The Penguins lost an important game Wednesday at Tampa Bay. They now find themselves three points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, the last club excluded from the playoffs, with three games less to play. They also find themselves one point behind the Capitals, but they also have three games in hand. Pittsburgh has a record identical to that of the Canadian, yet in reconstruction…
Team management must take off their rose-colored glasses and ask themselves a painful question: If the Pittsburgh Penguins are knocked out of the playoff race with a few weeks to go before the trade deadline, do we finally dare to start a wave of rejuvenation?
Even though they haven’t made it past the first playoff round since 2018, they have never dared to do so. They had a chance two years ago, as Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin approached full free agency, but opted to give Letang a six-year contract at $6.1 million per season at age 35. , and four years to Malkin, 36, at the same annual salary. Not only did they not make it past the first round, but they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
We should have started to see clearly from that moment on. But giving up one last attempt to win with one of the best players in history, Sidney Crosby, takes a lot of courage. New Penguins president Kyle Dubas made no mistake: he wouldn’t have been hired if he hadn’t embraced the owners’ plan.
Dubas therefore continued to bet on his core and made a thousand accounting contortions to acquire Erik Karlsson, 33, from the Sharks. If the draft were held today, San Jose would be drafting 12th overall with the Penguins’ pick.
Pittsburgh is old, Pittsburgh is slow. And some dare to blame poor coach Mike Sullivan, stuck with the players he has on hand. Of the Penguins’ nine highest-paid forwards, only one, Jake Guentzel, is under 30. He is 29.
The Penguins are caught in their own trap. Most of the leading teams are already stuck by the ceiling. Who can afford the acquisition of Evgeni Malkin, 38 years old next summer, four points in his last eleven games, under contract for two more seasons? From Letang, whose agreement will be valid for four more years after this one? Of Karlsson and his annual salary of 10 million for three more seasons?
We come to Jake Guentzel, the club’s top scorer, 29 points in 25 games, after seasons of 40 and 36 goals, free agent without compensation at the end of the season. He could easily net a first-round pick and top prospect.
Then there’s Sidney Crosby, 27 points, including 15 goals, in 25 games, still among the NHL’s elite at 36 even if he’s not producing like he did in his prime. Crosby will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season. But they will never dare to trade it.
Look at the Sharks and Blackhawks for two years. The Penguins will enter this barren territory shortly. The difference is that their bank of prospects will be even thinner than those of San Jose and Chicago were when they began their reconstruction.
New Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery is impressing in his first chance to lead an NHL club. The Capitals are 12-8-2 despite losing key players in recent seasons and an aging core.
This renowned offensive club ranks 13th in the NHL in goals allowed per game and manages to win with regularity with the worst offense after the San Jose Sharks with only 2.31 goals scored per game on average.
Carbery does not shy away from tough decisions and he scratched his star Evgeni Kuznetsov from his lineup on Monday. The Capitals were demolished 6-0 by the Arizona Coyotes, but the coach saw an engaged Kuznetsov in practice the next day.
Kuznetsov requested a trade last year because he was reportedly at loggerheads with Carbery’s predecessor, Peter Laviolette. He seems to have significantly more favorable feelings towards his new coach. “I love him so much, he tries to help me and help the team, but I’m not up to it,” the Russian told reporters. But we have a match tomorrow (Thursday) and I have to respond. »
