The 2022-23 season was a disappointing one for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They were inconsistent all season, in the playoffs and then out again down the stretch, and finally in the final week of the regular season they were eliminated from the postseason for the first time since 2006.
In this series, we will look at groups of players, grade their season performance, and look at their future with the team, as the incoming general manager (GM) to be named assesses the situation. This time, we look at Danton Heinen, Ryan Poehling, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph.
Three of the younger Penguins, these guys might have thought they were joining a proud franchise that was going to continue its success in another run for the playoffs. Instead, Heinen and Poehling found themselves buried among the bottom-six forwards and struggling to produce offense. Joseph, however, in spite of slowing as the season wore on, did show promise on the blue line as a rookie.
Danton Heinen May Not Return to Pittsburgh
Heinen is another Penguin whose prior performance suggested he would be a great fit with the team going forward. He’s a solid competitor with a touch around the net, and he has playoff experience, namely the 2019 Stanley Cup Final run with the Boston Bruins. This year, however, was a step back.
After scoring 18 goals, 33 points in his first year with the Penguins in 2021-22, Heinen’s totals took a tumble. In 65 games he managed only eight goals, 22 points and registered a minus-5 plus/minus rating. As the season wore on, Heinen found himself a healthy scratch at times, and his average ice time was a career-low 10:45 minutes a game.
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Heinen enters this coming free-agent season as an unrestricted free agent. With Kyle Dubas and Jason Spezza in charge of the front office, expect a change in direction for the Penguins. That means expect to see Heinen in another team’s sweater in 2023-24.
Final Grade: D
Ryan Poehling Deserves a Shot in 2023-24
Poehling is trickier to assess. He played only 53 games, scoring only seven goals, 14 points in that time, which may not look great on paper. But he was better than those numbers suggest.
Part of the issue for Poehling was some of the players he found himself paired with in the bottom six. Chiefly among those was Mikael Granlund, whose lone goal and otherwise uninspiring play in 21 games with Pittsburgh make him a prime target for a contract buyout.
To his credit, Poehling has good size and jump in his game. And if there is anything missing from the current Penguins it is overall team speed. Poehling could help in that area if he returns for 2023-24, as he enters free agency as a restricted free agent. At only 24 years old, he is one player the youth-deficient Penguins should give another look.
Final Grade: B-
Pierre-Olivier Joseph Looks to Build on Rookie Season
As the youngest player and only rookie among the Penguins regulars, it would seem reasonable to assume that Joseph would feel pressure and struggle. Instead, he stepped up and played well for much of the season.
With five goals and 16 assists, Joseph certainly will not draw comparisons to Cale Makar or even Moritz Seider. His is a more subtle game. At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Joseph could use some bulking up, but he is willing to use the body, as evidenced by his 88 hits.
He was consistent and strong enough to play his way into the middle defense pairing with Jeff Petry, though Joseph still only logged 15:15 minutes of play. The grind of the long regular season also seemed to takes its toll, and near the end of the season he found himself struggling to contribute offensively. He managed only one goal and six points in the final 28 games of the season as the Penguins were eliminated from postseason play.
Joseph has one more year on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent in 2024. Joining him as Penguins’ defensemen under contract are Petry, Kris Letang, Marcus Pettersson, Jan Rutta, and Chad Ruhwedel, but again, with new management expect changes before the regular season begins. Still, Joseph should be secure.
Final Grade: C+
Bottom Line
Plates are spinning in Pittsburgh, and change is in the air. Kyle Dubas is at the helm, now has Jason Spezza as his assistant GM, and will name his top guy shortly. The NHL entry draft is in 11 days and free agency starts July 1.
With all of that in mind, we may see some new faces in the Penguins’ locker room in the next few months. As for Heinen, his services will likely be needed elsewhere, though Poehling has a better shot at returning. Only Joseph seems a safe bet to stay with the team, but again, with all the uncertainty at the moment, no one can say for sure.
