Last Word on Hockey’s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2023-24 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team over the course of the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2023-24 Pittsburgh Penguins.
2023-24 Pittsburgh Penguins
2022-23 Season
The last season for the Penguins seemed to be a season of inevitable decline. It showed a roster of aging players, lack of forward depth, and a goalie duo plagued with injury and inconsistency. What is fascinating, is that they were still almost able to sneak into a playoff spot.
They finished the season 40-31-11 and finished 5th in the Metropolitan division. Finishing with 91 points, they were edged out of the playoffs by 2 points thanks to the New York Islanders. The Islanders ended up taking that second wild card spot. This caused Pittsburgh to miss the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. Snapping an impressive streak that will go down in Pittsburgh sports history. Jake Guentzel finished as the team’s leading goal scorer with 36 goals. Sidney Crosby finished with team leading totals in assist in points with 60 assists and 93 points on the season.
The ending of this season brought frustration and the unknown of what was next to come. The reality is no one single team can be “good” forever. Slumps and declines happen to every successful franchise. It’s how the organization responds in these moments that matter. The Penguins were poised to make many decisive moves this offseason. They didn’t disappoint.
2023 Offseason
The Penguins ownership kicked off this off-season with firing their former General Manager (GM) Ron Hextall and former President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke. From there, rumors swirled as to who would take place as the new GM of the Penguins. Then the dominos fell. Former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas was named the new President of Hockey Operations. It was later confirmed he would assume the role as General Manager as well.
Dubas was able to acquire Norris Trophy winning defenceman Erik Karlsson while parting ways with Jeff Petry, Mikael Granlund, and Jan Rutta in the process. The Penguins were able to gain forward depth by acquiring Noel Acciari, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Matt Nieto. Longtime Penguin Brian Dumoulin was not offered a contract and with that required that hole to be filled. The Penguins brought in Ryan Graves to fill the gap on the top pairing. Dubas seemed to hit the ground running, making moves that offset the negative of what Ron Hextall brought in seasons prior.
The acquisition of Erik Karlsson was a game changer. It was a move that keeps the Penguins afloat in terms of remaining a contender in the Metropolitan Division. Erik Karlsson not only bolsters defensive depth but also adds to the Penguins offensive game as well. The Penguins also are introducing a new goalie tandem in adding former Detroit Red Wing Alex Nedeljkovic. He will share starts with Tristan Jarry in between the pipes.
Lineup Projections
Forwards
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Reilly Smith – Evgeni Malkin – Alex Nylander
Matt Nieto – Lars Eller – Jeff Carter
Drew O’Connor – Noel Acciari – Colin White
Top Six
The top line for the Penguins here is subject to change when Jake Guentzel gets back from injury. With Guentzel hurt, this forces the Penguins to dip into their forward depth. Rickard Rakell is comfortable playing anywhere at this point. Keeping him on a pairing with Crosby has worked in the past so it only makes sense to start the season there.
Alex Nylander is a young forward looking to cement his place on the Penguins top six. Pairing him with Malkin and Nieto has so far looked good in camp and preseason. Although, this is preseason. Nylander wouldn’t be the answer on the second line the entirety of the season. To get them through until Guentzel comes back, I can see this working. Smith also reported to have been developing chemistry with Malkin in camp. He brings production on the line with Malkin who currently sits as a “point per game” player.
Bottom Six
The Bottom six is where things get dicey for the club. Forward depth is not their strong suit. So far, it appears that Lars Eller is working centre on the third line with Jeff Carter on the wing. Carter on the third line seems inevitable, for better or worse. He does bring size and some production compared to his counterparts. However, it holds them back in terms of speed. It’s clear that Mike Sullivan still believes in Jeff Carter. We should expect to see him on the third line.
Noel Acciari is a solid fourth line centre. He brings a good defensive game and isn’t afraid to throw his body around. At this time, Colin White is still fighting for his spot on the roster. I still think Colin White can keep his job on an NHL roster. Colin White also has experience playing with Noel Acciari on the Florida Panthers. Honorable mention is for Radim Zohorna to come in and snag that fourth line spot. Buzz has been circling about his performance in camp, how it may land him an opportunity to earn a spot on the roster.
Defence
Ryan Graves – Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson – Erik Karlsson
Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Chad Ruhwedel
Top Four / Bottom Pair
The top four for the Penguins is going to be exciting to watch. To see how Ryan Graves fits into a pairing with Kris Letang. To see how a superstar like Erik Karlsson meshes in the Penguins system. There is no doubt that the Penguins defence is the highlight of their roster right now.
Graves, who has more of a defensive mindset, may pair well with Kris Letang who is known to be more of an offensive defenceman. He also brings size as he is 6 foot 5, 220 pounds. With 152 blocked shots last season, he isn’t afraid to throw his in front to block shots and be a difference maker on the defensive end.
Marcus Pettersson was the most consistent defencemen last season. Erik Karlsson also plays more of an offensive defenceman role. I think this pairing will complement one another. It may be a process in communication and building that chemistry. That will come with time. The pair have the foundations of a solid defensive line that will keep them competitive throughout the season.
The Bottom pairing in Joseph and Ruhwedel is a good bottom pairing that isn’t going to raise any eyebrows. Joseph is still working to prove last year’s improvement wasn’t a fluke. So far, so good. Ruhwedel looks to be a solid player that keeps the team afloat while he’s on the ice. Again, his play is nothing that is going to impress. It shows continued consistency and dependability that can be valued on the third pairing.
Goalies
Tristan Jarry
Alex Nedeljkovic
Tristan Jarry is one of the Penguins biggest question marks going into this season. It isn’t necessarily with this play. Over the years, remaining healthy, he has been able to put up great numbers. He has even been able to have his name in the Vezina conversation. It’s the issue of being able to remain healthy throughout the season. Jarry has been peppered with injuries throughout his career. There is no question that has impacted his ability to show how affective he can be in a full NHL season.
If Jarry is to get injured, the backup would be Nedeljkovic. He is coming off a so-so season with the Red Wings. However, it’s no secret that the Red Wings aren’t the most stellar team when it comes to their blue line. With a fresh start in Pittsburgh, it will be interesting to see how he fares. The Penguins are seemingly loaded defensively. However, Letang and Karlsson have been known to struggle with their defensive play in moments.
It would be a fair assessment to be wary of this tandem in terms of a full, 82 game season.
Players to Watch
Erik Karlsson
No question, all eyes will be on Erik Karlsson this season. It’s easy for hype to generate in the off-season. The buzz that this move created was life-sustaining for the Penguins this offseason. Although Karlsson will not disappoint, fans are eager to see how he meshes in this roster throughout the season.
Tristan Jarry
Tristan Jarry and his ability to perform and stay healthy will absolutely be crucial to the Penguins success long term. Especially if they look to get back into the playoff picture. Having Nedeljkovic sharing starts is one thing. To rely on him to be the starting goaltender for extended periods of time is another conversation. This concern is solely based on Jarry’s history of struggling with injury. When he’s consistently on the ice, there is little concern that Jarry can be the difference maker.
Prediction for 2023-24 Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins may be in the same position they were in last year. Although, I think this blue line might be able to push them back into a playoff spot. As always, it is very dependent on who is injured and who is not by the end of the season. The prediction is that the Pittsburgh Penguins sneak into a playoff spot, although they might not go far. Where the Penguins are right now, the expectation is to just make it in. That would be a fair expectation for this squad.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
