The State of the Penguins Part 3: the Left Wings

Our Pittsburgh Penguins have a lot of left-handed Wingers on their roster and in the organization. Many of the Penguins Forwards are versatile enough to play both Wings, regardless of which hand they shoot. I have already talked about many of them. Many of the remaining Wings that I have not talked about yet, under better circumstances are worth keeping.
However, since I started writing this series, there have been developments that may complicate who stays and who goes. It has been reported by Dan Kingarski that “Because of the lost revenue, sources told PHN this week there is a question if the Penguins will spend to the cap limit next season.” If Operations is not permitted to waste the whole of the Cap Limit this season like they did last season, it will make things interesting.

So Let’s look at the remaining Forwards.

Jake Guentzel

Jake Guentzel did not his best playoff but then again, he had not played a Hockey game in anger since December 31, 2019. After scoring his 20th goal of the season and 200th career point he was driven head and shoulders first into the boards by the Ottawa Senators Defense. The injury was severe enough to require shoulder surgery that was said to put him on the shelf for 4 – 6 months. The 3 Points (Pnts) he scored in 4 Post-Season Games Played (GP) was nowhere near as prolific as the 42 Pnts he scored in his first 37 Playoff GP but was still respectable especially considering the rest of the teams performance and the fact that he was deployed with the human pylon, Conor Sheary.

Guentzel may cost the team $6 million for next season and 3 more after that but at age 25 he is a keeper. Next season will have to be a shorten season just like this past one. With only a handful of home games, the team will need to make money from something other than gate receipts. A lot of fans will want Guentzel Jerseys. Trim the fat somewhere else.

Guentzel stays, trade someone else.

Jason Zucker

Jim Rutherford traded failed Winger Alex Galchenyuk, former 2nd round Draft Pick Calen Addison, and a 1st round Draft Pick for Jason Zucker on February 10 of this year. Zucker scored 6 Goals (Gs) and had 12 Pnts in 15 Regular Season GP. He added 2 more Gs in this year’s Playoff Qualifiers. He will cost the team $5.3 million next season and for 2 more after that. He has a Modified No Trade Clause (M-NTC). He must give the team a list of 10 teams to which he cannot be traded. Zucker showed a lot of heart.

Without a full NTC Zucker could be traded but I would rather not trade him, at least not this next season. Zucker has a history of fading across the season, scoring a lot at the beginning of the year but not so much at the end. His +/- also has tended to drop as the season went along. However, with another abbreviated season coming up, he could be a solid asset. Finances would be my concern over his future as a Penguin.

Zucker stays if the team can cut costs elsewhere.

Patrick Marleau

Patrick Marleau “only” cost the Penguins a 3rd round draft pick. Maybe “only” is really only in a normal year but gee with the financial woes about to hit, I sure would like to have that pick back.

Marleau is a 40 year old Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) who did absolutely nothing with his time here in the ‘burgh. In 8 Regular Season GP he had 1 G and 1 Assist (A) and was even on his +/-. During the Qualifiers he played all 4 Games, had 0 Pnts and was a -4. His contract was only $700,000/year but he that money was ill spent at least the part the Penguins paid.

Marleau, do not even think about re-signing him.

Brandon Tanev

I was not a fan of signing Brandon Tanev last year, only because I was afraid the team would lose Bryan Rust. The team was able to keep Rust and Tanev played extremely well. He was on pace for a 30 Pnt season with 78 Blocks (Blks) and 294 Hits (Hts). He also was on pace for a career high 40 Take Aways (Tk). On the downside he uncharacteristically (for him, not for a Penguin) was also on pace for 45 Give Aways (Gv). He is signed at a reasonable $3.5 Million. Considering that during the regular season he only had 95 Offensive Zone Starts (OZS) versus 172 Defensive Zone Starts (DZS), Tanev had a very good season.

Tanev is a Keeper.

Adam Johnson

I like Adam Johnson. He has tons of speed. Mike Sullivan and his staff never seem to feel that Johnson was ready for the NHL. After a 3-year free-fall, I do not trust their judgement. Any Coach who kept deploying Marleau this past playoff and who kept Conor Sheary on the 1st line like a Millstone to slow that line down does not fill me with any confidence in their decision-making process. However, Johnson is a UFA – G6 (a player who is at the end of their contract, is at least 25 and has less than 80 GP in the NHL, if he is a Forward or Defenseman). I would love to keep him and see what he could do for a good Coach, but I doubt he re-signs with the Penguins, I know I would not after the way he was passed over.

Johnson is probably gone, even though I may try and keep him.

Thomas Di Pauli

Like Adam Johnson, Thomas Di Pauli is speedy but a UFA-G6. He has not done much in Pittsburgh or Wilkes Barre – Scranton (WBS). As a UFA-G6, even though he may not be asking much, I am not sure if he re-signs here in Pittsburgh. With the development of Draft Pick Samuel Poulin and the signings of Drew O’Connor and Radim Zohorna, I would think he is gone.

Di Pauli is probably gone.

Sam Miletic

Sam Miletic got to go to the Qualifiers this season as a Black Ace, but that is about it. He really showed promise several years back, to earn a Contract but has been buried in the minors. He is RFA. With all the financial issues about to hit the team, he could be an insurance policy.

Miletic is a try and sign.

How do I see the Penguins port – side Wing?

1st Line Jake Guentzel
2nd Line TBD
3rd Line TBD
4th Line Brandon Tanev

The only way I do not play Guentzel on Sidney Crosby’s Left Wing (LW) is if I flip him to Right Wing (RW) and play Samuel Poulin on the Captain’s Left.

On Evgeni Malkin’s Line I would try Poulin. Zucker did not really show that much chemistry with Malkin and Rust, but my guess is Sullivan will put him there like he did in the Playoffs (and see how well that turned out). However, part of me has wanted to see what Adam Johnson could do here. I cannot help wondering if he could affect Malkin’s line the way Carl Hagelin did, but at a much cheaper price; Keep it simple for him, just tell him to be a puck-hound.

Guentzel Looked good here with Malkin and Rust, driving the team offense while the team was still winning last season. I always like the Guentzel looked with Malkin. He enjoyed his first success occur on Malkin’s line, 2 Gs against the Rangers on November 21, 2016. In fact, his first 3 Gs and 2 As came on Malkin’s line, with Phil Kessel. However, Guentzel can only play with one of our Centers.

Jared McCann may be a possibility here on the 2nd line as well.

I would play Zucker on the 3rd line, but I do not see Sullivan do that. Furthermore, since I would also try Zucker on Crosby’s RW, 3rd line LW could be open.

Other LWs to consider.

Rutherford signed Drew O’Connor and Radim Zohorna during the Spring. O’Connor is 22 years old, 6’-3” and 205lbs. He scored 38 Gs in 65 GP for Dartmouth College these last 2 seasons. As much as I like his size, since he has just come out of College, he will be in WBS. Zohorna is 24 years old, 6’-6”, 225lbs, but has not played in North America yet. He probably starts in WBS as well.

Let me also throw this name out to you, Noel Gunler. Some of the sites I have visited have suggested the Penguins Draft this Swedish LW with their 15th pick. Elite Prospects lists Gunler as 6’-2” 174lbs, but he is only 18, so if the team does draft him, even though he did play in the SHL last season and not the Superelite, do not expect to see him right away.

However, here is the skinny on Gunler, from what I have read. Josh Bell of the Hockey Writers writes, “He’s one of the best shooters in his class.” Mike Morreale of NHL.com writes, “A strong skater with good passing skills, shot selection, and a willingness to drive to the net to create offense.” And “He has intimidating size and earned big minutes on the power play with his soft hands and playmaking ability.” Sam Cosentino of sportsnet writes “Plays with energy, especially in the offensive zone. Has deception in his lightning quick release.” Cam Robinson of Dobber Prospects writes “..wherever this kid goes, he produces. Owns one of the most lethal shots in the draft. A great mind for finding soft spots.”

The only bad things I have read about Gunler so far comes From Ben Kerr of lastwordonhockey is that although he has a good first step and acceleration, high end top speed, strong agility and edge-work, he has room to improve leg strength to gain better balance, making him stronger on his skates. Kerr also suggests that although Gunler does get himself in good position to cut down passing lanes and create turnovers he can be a puck watcher at times in the defensive zone.

To sum up the Forwards; Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, and Rust are definite keepers among the veterans. Everyone else is expendable.

Players like Zucker and Patric Hornqvist would be definite keepers in a better financial environment, but with the owners saying operations will not be allowed carte blanche to spend up to the Cap limit, they could be areas of savings. It may be hard to move them, but it may be necessary to try.