Following an exciting preseason, this article predicts the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ opening night roster and lineup. With an insightful preseason now in the rearview, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a clearer picture of what their lineup when they open the 2024-25 season. This year’s preseason highlighted performances from both established veterans and young players eager to earn a spot in the NHL. After key offseason acquisitions, the Penguins are set up to ice a balanced lineup with a much-needed injection of youth. Heading into an important season, the team will look to qualify for the playoffs, which will need to start with the opening night roster.
Penguins Opening Night Roster
Forwards
Line 1: Drew O’Connor – Sidney Crosby – Anthony Beauvillier
Unsurprisingly, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will anchor the top line. Veteran signing Anthony Beauvillier will slot in for the injured Bryan Rust, while Drew O’Connor earns himself the other spot on the top line. O’Connor played well down the stretch with Crosby and Rust last season. His blend of size, speed, and two-way skill complement Crosby’s playstyle. Meanwhile, Beauvillier is an incredibly fast winger capable of producing offence in the right situation. Playing alongside Crosby and O’Connor to start the season puts him in a great spot to perform.
Line 2: Michael Bunting – Evgeni Malkin – Rickard Rakell
Franchise star Evgeni Malkin struggled last season by his own standards, scoring just 67 points over 82 games. However, Malkin found success down the stretch when he was placed with Rickard Rakell and new acquisition Micheal Bunting. Rickard Rakell has had ups and downs during this time with the Penguins. He is capable of scoring 30 goals a season but he has battled inconsistency issues throughout his Penguins tenure. Coming into Pittsburgh, Micheal Bunting brought energy and grit to this second line that lit a torch under all three players. Their play last season and during preseason has been encouraging, and this line has the potential to steal games.
Line 3: Rutger McGroarty – Lars Eller – Jesse Puljujärvi
The Penguin’s third line will likely feature rookie Rutger McGroarty playing with veterans Lars Eller and Jesse Puljujärvi. Following his acquisition from the Winnipeg Jets, McGroarty was a highly touted prospect for the Penguins. He was given a lot of runway to make his mark for the team, playing in six of seven preseason games in which he scored a goal and five assists. Meanwhile, fringe NHLer Jesse Puljujärvi lead the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup with four goals and four assists in just four games. This line came together late in the preseason when the pair of wingers were placed with veteran two-way forward Lars Eller. The trio dominated in the ice time they were given, as all three players are capable of producing offence and playing great defensively. The trio will be relied upon to lessen the load on the Penguins stars in the top six.
Line 4: Cody Glass – Kevin Hayes – Noel Acciari
On the fourth line, Cody Glass adds some speed, while Kevin Hayes’ size and playmaking ability will be valuable for creating opportunities in limited minutes. Veteran Noel Acciari will round out the line with his physicality and defensive ability. This trio will be an ideal energy line made up on NHL calibre forwards capable of producing some offence as well. However, this line will be mainly used as a shut-down line, crunching time while the other forwards rest. For this goal, the Glass-Hayes-Acciari line is an incredible formation.
Defence
Pair 1: Matt Grzelcyk – Kris Letang
The top pairing will likely consist of newcomer Matt Grzelcyk alongside franchise defenceman Kris Letang. Signed in the offseason, Grzelcyk impressed during preseason playing alongside Letang. He showed speed, a willingness to pinch and the ability to play a more stay-at-home role whenever Letang wanted to pinch in for offence as well. Grzelcyk’s playstyle compliments Letang’s offensive style well, making this an effective duo in transition and in the offensive zone.
Pair 2: Marcus Pettersson – Erik Karlsson
Erik Karlsson will re-join Marcus Pettersson to create a top-tier defensive pairing in the NHL. Karlsson’s offensive creativity and puck-moving skills make him a game-breaker capable of changing the tide in any given game. Meanwhile, Marcus Pettersson has blossomed into an incredible two-way defenceman capable of playing a stay-at-home role while Karlsson runs offence. This pairing will be relied on heavily this season once again.
Pair 3: Ryan Graves – Jack St. Ivany
Veteran defenceman Ryan Graves finds himself on the bottom-pairing on opening night. Signed last season, Graves had a tough 2023-24 and unfortunately for him, Graves’ struggles continued into the preseason. Starting on the top pairing, Graves found himself in an isolated third-pairing role by the team’s final preseason game. Alongside him, St. Ivany looks to lock down a permanent spot in the Penguins defensive group. The rugged and calm defenceman played well with Graves in the limited time they had together last season. Since Graves has an anchor of a contract, he’ll factor into most of the Penguins game this season. Pairing him with a reliable player that he has chemsitry with in St. Ivany is the best way to isolate and extract the best parts of Graves’ game.
Goalies
Tristan Jarry – Alex Nedeljkovic
Tristan Jarry will begin the season as the Penguins’ starting goaltender, coming off a solid preseason. However, his performance later in the season will make or break his perception as a capable starting goaltender. If he falters, Alex Nedeljkovic will be waiting in the wings to take his spot. Nedeljkovic has already stolen the starting role from Jarry once near the end of last season so Jarry will look to bounce back and defend his role while the Penguins look to make the playoffs for the first time in three years
Conclusion
As the Pittsburgh Penguins gear up for the 2024-25 season, this projected lineup following preseason highlights a mix of familiar faces and new additions. Superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will once again lead the team, supported by players like Drew O’Connor and Michael Bunting. Another year of Erik Karlsson and the emergence of Matt Grzelcyk will give Pittsburgh a strong defensive group, while Tristan Jarry looks to cement himself as starting goaltender. With a refreshed roster and plenty of depth throughout the lineup, the Penguins are in a great spot to chase the playoffs this year.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
