The Pittsburgh Penguins have reached the 25-game mark of the 2024-25 season. The season has surely not gone as they had hoped, as they are sitting at 9-12-4 and tied for last place in the Metropolitan Division. A handful of players have played up to expectation, but for the most part, the roster has not done so. How has the roster graded out so far?
Penguins with High Honors
C Sidney Crosby
2024-25 season stats: 25 games played, eight goals, 16 assists, 24 points, minus-7
While the captain had a slower start to the season for his standards, he has gotten himself going into full effect as the season has progressed. He continues to be the driving force for the offense and leads by example with his all-around play. He is the team leader in power-play goals with three and in points with eight.
Related: Penguins Milestones to Watch for in the 2024-25 Season
Amid his 20th NHL season, Sidney Crosby continues to perform at a high level and is pushing his normal point-per-game average as he looks to make history this season. He is trying to pass Wayne Gretzky for the most seasons of averaging a point-per-game or better.
Grade: A
C Evgeni Malkin
2024-25 season stats: 25 games played, five goals, 17 assists, 22 points, minus-11
The opposite of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin had a hot start to the season and has not shown signs of slowing down as he continues to drive the second line for the team. He has also been paired up with Crosby on the first line. With “Geno” leading the way on the second line, he has helped keep balance in the top six while also helping chip in on the power play, leading the team in assists on the man advantage with six. His defensive play has not necessarily been the greatest at times (nor has much of the Penguins’ roster). Still, much like Crosby, Malkin performs offensively at a high level.
Grade: A
RW Bryan Rust
2024-25 season stats: 18 games played, seven goals, four assists, 11 points, minus-13
Injuries have dampened Bryan Rust’s start of the season yet again, but when he is healthy, he and Crosby have shown off the chemistry they have built and have led the Penguins’ first line. Not only have Rust’s offensive numbers looked strong, but he has also been strong on the forecheck and has created havoc in the offensive zone to help get his linemates opportunities.
If he can stay healthy from now on, his offensive production will greatly help the Penguins get out of the Metro Division basement.
Grade: A-minus
Penguins with Honors
LW Anthony Beauvillier
2024-25 season stats: 25 games played, six goals, three assists, nine points, minus-2
One of the several off-season additions made by general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas, Anthony Beauvillier has worked his way up and down the lineup so far this season and has filled in admirably wherever he has been asked to do so. He has helped provide some secondary offense for the Penguins and is one of the better players on the roster regarding plus/minus (one of two players that are minus-2 or better).
Grade: B-plus
D Matt Grzelyck
2024-25 season stats: 25 games played, zero goals, eight assists, eight points, minus-12
The plus/minus has not looked the greatest for another off-season addition in Matt Grzelyck, but he has brought some stability to the power play when given a chance. He has played a solid game from the blue line in the offensive zone for the Penguins while also playing, on average, just south of 20 minutes a game. If he can get his defensive game straightened out, he will be a bigger contributor to the team as they advance through the season.
Grade: B
RW Jesse Puljujarvi
2024-25 season stats: 20 games played, three goals, five assists, eight points, minus-2
In the limited action he has seen this season (11:37 of ice time a game), Jesse Puljujarvi has looked strong for the Penguins. He has brought a physical aspect to the lineup as well as a bit of a power-forward style of play. His grade is strictly based on what he has done with the opportunities he has earned. If he can earn more opportunities and responsibilities, the Edmonton Oilers 2016 first-round pick could finally begin to show his potential to be a constant in the lineup.
Grade: B-minus
RW Rickard Rakell
2024-25 season stats: 25 games played, nine goals, five assists, 14 points, plus-1
The only Penguin sitting on the plus side of the plus/minus category, Rickard Rakell has had a strong bounce-back season. After only scoring 15 times last season in 70 games, he has already reached the halfway mark of that this season and leads the team in goals with the nine he has recorded. He has been the running mate with Crosby on the top line for most of the season and has fed off the captain’s playmaking ability. Rakell is another player who could interest contenders at the trade deadline if the Penguins are out of contention.
Grade: B-plus
D Marcus Pettersson
2024-25 season stats: 25 games played, one goal, nine assists, 10 points, minus-8
The defensive game for Marcus Pettersson has not been the greatest to start the season, but he has been like Grzelyck in the sense that he has been strong offensively. According to hockeystatcards.com, his offensive rating sets him at a plus-4.4 so far, which puts him seventh among all eligible defensemen in the league. If the Penguins find themselves in a position to be sellers by the trade deadline, Pettersson could easily be a rental player for a contending playoff team.
Grade: B-minus
Penguins with Room for Improvement
C Noel Acciari
2024-25 season stats: 25 games played, two goals, three assists, five points, minus-11
While being a bottom-six player on the team, Noel Acciari has been unable to produce offensively in the ice time he has been given (he averages just over 14 minutes a game). The offensive numbers have not been there, but he has also helped out defensively and on the penalty kill. If he can get his offensive game going just a bit, he will help immensely.
Grade: C-plus
LW Michael Bunting
2024-25 season stats: 24 games played, three goals, four assists, seven points, minus-8
After being acquired by the Penguins last season in the Jake Guentzel trade, Michael Bunting had a solid start to his time with the organization. He finished last season with 19 points in 21 games with the team. There was hope that he could garner even more chemistry with his linemates with an entire offseason and training camp, but he has not produced at the level he has been expected to. He only has seven points on the campaign and will need to start producing more to help get the team back on track.
Grade: C
RW Kevin Hayes
2024-25 season stats: 17 games played, four goals, one assist, five points, minus-9
After being acquired in the offseason via trade, Kevin Hayes has given some production to the bottom six of the Penguins’ lineup. He has taken advantage of the ice time he has been given to chip in with four goals (two on the power play). The offensive numbers should increase if he gets the opportunity to play more as the season progresses. Chipping in more will help Hayes get a higher grade at some point in the season, but for now, he still needs to prove more.
Grade: C
D Erik Karlsson
2024-25 season stats: 25 games played, two goals, 14 assists, 16 points, minus-11
Erik Karlsson has been strong offensively, with his offensive rating being the third-best amongst eligible defensemen in the league (plus-5.2). Still, his defensive game has been, for the lack of better words, horrendous for the most part. He has looked out of position and has cost his team several times in the first 25 games of the season. He has chipped in with six power-play points, but it does not offset the defensive deficiencies he continues to show.
If he can figure out his game in his zone of the ice, Karlsson’s grade will go up immensely. But for now, he has shown he is more or less a one-trick pony (which is not a surprise based on his track record).
Grade: C
D Kris Letang
2024-25 season stats: 22 games played, two goals, four assists, six points, minus-13
Kris Letang has had a tough start to the 2024-25 season, not really chipping in offensively with only six points and struggling defensively, much like Karlsson. The 19-year veteran has begun to look stronger in his zone but will need to get his game going all the way around to make the impact he has become expected to.
Grade: C-minus
G Alex Nedeljkovic
2024-25 season stats: 11 games played (10 starts), 3-4-3 record, .877 save percentage (SV%), 3.42 goals-against average (GAA)
Another player whose numbers are not the greatest, Alex Nedeljkovic has been on the wrong end of spotty defense in front of him. With Tristan Jarry’s struggles, he has taken over the reins as the number-one starter for the team to start the season. He has shown flashes of looking like he did last season but has also given up three or more goals nine times in the 11 games he’s played.
He and Jarry will need to get on track if the Penguins want to compete for what will likely be a wildcard playoff spot by the end of the season.
Grade: C-minus
LW Drew O’Connor
2024-25 season stats: 25 games played, three goals, four assists, seven points, minus-13
The numbers are certainly not where they should be for one of the players in the everyday lineup and who the organization hoped would take the next step in his game. Overall, Drew O’Connor has made his presence felt on the ice. He has gotten chances to get on the scoreboard but has just not cashed in on many of them, with only his three goals. Away from the puck, he has been strong on the forecheck and creating havoc, whether it is by forcing turnovers or pestering the opposing team’s netminder with screens and traffic in front.
If O’Connor can start to cash in on his opportunities with the puck on his stick, the organization will see a player who can help carry the load offensively in the future.
Grade: C-minus
Penguins Who Need to Turn the Corner
D Ryan Graves
2024-25 season stats: 20 games played, zero goals, zero assists, zero points, minus-8
After signing his big contract last offseason with the Penguins, Ryan Graves underperformed and has done more of the same this season. He has failed to record a single point in the 20 games he’s played in and has been in and out of the lineup lately. The Penguins will need him to start stepping up his game to live up to the contract the organization gave him.
Grade: C-minus
G Tristan Jarry
2024-25 season stats: Eight games played (eight starts), 3-3-1 record, .881 SV%, 3.88 GAA
Jarry has had a rough start to his season and has been unable to bounce back from a down 2023-24 season. He has seen himself spend time in the American Hockey League (AHL) to try and help get himself back on track. He has struggled mightily at the beginning of games. But in his last start against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 29, he did look more like his old self and was very strong in the crease for the Penguins. If he can turn the corner and get his game back to where it was, which helped lead to his five-year extension in 2023, it could help propel the Penguins and help a struggling defense in front of him.
Grade: C-minus
C Cody Glass
2024-25 season stats: 14 games played, zero goals, four assists, four points, minus-7
Acquired from the Nashville Predators, Cody Glass is another player who has been in and out of the lineup and has failed to perform when he has dressed for the Penguins. He has averaged just under 12 minutes a game of ice time and has been a bottom-six player, but he will need to start producing and playing a better all-around game if he wants to keep a spot in the lineup.
Grade: D
D Ryan Shea & Jack St. Ivany
Shea’s 2024-25 season stats: 10 games played, zero goals, one assist, one point, minus-4
St. Ivany’s 2024-25 season stats: 19 games played, zero goals, one assist, one point, minus-3
It makes sense to throw Ryan Shea and Jack St. Ivany into the same grade, considering they have been a pairing for most of the season. The two have struggled to find any consistency or solid ground, defensively and offensively. They have averaged just over 16 minutes of ice time a night and have not looked good. They both need to step up their play as they continue to be relied upon on the third pairing.
Grade: D
Penguins with Incomplete Grades
G Joel Blomqvist
2024-25 season stats: Eight games played (seven starts), 3-5-0 record, .904 SV%, 3.60 GAA
As one of the organization’s top prospects, Joel Blomqvist earned a spot on the opening night roster after Nedeljkovic was injured. He looked solid in his handful of games with the NHL team. With Nedeljkovic and Jarry both being healthy, Blomqvist was sent down to the AHL for the time being. The future does look bright, though, with him and the possibility of Sergei Murashov taking the reins together at some point down the road.
C Blake Lizotte
2024-25 season stats: Nine games played, three goals, zero assists, three points, even plus/minus
Blake Lizotte battled injuries early on in the season, but in the nine games he played, he brought some energy to the lineup and was strong in the bottom six.
D Owen Pickering
2024-25 season stats: Four games played, zero goals, one assist, one point, even plus/minus
After earning his first NHL call-up earlier in the season, Owen Pickering got his first career point in his first career game against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 16. He has looked solid for a 20-year-old on the backend of the ice. If he can return from his current injury and continue his strong play, Pickering should become a staple on the blue line for the Penguins.
RW Valtteri Puustinen
2024-25 season stats: 10 games played, one goal, one assist, two points, minus-4
A young player who the organization had high hopes for coming into the season, Valtteri Puustinen has not taken the bull by the horns with the opportunities he has been given this season. He has struggled to get involved offensively and to take his game to the next level.
Plenty of Room For Improvement
While the Penguins have players who have performed well enough through the first 25 games this season, most of the roster needs to step up to get the team on the track they want to be. As the season progresses, improvements will need to be made, and it will be something to watch for Penguins fans.
Let us know your thoughts and grades on how the Penguins roster has performed through the first 25 games of the season!
