The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to struggle this season. They look great one night, and the next, not so much. And for stretches, they do not look great. That poor play carries from game to game under head coach Mike Sullivan.
The issue is that three pillars are still on the team. President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas is walking a thin line that he can’t balance anymore.
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It’s tough to retool on the fly while trying to be competitive. Just look at the Calgary Flames. The Flames knew they needed to rebuild last year by selling off their unrestricted free agents, giving them a nice young corps with a mix of veterans.
However, as Flames General Manager Craig Conroy told NHLRumors.com, it is never easy to tell players to lose and then tell them to go play to win.
“I always say it’s hard to tell a player or feel like it’s okay to lose a game, and then at some point, turn and tell him he has to win every game,” said Craig Conroy.
As you can see in Calgary, the Flames are rebuilding but are not retooling on the fly as they build a competitive franchise when their new building opens.
Pittsburgh’s problem is that the edict from ownership has been to try to win another championship with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh does not have the pieces to do that.
Jake Guentzel was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes at the NHL Trade Deadline last season. The return for Guentzel was okay. But Guentzel was a player you could rebuild around and try to retool on the fly while being competitive. This problem goes back many years.
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In fact, this retool on the fly or rebuild needed to start in the summer of 2022. Then, President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke and General Manager Ron Hextall had the vision to tell Fenway Sports Group that a rebuild was necessary.
They wanted to let Evgeni Malkin walk in free agency but were told to sign him to a new deal so the trio of Malkin, Crosby, and Letang could be together and win. Unfortunately, the cupboard is bare, and the draft picks are absent.
Bringing in Erik Karlsson has not worked. Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, and Matt Grezlcyk have not moved the needle. Anthony Beauvillier has been a bright spot, but there are no young players coming. Rutger McGroarty is in the system, but the jury is still out on his production in the NHL.
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Again, it is a tough act to balance. Mike Sullivan is the coach, but the defensive issues this team continuously shows are an issue. Any other coach is probably gone, but Sullivan is in the first year of a multi-year extension. Not to mention, Dubas is in the second year of a seven-year contract with the Penguins.
We know Pittsburgh does not want to tear it down. They have faith in the coach, and ownership still likes him, but the results are not there.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are trying to do what their rival, the Washington Capitals, are doing. Washington made smart hockey trades to better their team and are retooling on the fly. Pittsburgh did not. Now the Penguins are paying the price for winning the Stanley Cups and trying to be competitive.
Did the Pittsburgh Penguins Do Enough This Offseason?
The Lars Eller trade was the start of something. But nothing will change unless the Pittsburgh Penguins commit to moving one of their big guns. It could take a Malkin trade to get the necessary pieces to retool on the fly. Karlsson might move the needle, but 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 or you don’t.