Maybe it’s too much vitamin D. After all, our Penguins so rarely see the sun during our dreary Pittsburgh winters. Or perhaps they left their collective game on the beach. Whatever the reason, following a rousing victory over Washington on Sunday, our boys continued their skein of Sunshine State futility (winless in six games) last night in Tampa Bay.
Indeed, the Lightning took advantage of a sluggish start by the black and gold to snatch a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. A hole that proved too deep to negotiate. Mimicking their Antarctic namesake, the Pens slipped, slid and belly-flopped to ho-hum 4-2 defeat, continuing a string of uneven performances dating back to a 4-1 loss to Boston on January 16. For the record, we’re 4-3 during that span, with two of the wins coming in overtime.
To my eye, we look tired, as if the grind of playing without so many key performers for so long is finally catching up. Too, the Pens are heading into the teeth of the difficult part of their schedule, one packed with Metro Division and Eastern Conference match-ups. We’re a pedestrian 13-11-3 against our eastern brethren.
Which brings me to my point.
Do the Pens need an upgrade or two to compete for the Cup?
I’m sure to get some push-back from my esteemed colleague, Other Rick. But I’m going to say yes, for reasons already stated and then some.
Although our guys have done a marvelous job of pulling together in the face of extreme adversity, we haven’t adequately replaced Jake Guentzel’s production. Nor does it help that Dominik Kahun, an underrated cog and secondary scorer, is still sidelined with a concussion.
We could use some scoring help.
The Rangers’ Chris Kreider continues to be bandied about as a potential trade target. I’m all for it. The big winger combines everything the Pens need…size, speed, power and scoring touch along with a north-south style…in one tidy package. Yes, he’s pricey and, yes, he’s a pending UFA and likely to be a rental. But our core is getting older and there’s no guarantee we’ll be in this position next year.
I say go for it. It would likely cost us a high draft pick and/or top prospect. Perhaps we could shed Nick Bjugstad in the process (no offense “Bugs”), which would clear $4.1 million and help offset Kreider’s cap hit ($4.625).
That’s my best-case scenario. One that hockey insider Bob McKenzie thinks is unlikely to occur due to the in-division dynamic.
Chicago’s Brandon Saad and Minnesota’s Jason Zucker are rumored to be on Rutherford’s radar as well. Both are pricier options than Kreider. Saad has a cap hit of $6 million on a contract that runs through next season. Zucker earns $5.5 million on a contract that runs through 2022-23.
Add Kings winger Tyler Toffoli to the list. He’s a pending UFA earning $4.6 million.
Of the trio, I like Zucker the best. The 28-year-old winger plays with speed and energy and has a history of solid production, topping out at 33 goals in 2017-18. Maybe the best bet, given our ties to Wild GM Bill Guerin.
I’m not as sold on Saad or Toffoli. Although the former possesses size (6’1” 206) and speed, the Pittsburgh native’s not physical (only 28 hits) and seems to be trending downward. Toffoli is skilled and can step into a top-six role, but he’s not especially physical, either. And, as Other Rick has pointed out, Western Conference players don’t seem to do very well in the east a la David Perron and Tanner Pearson.
Other areas of concern? The fourth line and defense. Actually, my issues have as much to do with the way coach Mike Sullivan is deploying his personnel as anything.
I think the fourth line will sort itself out once Kahun returns. I like Sam Lafferty a lot. He brings speed, size and the versatility to play wing and center to the mix. Hulking Anthony Angello hasn’t done anything to hurt his chances, but he hasn’t done anything to distinguish himself, either.
Not that it’s the be-all, end-all of stats, but he’s a minus-11 in 5-on-5 shot attempts in less than 15 minutes of total ice time. That’s not going to help his cause. Nor are his heavy feet.
Andrew Agozzino? Fagedaboudit. I’m not on board with playing a smallish 29-year-old journeyman. To me, we have far better options at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Joe Blandisi and Adam Johnson, who bring spunk and speed.
I am worried about our defense. The patchwork third pairing of Justin Schultz and Chad Ruhwedel has been an unmitigated disaster (a combined minus-5 last night). In the three games since coming off IR, Schultz is a minus-5. Shades of Edmonton.
Why Sullivan continues to play Ruhwedel on the off side is beyond me. Especially when he has a healthy and far better option in Juuso Riikola waiting patiently in the wings.
Note to Sully: Enough with being too smart for your own good. Play Riikola for goodness sake.
Hopefully, once stalwart Brian Dumoulin returns our defense will settle down. However, a hockey buddy suggested we might need a Ron Hainsey-type addition to bolster our blue-line corps and I’m inclined to agree, given the injuries we’ve endured.
Speaking of injuries, I nearly had a conniption when I watched John Marino go down last night from a puck to the chops. Dear Lord, we can’t afford to lose this kid.
Fortunately, medical staffers indicated Marino would be fine. Perhaps the first good break we’ve received all season.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on a snowy Friday morning in the ‘Burgh. Let’s hope for better results when we take on the improving Florida Panthers Saturday night. Go Pens!
Sorry Rick,
I am still of the opinion that 80-85% of this team is spot on and that there is no need to panic. JR panicked 2 years ago and screwed the team up real bad thinking he needed Brassard and not trusting the players he had.
Even in this injury decimated state, our team is 4th in the league, 4th in the league, not division, nor Conference but 4th in the league. In fact, not counting last night’s game, when I crunched the numbers, the team’s points percentage has gone up since Guentzel went down. Of course, that is because Crosby came back – so that should surprise no one.
No Rick this team needs to be sellers at the trade dead line and not a buyer. The Brassard trade isn’t the only big name trade deadline failure for the Penguins, look a little farther back to Iginla, then again look a little more recently to another team and the Capitals failure when they went after highly sought after Shattenkirk or even last year with the Jackets and Duchene. Bringing in big name (Particularly rentals) only does one thing, it tells the rest of the team that management has no confidence in them, destroys their morale and wrecks team Chemistry. (Although CBJ did start to come around but still not good enough)
Furthermore, their is already bidding wars heating up for Kreider and Toffoli. The Penguins have very little to offer and could seriously cripple the team not just long term but short term if they enter into that stupid bidding war.
As for Zucker, he has a NTC making him a potential serious problem not this summer but next summer when there is another expansion draft. The team got rid of one NTC, they don’t need to add another, especially at the expense of players that they can hide from the draft.
Saad is just too darn expensive. His upside doesn’t seem to outweigh his salary, so when you add in what it would take to get him in a trade, he just isn’t cost effective.
Another thing to consider is how badly JR has been trading lately. The only good trade that he has intentionally made lately Maatta for Kahun. Marino may have been a steal but the deal really was lucky, not good. The Brassard trade to Fla was really for Bjugstad not McCann so JRs vision there also was below par but he lucked out. Cole Reaves, Gustavsson, and a pick in 3 way deal for Brassard and Lindberg (Did you see Gustavsson is starting to come around and won AHL player of the month last month). Then how about Sundqvist and a pick (I wanted Hague) for Reaves (a player Sully would never play) and a pick that became Lauzon.
Once Kahun comes back, this team could put out a very effective top 6 with Kahun – Malkin – Rust manning the top line and McCann – Crosby – Hornqvist holding down the 2nd line.
The problem isn’t that the team doesn’t have top 6 players. The problem is that the team doesn’t employ/deploy the right players in the top 6. The problem is in some of the decisions the team makes.
Dominik Simon is at best an AHL player sans Crosby. Even with Crosby he is barely able to tread water. Simon is a -7 and has dragged Crosby down to a -5. The only other regular forward that is in the minuses is Galchenyuk, he is a -6.
As I have talked to you about several times, when you subtract out the TOI that Simon has spent with Crosby, all of his objective evidence (stats) are lower than Phil’s favorite subject Sprong and Sprong is in the AHL. Ergo, Simon belongs in the AHL as well. (note to Phil, I am not suggesting that Sprong play in the NHL only that Simon play in the AHL).
Although I believe everyone is trade able, including fan favorite Phil Kessel I have always detested the way management treated him and how they destroyed any trade value they may have had in him. Even worse, I have never been on board with Galchenyuk as a Penguin.
I will say that I think Galchenyuk is better than Simon but that is all.
And as you pointed out, why is Ruhwedel playing out of position when there is a player who is a LHD (Riikola) and who has better overall stats/60 min in pretty much all categories but goals – but that stat is skewed because of the very low number both add.
No, Rick, this team doesn’t need a blockbuster trade. All it needs is better use of its personnel and addition by subtraction.
an interesting low end deal that could really benefit the team that I read from Dan Kingarski was Schultz to Calgary for Sam Bennett. That is under the assumption that Giordano is injured for any length of time and/or Calgary wants to deal.
Another potential is Toronto who may still be in the market for a Defenseman. This may be considered a fairly big name deal but I would think that a deal for Kapanen might help this team but for me I am more looking to get rid of a -10 player.
No Rick, I think a low end trade (bottom 6 forward) and shedding Simon, Galchenyuk, Bjugstad, and Schultz would solve most if not all the Penguins problems.
Rick
With out being long winded I agree we need an upgrade. IMO its going
to take a major trade to acquire the right players for a cup run.
Package – Schultz, Blugstadt, DeSmith, and a Prospect or draft choice.
Hope all is well
Go Pens