there would be a real logjam up front. However, both will have shifted to Modified No-Trade Clauses by then, potentially saving the Bruins from making tough decisions about their many talented young forwards.

Carolina Hurricanes (1) – As important a job as he’s had in Carolina, Jordan Staal will never be the star forward that finally puts them over the top. If his NMC causes a problem in 2020, he could easily be traded to a contender to play a complementary role. The Hurricanes need to retain as many promising young forward assets as they can in hopes of one day finding that true superstar.

Colorado Avalanche (1) – There are mixed opinions on Erik Johnson, but he has a leadership role for the Avalanche and will be key in grooming a strong crop of up-and-coming defensive prospects. The Avs won’t lose sleep about having to protect him in expansion, especially if he’s still one of their top-pairing guys in two years.

Columbus Blue Jackets (1) – The Blue Jackets were one of the biggest losers in the most recent Expansion Draft. They might be smart to sell off Nick Foligno if there’s any risk that history repeats itself.

Dallas Stars (3) – Call it optimism about his play in his first season in Dallas, but the NMC for Alexander Radulov doesn’t seem like it will be a major issue even after a couple more years. Of course, Jamie Benn’s NMC will also be a non-factor. Ben Bishop on the other hand may not be the goalie the Stars would prefer to keep in two years. As of now, there’s no immediate competition though.

Detroit Red Wings (1) – Detroit only has one NMC player who will still be under contract in 2020-21 (and another season after that), but it’s Frans Nielsen, who has been a major disappointment for the team since coming over from the New York Islanders. He could throw a wrench in their plans if he continues his downward trend over the next two seasons.

Minnesota Wild (2) – The Ryan Suter and Zach Parise mega-deals will still be making an impact in 2020, but with most of the core locked up throughout that season and no other NMC contract likely on their way, Minnesota should be okay in the Expansion Draft.

Montreal Canadiens (2) – Even if the Canadiens continue to struggle through two more seasons, there will be few Habs fans that blame superstar goalie Carey Price. His NMC won’t be an issue because the team would never dream of leaving him exposed. Jeff Petry on the other hand could be a problem. Luckily (?), it doesn’t look like Montreal will have many defenders worth protecting even in the next couple of seasons.

Ottawa Senators (2) – Some things never change. The NMC’s for Bobby Ryan and Dion Phaneuf were problems for the Senators in this past Expansion Draft and they’ll likely be problems again next time around. If Phaneuf is traded between now and then, that alleviates some concern for Ottawa. Good luck moving the Ryan contract though.

Philadelphia Flyers (1) – Only Claude Giroux has and predictably will have an NMC come June 2020. That’s a pretty safe situation for Philly.

San Jose Sharks (1) – Marc-Edouard Vlasic plays a confident, stay-at-home defensive game that often ages nicely. He looks to be the only NMC in San Jose in 2020, which shouldn’t cause a stir.

St. Louis Blues (1) – Patrik Berglund will be on the wrong side of 30 and still under a NMC when the potential 2020 draft rolls around, but with the rest of their core signed long-term without NMC’s, the Blues should be pretty safe.

Tampa Bay Lightning (2) – Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman may be the two safest NMC contracts in the NHL. Fortunately, Ryan Callahan’s otherwise-problematic NMC expires just prior to projected 2020 Expansion Draft.

Little Flexibility

Anaheim Ducks (3) – Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler will all be 35+ and still be NMC-protected in 2020. That’s a large chunk of your protected forwards to dedicate to players in the twilight of their careers. Some up-and-coming young talent could leave Anaheim again in this next Expansion Draft a la Shea Theodore.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) – The downside to signing all of your core players to long contracts with NMC’s could hit the Blackhawks hard in the next Expansion Draft. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will be well past 30 and Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith will be in their mid-to-late 30’s during the 2020-21 season, but all four will need to be protected ahead of that season, which could force other promising younger players out of Chicago’s protection scheme. At least they’ll narrowly avoid having an issue in net with Corey Crawford’s contract expiring prior.

Edmonton Oilers (2) – Milan Lucic and Kris Russell. Each two years older than they are now. Those aren’t exactly players that a team wants to be forced to keep. It’s foreseeable that one or both could have a negative impact on the team’s protection plan.

Florida Panthers (3) – The Panthers probably won’t mind having three players locked up come Expansion 2.0. The team knew what they were doing when they signed Keith Yandle long-term. Even in his mid-30’s, Yandle will be a reliable player and a leader for the young Florida defensive core. Sure, they considered asking him to waive his NMC this past June, but they never actually did. Yandle won’t be a major issue in two years unless his play falls off considerably. There should be no concern whatsoever over Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, whose NMC’s kick in later on in their contracts. The same might not be true about Evgeni Dadonov, whose been somewhat underwhelming so far in Florida, but luckily his contract runs out just prior the probable draft date.

New York Rangers (4) – Although they will have near total control over their forwards, outside of Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers could be in a tough position with their protection schemes in net and on the blue line in 2020. Then-38-year-old Henrik Lundqvist will require protection, as will underachieving defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Marc Staal. New York is apparently readying themselves for somewhat of a rebuild, which could mean some of those players are traded beforehand. Otherwise New York could face quite the dilemma.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) – It seems unlikely, even years from now and in their mid-30’s, that the NMC’s for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, or Phil Kessel would cause trouble for the Penguins. Injury-prone defenseman Kris Letang could be different though. Being forced to protect him after another two seasons of hard minutes could be difficult to swallow. Pittsburgh also has some work to do filling out the forward corps between now and 2020. GM Jim Rutherford would be well-served to avoid acquiring or handing out any further NMC’s.

Penguins A Fitting Trade Partner For Struggling Atlantic Squads

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The Pittsburgh Penguins already acquired an Atlantic player when they acquired center Riley Sheahan from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this year. Could GM Jim Rutherford double-dip into the division for yet another center? There are plenty of options available.

As everyone knew they would, the Penguins have rebounded from some serious early season struggles and are back in the playoff picture. With 53 points, the Pens have tied up the New York Rangers and the two teams currently hold wild card berths. However, the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and Carolina Hurricanes are mere points behind and all have games in hand on Pittsburgh. In fact, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs are actually last in the Metropolitan Division in points percentage. The Penguins undoubtedly have work to do prior to the NHL Trade Deadline, but this year they need help just to make the playoffs.

The main issue for Pittsburgh continues to come back to third-line center, where nothing has worked this year. Sheahan has struggled on the third line, but has settled in nicely on the fourth line. Injured Carter Rowney is also better suited for an energy line role. Jake Guentzel is a competent pivot, but to have him center the third line is to remove him from his top-six wing spot where he has been so successful. Despite their many attempts, the Penguins still just need to replace Nick Bonino. 

Enter the Atlantic Division, home to two of the best teams in hockey as well as four of the worst. The Pens have already dealt with Detroit, sending Scott Wilson and a third-round pick their way for Sheahan. However, there are three more teams willing to sell and with pieces of interest to the Pens. The Montreal Canadiens, who themselves are desperate for help at center, are seemingly ready to move on from career contributor Tomas Plekanec, an impending free agent. The 35-year-old has years of experience and is perhaps the best two-way player on the Montreal roster. A rental deal for Plekanec to go to Pittsburgh has been talked about by many and would be no surprise. A less likely deal, but one that also makes sense is Canadiens forward Paul Byron. Although he provides great value with a cap hit just over $1MM for another season, if the Habs enter 2018-19 with Byron again as even a top-nine center, then they will have not done enough this summer. The team may as well move on now and get a good return from Pittsburgh, who could really use the late bloomers services at a bargain rate through next season. Then there are the Ottawa Senators, who have made it known that they are willing to move just about anyone on their roster. The player of most interest to Pittsburgh is likely Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The 25-year-old center is signed through 2020, but has heard his name on the rumor mill and fits the third line role perfectly. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston even mentioned that the Penguins have been kicking the tires on Pageau. Zack Smith, a similarly skilled player with a similar $3MM+ cap hit, but with greater experience, could also be had. Although the Sens are likely more keen to keep Smith over Pageau, Smith was one of many players recently asked to waive his no-trade clause. Finally, perhaps the crown jewel of available Atlantic centers is Buffalo’s Sam Reinhart. The struggling Sabres have few players of value to offer – and reportedly Reinhart is not one they are willing to part with – but there is no doubt that Rutherford would love to pry the 2014 second overall pick from old friend Jason Botterill in Buffalo. Reinhart has struggled to produce on offense or play well down the middle with the Sabres, but the 22-year-old has the makings of an elite two-way center down the road. In a new city where he faces less pressure to be superstar and top scorer, Reinhart could develop into that defensive-minded top-nine forward that his skill set is best suited for.

There are more than enough options for Rutherford and the Penguins to make a move for yet another center from the Atlantic. The Canadiens, Senators, and Sabres are all floundering and will be sellers looking to make a move. Pittsburgh hasn’t yet traded away all of their prospect and draft pick assets and Rutherford has shown a desire to make moves early and often ahead of the trade deadline. Don’t be shocked if his next newsworthy move is to bring in any of these players to give his team a shot at the postseason and perhaps even a three-peat.

Penguins Notes: Trade Challenges, Hornqvist, Hagelin

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While it has been reported over the past several weeks that the Penguins have been aggressive in talking trades and that they could try to do something sooner than later, GM Jim Rutherford acknowledged to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that making further changes may not be what the team actually needs at the moment:

“Some of the things that I see, I don’t believe changing player personnel is going to do it. As a group, we have to be more consistent and do what we do best.”

Mackey notes a couple of factors that could work against the Penguins in any trade discussions.  For starters, they have limited trade chips aside from defenseman Ian Cole.  They’re not likely to be willing to part with their pending unrestricted free agents and while they’d likely want to move Carl Hagelin’s contract ($4MM through 2018-19), they’re going to have a hard time finding some takers.  Prospect Daniel Sprong will certainly garner interest but considering how he has fared since being recalled, they’re going to want to hold onto him as well.

The other issue at play will be the salary cap.  As is the case with a lot of contenders, their room to work with is limited; per CapFriendly, they can add a player making just over $2.3MM but that’s only if they wait until trade deadline day to make that move.  Most impact players make considerably more which means that Rutherford may need to be creative if he wants to add someone of consequence to the roster.  Otherwise, they will have to try to turn things around with the personnel they have.

More from Pittsburgh:

  • Also from Mackey’s column, Rutherford confirmed that there “hasn’t been any movement” when it comes to contract extension discussions for winger Patric Hornqvist. The 31-year-old is on pace for his fifth straight 20-goal season which should have him positioned for a raise on his current $4.25MM cap hit.  With more than $60MM committed to 13 players for next season already, the Pens will be in tough to commit to another big-ticket deal without clearing some money off the books for next season.
  • Hagelin finds himself with just seven points (2-5-7) through 43 games, well below his career averages. Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review speculates that fatigue could be a factor as he has played the fourth most games of any player (regular season and playoffs) over the past six seasons.  For his part, Hagelin doesn’t want to use fatigue as a reason for his struggles but has admitted that he has lacked energy at times this year.  It will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh rests him a bit in the second half hoping that doing so will get him going a bit more.

Latest On Kris Letang Trade Rumors

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After Kris Letang’s name was brought up recently, trade speculation has run rampant. When Letang missed practice before Pittsburgh’s latest game, wild rumors were circulating about a potential deal. Turns out Letang is just out with an injury and is still part of the Penguins organization, but that might not be true in a few months. Matt Gajtka of DK Pittsburgh Sports cites an industry source that tells him Letang is “definitely” available in trade talks, though it’s not clear who those talks would be with.

Kris LetangElliotte Friedman of Sportsnet discussed a Letang trade and the potential hurdles that would come with it in his latest 31 Thoughts column, and it does still seem like a far-fetched scenario. Letang has been a huge part of the Penguins for quite some time, but perhaps more importantly carries a $7.25MM cap hit and has an extensive injury history that isn’t something any team would take on without a thorough look into his current health. It’s not as if he’s just dealt with broken bones—Letang has had concussion problems, neck injuries and even suffered a stroke in 2014 because of a congenital heart defect.

Still, the rumors persist as the Penguins continue their fight in the Metropolitan Division. Without Letang, they battled back to win an overtime game against the rival Columbus Blue Jackets last night, putting them three points ahead of Philadelphia for last in the division but just eight out of first. If there is any team that believes it can make a second half turnaround, why wouldn’t it be the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions.

GM Jim Rutherford has been candid in his belief that a “big splash” might be needed to turn things around, and any Letang deal would certainly qualify. If Gajtka’s source is correct, and the 30-year old defenseman’s name is being bandied about in negotiations, the entire pool might be emptied with the size of that cannonball.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Penguins, Boeser, Maple Leafs

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The Pittsburgh Penguins made two trades today ahead of the holiday roster freeze, but might not be done this season. Josh Yohe of The Athletic spoke with Penguins’ GM Jim Rutherford earlier, who told him that the presence of Jamie Oleksiak—a player Pittsburgh has been looking at for two years—could mean more trades down the line due to added depth on defense.

That’s the same idea that Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had when he suggested Oleksiak could potentially be “insurance against a future Ian Cole trade.” Cole has been rumored to be available since ending up a healthy scratch earlier this season, and has reportedly clashed with head coach Mike Sullivan multiple times. You’d expect Oleksiak would need to prove his worth for a while before they sent any defenseman out of town.

Snapshots: Penguins, Sharks, Predators

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The Pittsburgh Penguins might be in the news for a trade before long, that is if they don’t improve their play very soon. GM Jim Rutherford spoke to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, telling the reporter that the team is “coming in to a critical period where we’ll make a decision whether we need to shake things up or not.” 

What that trade would be is unclear, but as we examined just this week the Penguins still need help down the middle and seem willing to use whatever assets necessary to put forward a Stanley Cup contender again this season. The team does have its top two picks in the upcoming draft, and several young players that could be moved. A shake up would seem to suggest a roster player moving out though, which should be expected since the team is pressed right up against the cap. Either way, they’re a team to watch before we enter the holiday roster freeze on December 19th.

  • Speaking of dealing young assets, the San Jose Sharks aren’t ready to do something like that anytime soon just to get back to the playoffs. Curtis Pashelka of the East Bay Times spoke with Sharks GM Doug Wilson, who told him that you won’t “see me trading key young core players” for rentals that could help them this year. The Sharks have turned around their season recently and now sit in third place in the Pacific Division, but are still far from guaranteed a spot in the postseason. Getting there may have to come from the inside, if they don’t find a fit on a short-term rental.
  • The Nashville Predators are back near the top of the Central Division after going 7-1-2 in their last ten games and will get a boost tonight after activating both Ryan Johansen and Scott Hartnell from injured reserve. Their returns make the Predators lineup something to marvel at, with four lines capable of scoring at any time. At some point this season the team is also expecting Ryan Ellis to get back into the lineup, at which point few will doubt them as a Stanley Cup contender. For now, they’ll hope Johansen and Hartnell are enough to overcome the Vancouver Canucks and get another two point.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Pittsburgh Penguins

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams: ANA, ARZ, BOS, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, EDM, FLA, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, SJS, STL, TOR, VAN, VGK and WSH.

Phil KesselWho are the Pittsburgh Penguins most thankful for?

Phil Kessel.

Since coming over from the Toronto Maple Leafs, all Kessel has done is put up 166 points in 196 regular season games, 45 more in 49 playoff games and won two Stanley Cups. He’s on pace for 95 points and the best season of his career, and people still mention him third when discussing the Penguins’ firepower up front.

Kessel has been a perfect fit for the Penguins, sliding in behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as the third musketeer. He’s even found a leadership role on the team that few expected from his days in Boston and Toronto, and is continuously talked up by teammates and coaches for his dedication to the team. It’s not often that an $8MM player is a bargain, but that’s exactly what Kessel seems to be for the Penguins after Toronto agreed to retain $1.2MM per season and salaries are starting to balloon around the league.

Next year, when the salary cap moves to somewhere between $78-82MM, Kessel’s $6.8MM hit for the Penguins will represent around 8.5% of the cap. As long as his play doesn’t drop off considerably as he enters his thirties, that number should be a reasonable amount through the last four years of his deal. The fact that the actual salary decreases significantly as well is just icing on the cake.

What are the Penguins most thankful for?

Healthy bodies.

The careers of Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang have been tarnished by several injuries, with each missing huge chunks of time with various ailments. While Matthew Murray has been in and out of the lineup, the rest of the Penguins have been relatively healthy this year. Nine players have suited up for all 32 games this season, including Crosby, Kessel and Letang, while Malkin has missed just four.

No, they’re not without incident. But after watching the team struggle to even ice six NHL defensemen during their playoff run last season, getting through the first third of the season relatively healthy is a big boost. Now with Murray back off injured reserve, don’t be surprised if you see them start to creep up the standings in the Metropolitan.

What would the Penguins be even more thankful for?

Being in any other division.

The Metropolitan Division is an absolute meat grinder again this season. Ten points separate first from eighth, and no team has a goal differential worse than Carolina’s -11. In contrast, the Atlantic houses four teams that would be in last place in the Metro and five that carry goal differentials of -14 or worse.

Currently, even at 16-13-3 and with 35 points in the standings, the Penguins are out of a playoff spot. If they’re to get themselves back into the postseason to try and three-peat the Stanley Cup, they’ll need to kick one of the other strong teams out. The Metro is set to pummel itself down the stretch until a few teams remain, and the trade deadline should be quite the arms race with so many teams still in the hunt.

What should be on the Penguins’ Holiday Wish List?

Another center.

Riley Sheahan was a solid pickup for the Penguins, even if he hasn’t put up the strongest possession numbers since coming over from the Detroit Red Wings. Pittsburgh simply didn’t have enough depth down the middle, and Sheahan has recorded nine points in 23 games. Still, the team could use another real third-line center to solidify the top-9 and make them a tougher team to match up against in the playoffs.

Obviously Crosby and Malkin make any top two units dangerous, but the Penguins seem to be missing the lineup length that was afforded them by players like Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen in the past. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them go out and acquire another body to fill in down the middle by the trade deadline, even if it does cost them future assets. Win-now doesn’t even fully describe how the Penguins’ front office must feel, after taking home back-to-back titles. Why not supplement your All-World core with another star player, even if it does cost you some future talent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Penguins Shifting Focus On Defense

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Just last week, the Pittsburgh Penguins were in the enviable position of having enough depth on defense to be a seller, despite their position as a clear-cut buyer in terms of contending for a third straight Stanley Cup title. However, the Penguins know too well from their experiences over the past few years just how quickly that feeling of comfort on the blue line can change with injury. In placing Justin Schultz on injured reserve this morning, with the expectation being that he will be out “weeks” at the very least, Pittsburgh’s opinion on their blue line has changed in an instant.

Ian Cole was the man on the block last week, with many teams having immediate interest in obtaining the services on the solid stay-at-home defender. An impending free agent who has been devalued in Pittsburgh following the signing of a similar player in Matt Hunwick and the re-emergence of Olli Maatta this season, Cole had become expendable for the Penguins. However, as beat writer Jason Mackey indicates, any talk of moving Cole is completely off the table for now with Schultz out of the lineup.

In fact, the health of Schultz going forward could turn the Pens from sellers to buyers on the blue line. Frank Corrado, who was called up to take Schultz’s spot on the roster, has not worked out so far. If that continues, Pittsburgh will at least need to add another depth option. Chad Ruhwedel, while remarkably reliable for Pittsburgh over the past year plus, is best suited for that #7 depth option role. Hunwick and Cole, while both experienced, successful defenders, are very similar and similarly one-dimensional. Beyond a healthy grouping of (the also injury-prone) Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, and Maatta, there are serious questions without Schultz to round out the top four. If “weeks” turn to “months” for Schultz to return to action, GM Jim Rutherford could end up on the opposite side of the defensive trade market.

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