September is right around the corner which means hockey is about to be in full swing. During the summer, the Pittsburgh Penguins gave their bottom six a facelift, and it is almost time to see their new depth players in action. For the past couple of years, the Penguins have struggled with bottom-six production and are hoping they did enough over the offseason to correct this issue. Will there be enough support around captain Sidney Crosby and the rest of the top six this season?
Penguins’ New and Improved Bottom Six
The Penguins made several offseason additions to their lineup including some new forwards. They will definitely be making some roster cuts before opening night, but they will still have an almost completely different bottom six. One of these new forwards who will more than likely be joining Pittsburgh’s depth is Blake Lizotte.
The Penguins signed Lizotte to a two-year contract on July 1. He has spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Kings and will now be making his Eastern Conference debut. At 26 years old, he will definitely be helping with Pittsburgh’s youth movement, and his speed and forechecking ability should add a spark to the bottom six that has been missing for a while.
Last season, Lizotte played in 62 games with the Kings and scored seven goals and eight assists. He has always been a workhorse-type player, and the Penguins are hoping a fresh start will be beneficial. He will more than likely play on the left wing of Lars Eller which will be a bit of an adjustment for him. However, his versatile style of play suggests this will not be an issue.
Cody Glass was another offseason addition to the forward group. Glass was drafted seventh overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017. He was traded in the summer of 2021 to the Nashville Predators and had his best season in 2022-23 scoring 14 goals and 21 assists. His production dropped significantly last season, but the Penguins are hoping a change of scenery will be the fix he needs. At 25 years old, he will also bring youth to Pittsburgh’s lineup, and his 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame could be a big help on the power play.
The Penguins also acquired veteran Kevin Hayes from the St. Louis Blues this summer. Last season, he played in 79 games and scored 13 goals and 16 assists. His game definitely saw a huge drop in production last year, but it seemed like he never really meshed well with the Blues. He will be a consistent third or fourth-line center who will work hard. He is good on the faceoff and his 5-on-5 play was actually pretty decent last season. There is no doubt he will be an upgrade to the bottom six and will bring a veteran presence to the group.
Another interesting player to watch this season will be Drew O’Connor. O’Connor is certainly not new to the Penguins, as he carved out a spot for himself in the lineup last season. He played in 79 games and scored 16 goals and 17 assists.
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O’Connor also became a key element to the penalty kill. He has proven that he can be an asset anywhere in the lineup as he spent a significant amount of time last year on the first line next to Crosby. The Penguins have every reason to believe his development will continue to progress, and he could turn into a huge weapon this season.
Did Pittsburgh Finally Fix the Bottom Six?
A lot of the players Pittsburgh added to their bottom six this summer struggled last season. However, they have all shown promise in the past, and the Penguins are hoping the change of scenery will restore them to their former glory. With training camp quickly approaching, it should be interesting to watch how the bottom six develops.
