The past two years have not been up to par with what the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to accomplish from 2007 to 2022. During that time, they went on to make the playoffs for 16 straight seasons, winning the Stanley Cup three times. Though it was a great run, an aging and what may be a weaker team is starting to slow down. The team could very well be heading towards the same outcome as it did in the early 2000s where they missed the playoffs four straight years, excluding the 2005 season due to a lockout.
In what might possibly be a season that determines whether they do go down that path or not, there are questions to be answered. The biggest one surrounds Sidney Crosby and his future with the Penguins. Unless their franchise captain verbally tells management he wants out to chase a fourth ring elsewhere, he will retire as a Penguin. While this is the most obvious one, this cannot be the sole focus for Penguins fans as there is more to the team than just him.
Could Letang and/or Malkin Be on the Move?
Pittsburgh’s top players Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin were a big story when Malkin and Letang needed contracts a few seasons ago. They both signed full no-movement contract extensions in July 2022. It sparked mixed emotions among the fanbase. Some were happy to keep the trio together and others wanted to move on to begin focusing on the future success of the franchise. Things may be looking clearer on what could happen, but the question that still needs to be answered is if they move on from Letang and/or Malkin, or will they still be in the iconic black and yellow after the trade deadline. Moving either of them would instantly show fans just how soon management plans to go into full-rebuild mode. With it being a stretch either are moved, there is a slim possibility.
Malkin has two years remaining on his four-year, $24.4 million extension, which would bring him to 40 years old when the contract expires. The team still has two years left with him, but he has disclosed his plans for his post-NHL career. According to reports, he told Tass in Russia that, should his body be able to handle it, he plans to play in his home country for a year prior to retiring from the game. It is not too surprising to hear, as it is highly unlikely the Penguins look to keep him after his current contract expires. This as well as where they end up in the standings could potentially be a factor in the decision to keep the long-time player in Pittsburgh to finish his NHL career or work with him to figure out a trade destination that would benefit both parties.
Letang’s six-year, $36.6 million contract extension goes through the 2027-28 season. Moving him may be difficult. For one, he still has four years remaining at a cap hit of $6.1 million. The likelihood of a team taking that contract on for a 37-year-old, though not impossible, is slightly low. Letang is still producing at a good rate offensively and defensively. There have been lapses in his game, but nothing that should be too concerning at this point. After a rough year defensively in the 2022-23 season where he was a minus-13 in 64 games played, Letang had a bounce-back season, going plus-13 and tallied 51 points in 82 games during the 2023-24 season. The second issue, as previously mentioned, is the full no-movement clause in his contract. It would ultimately be up to Letang to decide if he stays loyal to his club, or chooses to chase after another ring with a contending team.
Can Erik Karlsson Get Back to Producing More Offensively?
For the first time since the 2018-19 season, Erik Karlsson dawned new colors when Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas acquired the Landsbro, Sweden, native from the San Jose Sharks in a three-team trade that involved the Montreal Canadiens. It was a bit puzzling why they wanted to add the now 34-year-old to an already aging team, but management felt he was what the team needed. Expectations were high for Karlsson after coming off a career year that saw him win the Norris Trophy for the third time in his career. In his last season with a rebuilding Sharks team, he collected a career-high 101 points on 25 goals and 76 assists. Going to a new team is never easy. Players will tell you it takes time to learn another team’s system, whether it is similar to their previous team’s or not.
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He was still a good player for the Penguins, but it was not entirely up to his $11.5 million average annual value (AAV), as he registered 11 goals and 45 assists on a much better team than he was previously on. One good thing that came out of him from the season was that he was a plus player for the first time since 2018-19. Karlsson showed signs of still being a top defenseman in the NHL. He has the hockey sense to make the perfect play, and his passing has been one of his greatest strengths throughout his career. Karlsson is a guy who can be a difference-maker, and he will need to show the offensive side of his game more this season.
Will Cody Glass Impress for a New Deal With Pittsburgh?
Cody Glass was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights with the sixth-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. After his first two seasons with the Golden Knights, the Nashville Predators acquired the now 25-year-old from Vegas. He was part of a three-team trade that saw the Philadelphia Flyers send Nolan Patrick to the Golden Knights. Upon entering the league, parts of Glass’ play have been a bit underwhelming for a sixth-overall pick. In his short five-year NHL career between the Golden Knights and Predators, Glass has accumulated 71 points in 187 games.
On Aug. 13, the Penguins made a move that sent Jordan Frasca to the Predators for Glass, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2026 sixth-round pick. Glass is in the last year of his two-year, $5 million AAV extension. With him needing a new contract at the end of the season, he will need to show everything he has to offer right out of the gate. He will have to show why he is worth the $5 million in cap space through his penalty killing and awareness. He is one of the best killers in the league with fantastic tracking of the puck. He can turn a long kill into a shorthanded opportunity, whether he just gets a good shot off, a goal, or picks up an assist.
Glass has not been able to find a consistent scoring touch quite yet, but that is not to say he cannot score goals consistently. He has shown signs of being a great player during his time in the American Hockey League (AHL), having picked up 103 points in 119 games, and will have to showcase that talent at the NHL level more than he has been.
Last season, Glass picked up 35 high-danger shots, but only managed to put four in the back of the net through 41 games played. His four goals from around the net were below the 50th percentile of NHL players, while his 35 shots were in the 54th percentile. Compared to his 2022-23 season, these numbers were a bit lower as he had 48 high-danger shots, burying nine of them. Those numbers were in the 67th and 68th percentile respectively. His hockey IQ to get up high in the slot for a deflection when the shot from the point is coming is exactly what teams need. Even when his deflection gets blocked, he locates the puck quickly without giving up on the play.
This season will answer a lot of questions fans have. Big-name players will need to step up their game, while others will need to prove themselves to keep their spot on the roster. The 2024-25 season will be one of the biggest in terms of how quickly the Penguins can recover from a difficult couple of seasons and what changes, if any, need to be made.
