Pittsburgh Penguins Off-Season Ploppers

“The change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fold, that’s all”

On April 16 of this year our Pittsburgh Penguins were rudely removed from the race for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Moreover, they were embarrassed. Their so called best Defenseman, a veteran Defenseman of 13 Winter campaigns and 10 Spring campaigns coughed up the puck multiple times in critical situations. He consistently tried to skate past half the Islander team by himself in situations that any other veteran Defenseman would have safely dumped the puck, often times leading to goals against. This was the second playoff run in a row where said Defenseman single handedly was the best offensive force for the opposing team.

Of course Kris Letang wasn’t the only inept Defenseman on the squad. Newcomer Marcus Pettersson had a critical Giveaway (Gv) behind his own net as well (He is just a rookie so I don’t want to get too critical of him – he has shown flashes of an upside). Brian Dumoulin, a rock during the regular season was a -3, as was Jack Johnson. Olli Maatta only played 1 game but he was a -2 with 2 Gv. Even Justin Schultz, was a -2 despite scoring a Goal (G) and picking up 2 Assists (A). Only Erik Gudbranson remained an even plus/minus (+/-).

Offensively, they only managed 6 Gs in 4 Games, considering 1 of those games went into Over Time (OT), they averaged less than 1.5 Gs per Game.

Our boys of winter managed to take a lead only a handful of times. Defensively, as a team, they melted during the spring playoff thaw. After each lead was taken, our Penguins ceded tying opportunities to the Islanders faster and faster. Rather than tightening down their team defense to try and hold the lead, they opened up the flood gates and allowed Islanders to flow past them toward their goal almost unimpeded.

Management and fans were rightly irate over the lifeless performance. Coach Mike Sullivan and GM Jim Rutherford singled out Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin as culprits. Interestingly enough Kessel and Malkin were among the 6 players who actually managed to score a goal and picked up 2 and 3 points, respectively.

Changes were promised.

“And the world looks just the same
And history ain’t changed”

On July 1 2015, the Penguins signed Sergei Plotnikov. Just 2 months before that, on May 1 of that same year, Chicago signed Artemi Panarin.

On April 19 of this year Rutherford signed Oula Palve another Center on a team laden with Center. Palve did have 51 points in 53 games last year in the Finnish league, Liiga, but he is just another Center. Only 4 of the 13 forwards on the Penguins’ playoff roster, this past Spring were natural Wings. The other 9 forwards are Centers.

Palve is a $792,500 Cap hit.

Recently, while reviewing European talent, I mentioned the names of Oliwer Kaski, Otto Leskinen, and Alexander Yelesin. The Detroit Red Wings have beat our Penguins to the punch for Kaski, a Right Handed Defenseman (RHD). It will not become official until after the World Tournament, so I am not sure how much he signed for, but he certainly would have been a step up from a veteran Defenseman that isn’t savvy enough to dump the puck during a line change.

Montreal signed Leskinen a Left Handed Defenseman (LHD) to a 2 year entry level contract for $925,000 per year. Calgary signed Yelesin (RHD) to an equal contract.

Are Palve and Kaski the next Plotnikov and Panarin?

During the same stretch of time, Rutherford has signed Niclas Almari to a 3 year $809,167 per year Cap hit. And now, yesterday, the Penguins web site at NHL.com proudly announced that Chad Ruhwedel was rewarded with a contract extension.His contract will be for 2 years at $700,000 per year.

Neither of these contracts will break the Penguins, but nor would the contracts Leskinen and Yelesin signed have done that. Granted, Leskinen would have been a difficult signing, since he attended a Canadiens prospect camp in the past but none of those 3 players are in Pittsburgh, today. More importantly, the fact that the team hasn’t sign any other players than those within the organization that got its posterior kicked back in April, mitigates any rhetoric of change,

“I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around”

Of course late last night a new Kessel rumor has emerged, Kessel and Jack Johnson to Minnesota for Winger Jason Zucker and Center (yes another Center) Victor Rask. I heard an early deal that involved Kessel to Minnesota for Zucker and Jared Spurgeon (RHD). I am no Kessel hater. I am sick to tears of listening to tripe spewed to justify Sullivan’s sand paper personality that forces one player after another to be traded.

However, if the team doesn’t stop with a Kessel trade, gets Zucker and Spurgeon (not Rask), and then turns around and trades Letang as well, that not only makes sense but puts the team in a better position than they are in now. The loss of Kessel‘s offensive ability will be significantly attenuated by the concurrent removal of Letang‘s pathetic defense and Jack Johnson‘s salary. If the Penguins’ defense stop giving up as many high quality scoring chances as Letang constantly gives opposing teams, then they won’t need to score as many goals as the difference between Zucker and Kessel.

” Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again”

I am hopeful. Kasper Bjorkqvist‘s decision to forego his senior year at Providence and sign with our favorite flightless fowl could bring a natural winger to the team, if the team is willing to give him a legitimate chance to win a roster spot. And let’s face it, on a team with so few natural Wingers, on team that once you get past Sidney Crosby, Malkin, Kessel (who may not be here next year), and Jake Guentzel, there really isn’t any forward that should be a lock for this team. Jared McCann didn’t look bad on Crosby‘s wing but he is a natural Center and he still has to show that he can sustain his play across an entire season.

” Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss”

However, in the end, the real problem with the team is the Coach. When the entire team quits as our locals did back in April, that is on the Coach. Changing players will only help for a brief time. Eventually, as I wrote way back when Daniel Sprong got traded, it will not take long for another player to fall into the Coach’s dog house and the Kardashian drama will continue.