The Pittsburgh Penguins proceed to struggle this season. They appear great one night, and the subsequent, not a lot. And for stretches, they don’t look great. That poor play carries from game to game under head coach Mike Sullivan.
The problem is that three pillars are still on the team. President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas is walking a skinny line that he can’t balance anymore.
Pittsburgh Penguins Problems Don’t All Fall on Kyle Dubas
It’s tough to retool on the fly while attempting to be competitive. Just have a look at the Calgary Flames. The Flames knew they needed to rebuild last yr by selling off their unrestricted free agents, giving them a pleasant young corps with a combination of veterans.
Nonetheless, as Flames General Manager Craig Conroy told NHLRumors.com, it is rarely easy to inform players to lose after which tell them to go play to win.
“I at all times say it’s hard to inform a player or feel prefer it’s okay to lose a game, after which sooner or later, turn and tell him he has to win every game,” said Craig Conroy.
As you’ll be able to see in Calgary, the Flames are rebuilding but are usually not retooling on the fly as they construct a competitive franchise when their recent constructing opens.
Pittsburgh’s problem is that the edict from ownership has been to attempt to win one other championship with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh doesn’t have the pieces to try this.
Jake Guentzel was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on the NHL Trade Deadline last season. The return for Guentzel was okay. But Guentzel was a player you possibly can rebuild around and take a look at to retool on the fly while being competitive. This problem goes back a few years.
NHL Rumors: The Pittsburgh Penguins Are Not an Easy Fix
The truth is, this retool on the fly or rebuild needed to start out in the summertime of 2022. Then, President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke and General Manager Ron Hextall had the vision to inform Fenway Sports Group that a rebuild was vital.
They desired to let Evgeni Malkin walk in free agency but were told to sign him to a brand new deal so the trio of Malkin, Crosby, and Letang could possibly be together and win. Unfortunately, the cabinet is bare, and the draft picks are absent.
Bringing in Erik Karlsson has not worked. Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, and Matt Grezlcyk haven’t moved the needle. Anthony Beauvillier has been a shiny spot, but there aren’t any young players coming. Rutger McGroarty is within the system, however the jury remains to be out on his production within the NHL.
NHL Rumors: Pittsburgh Penguins, and Max Term Contracts
Again, it’s a tricky act to balance. Mike Sullivan is the coach, however the defensive issues this team repeatedly shows are a problem. Every other coach might be gone, but Sullivan is in the primary yr of a multi-year extension. Not to say, Dubas is within the second yr of a seven-year contract with the Penguins.
We all know Pittsburgh doesn’t need to tear it down. They place confidence in the coach, and ownership still likes him, but the outcomes are usually not there.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are attempting to do what their rival, the Washington Capitals, are doing. Washington made smart hockey trades to raised their team and are retooling on the fly. Pittsburgh didn’t. Now the Penguins are paying the worth for winning the Stanley Cups and attempting to be competitive.
Did the Pittsburgh Penguins Do Enough This Offseason?
The Lars Eller trade was the beginning of something. But nothing will change unless the Pittsburgh Penguins commit to moving certainly one of their big guns. It could take a Malkin trade to get the vital pieces to retool on the fly. Karlsson might move the needle, however the Penguins must make a hockey trade. Not one for just picks and prospects.
A team like Pittsburgh can’t be half serious about rebuilding. You either do it otherwise you don’t.
