The Pittsburgh Penguins had a lot of work to do over the offseason, and even though they are far from perfect, they have taken several steps in the right direction. One of the areas where they consistently struggled last season was defense. This season, the defense has been a lot better, which can be credited to a few key offseason additions.
Penguins’ Defense Check-In
Pittsburgh’s defense is still struggling to stay consistent, but they have shown definite signs of improvement. Parker Wotherspoon is a huge reason for that. He was the first free agent signing of the summer for the Penguins, and he is paired with Erik Karlsson on the top defensive pairing. He has been a constant on the left side and a good partner for Karlsson. He is a strong player in all three zones, and he’s good at making the right reads. He plays a simple, steady game, which is exactly what has been missing on the left side.
Ryan Shea has also been holding his own on the left side this season, playing on the top pairing with Kris Letang. In 21 games, he has two goals and six assists. Playing on the left this season has allowed him to really lean into his game. His skating has improved and his puck movement is also much better. At 6-foot-2 190 pounds, he also plays a physical game, which is always a plus. His current contract expires after this season, but he is making a serious case for the Penguins to re-sign him.
Pittsburgh acquired Matt Dumba from the Dallas Stars in July, and he is signed through this season. Before joining the Penguins, Dumba’s career was in a free fall as he had recorded a total of 36 points over the past three seasons, which he split between the Minnesota Wild and the Stars. He looked good in training camp because he got back to using his speed to avoid forecheckers and push the play forward. He is also a physical player who has the ability to play on both sides.
Connor Clifton has been in and out of the lineup and is still without a point in eight games. In Pittsburgh’s 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 21, he had three hits and one blocked shot in 18:21 of ice time. He has never been one to record a lot of points in a season, as his career high is 23. He is known for his physicality, which the Penguins could always use more of.
Related: Penguins May Have Found Future Core Players
The Penguins just assigned 19-year-old Harrison Brunicke to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Since he was scratched for more than five games in a row, he is eligible for a 14-day conditioning stint in the American Hockey League (AHL). After the 14 days are up, Pittsburgh will either have to keep him at the NHL level or return him to the Western Hockey League (WHL). He had a strong start to the season but hit a bit of a rough patch, which is normal at this stage in his development. He is a good skater and has strong puckhandling skills, and at this point, he would probably best be served staying in the NHL.
Penguins Need to Step Up
The Penguins started off the season strong, but have looked a little sloppy lately. They need to get back to spending more time in the offensive zone and not making bad passes and careless mistakes. It doesn’t help that they are missing key players due to injury, but they need to figure out how to adjust. It seems clear that head coach Dan Muse is aiming for the playoffs, but his team still has some work to do.
