{"id":450965,"date":"2024-09-22T08:30:18","date_gmt":"2024-09-22T12:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=450965"},"modified":"2024-09-21T11:33:09","modified_gmt":"2024-09-21T15:33:09","slug":"preview-season-pittsburgh-penguins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2024\/09\/22\/preview-season-pittsburgh-penguins\/","title":{"rendered":"Puck Drop Preview: The 2024-25 Pittsburgh Penguins"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Penguins 2024-2025 Puck Drop Preview by Last Word on Hockey! The Penguins are heading into an uncertain season including many intriguing storylines to follow. Kyle Dubas, in his second year as Pittsburgh Penguins general manager, spent the off-season tinkering with the roster. With an aging core led by Sidney Crosby<\/a> and Evgeni Malkin<\/a>, time is ticking for the Penguins. With an organization overflowing with fringe-NHL talent, head coach Mike Sullivan<\/a> has his hands full in deciding on lineups game-to-game.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Penguins 2023-24 Season Recap<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The 2023-2024 season was a disappointing year for the Penguins. Having lost their long-running playoff streak the previous season, Kyle Dubas<\/a> made significant moves in his first off-season with the team. Among a number of moves, superstar defenceman Erik Karlsson<\/a> was acquired in a blockbuster three-team trade with the San Jose Sharks<\/a> and Montreal Canadiens<\/a>. The Penguins fought hard throughout the season. However, Pittsburgh’s bottom-five power play and inconsistent offence led to the team missing out on the playoffs by just a few points. The team notably lost Jake Guentzel<\/a> to Carolina near the trade deadline, acquiring Micheal Bunting<\/a> and additional pieces in exchange. The team showed promise, especially down the stretch, but faltered at the finish line. As such, the 2024 off-season is seen as a make-or-break one for this iteration of the team.<\/p>\n

2024 Off-Season Moves<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had an active off-season. Kyle Dubas continued the tinkering of the roster through multiple smart trades. Reclamation projects like Kevin Hayes<\/a> and Cody Glass<\/a> were acquired along with trade picks to teams needing salary cap relief. Dubas showed an ingenious use of his own cap space, receiving players that can play in the NHL as well as being paid to take them. Furthermore, Dubas added more depth at forward through the signings of Anthony Beauvillier<\/a> and Blake Lizotte<\/a>. The additional forwards will have to compete with young players like Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty<\/a>, all of whom will be fighting for limited spots on the roster.<\/p>\n

Defensively, Matt Grzelcyk<\/a> was signed to a one-year contract to shore up the left side behind Marcus Pettersson<\/a> and Ryan Graves<\/a>. On the right side, Kris Letang<\/a> and Erik Karlsson<\/a> will play significant roles. Defencemen like Sebastian Aho<\/a> and John Ludvig<\/a> will compete for the final spots on the team.<\/p>\n

Following Jake Guentzel<\/a>\u2019s departure, Sidney Crosby<\/a>\u2019s production will be under a microscope. Drew O\u2019Connor excelled down the stretch of last season playing with Crosby and Bryan Rust<\/a> on the top line. He will likely start the season there with the opportunity to establish himself in that spot. Evgeni Malkin<\/a>\u2019s play is a question mark, but if he can continue his newfound chemistry with Bunting and Rickard Rakell<\/a> from last season, that trio will provide much-needed offensive support. Finally, veterans like Lars Eller<\/a> and Noel Acciari<\/a> will be in the mix playing valuable utility roles in the bottom six. Finally, Tristan Jarry<\/a> and Alex Nedeljkovic<\/a> will have to compete for the starting role in Pittsburgh. With rumours abound that Dubas was shopping Jarry around the beginning of Free Agency, the goaltending situation is shaky.<\/p>\n

Projected Lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins 2024-25 Season<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Forwards<\/strong><\/h3>\n