The Pittsburgh Penguins are not expected to be very good this season. There are still too many question marks surrounding goaltending and defense. They did put together a strong preseason performance with a 5-1-1 record, however that record will go out the window once the regular season begins. Pittsburgh is projected to remain towards the bottom of the Metropolitan Division this season, but is there a chance they will be better than everyone thinks?
Penguins Look Decent on Paper
There is no denying that the Penguins have a good amount of talent in their top six and sprinkled throughout their roster. Sidney Crosby is still performing at a high level, and even though the team will be without Bryan Rust to start the season, they have some young talent who can fill in.
Ville Koivunen is one of those young players who will more than likely get some NHL playing time this season. Last season, he played in eight games with the Penguins but spent the majority of the season in the American Hockey League with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he scored 21 goals in 63 games. He has strong offensive instincts, and he is good at creating plays. He also has power-play potential and is good at getting to the net. With Rust sidelined, Koivunen could start the season on the top line with Crosby.
Pittsburgh has several other young players who have shown a lot of promise throughout the preseason including Ben Kindel, Filip Hallander, Harrison Brunicke, and Avery Hayes. Head coach Dan Muse was brought to Pittsburgh partly because of his work in player development. Since the Penguins don’t have much to lose this season, there will probably be a lot more opportunities given to younger players. That may end up working in their favor.
The Penguins have struggled with depth production for awhile now. With Tommy Novak’s return to third-line center and the possible addition of Hallander, the third line could find a good rhythm if Philip Tomasino can remain consistent.
The biggest question mark in the bottom six heading into the regular season is probably Justin Brazeau. The Penguins added him over the offseason and are hoping he uses his 6-foot-6, 227-pound frame to his advantage. If he can be good on the forecheck and in front of the net, that would be a huge plus. Blake Lizotte showed flashes of potential last season, and if he can stay healthy his defensive awareness will come in handy. If Connor Dewar can build off of his success from last season, the fourth line could also be strong.
Will the Penguins Hang Around This Season?
Pittsburgh has been performing well throughout the preseason. They have been able to find chemistry and put a full team performance together. On Sept. 29, they beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. They limited the odd-man rushes and the defense played well in front of goaltender Tristan Jarry. They were good on the forecheck and did not allow any scoring chances in the second period. Detroit did not have their full opening-night roster on the ice, however they deployed a competitive team and the Penguins played well against them.
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No one expects much from Pittsburgh this season, but they do have enough talent on their roster to remain competitive. In order to do that they would need good goaltending, solid defense, and consistent performances from several key players. That seems like a tall order for these Penguins, but their preseason performance proved the talent is there. One thing is for certain, as long as Crosby is still playing, making it back to the postseason will always be the goal in Pittsburgh.
