Penguins Update: Making the Grade (The Forwards)

Grade: A+

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

Carter

C

Nine goals in 14 games says it all. Big, skilled and remarkably fast for his age, he brought a much-needed north-south style and shoot-first mentality to the mix, not to mention leadership and a veteran presence in the locker room. A tremendous pickup.

Grade: A

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

Crosby

C

From the opening drop of the puck, Sid played a remarkably consistent, 200-foot game. His longest pointless stretch was three games, and that came late in the season. Not only are his leadership and focus exemplary, at age 33 his skills are remarkably intact. Sid led the Pens with 24 goals, 38 assists and 62 points…a 92-point pace for a full season. Still an amazing player.

Guentzel

LW

With 23 goals and 57 points, Jake authored a remarkable comeback from a serious shoulder injury. Initially a bit gun-shy in traffic, he shook off his inhibitions and hit his stride in March, scoring in four-straight games. While no one can replace Patric Hornqvist as a net-front presence, Jake wields a magic wand when it comes to deflections around the cage.

Rust

RW

Nobody gets more out of his God-given ability than “Rusty.” The hustling winger proved his break-out 2019-20 campaign was no fluke, racking up 22 goals to nearly lead the team a second-straight season. Remarkable stuff from a former 80th overall pick who was projected to be a bottom-six energy guy.

Grade: A-

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

McCann

C-LW

Following an ice-cold finish to the 2019-20 season (no goals in his last 25 games), no one was quite sure what to expect from McCann. Good things, it turns out. After shifting to left wing, first with Evgeni Malkin and then Carter, he blossomed into one of the team’s top scorers with 14 goals while eliminating some of the streakiness from his game. Great speed and hustle, deadly shot and release.

Gaudreau

C-RW

A true feel-good story. Pressed into service due to injuries, Gaudreau seized the opportunity with both hands. Gritty, crafty and remarkably able along the wall for a player his size, he was tough on draws (53.7 percent) and surprisingly productive. May have carved out a permanent spot in the lineup.

Grade: B+

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

Kapanen

RW

Following a late start due to COVID restrictions and a much publicized benching and sit-down with Mike Sullivan, Kapanen proved to be everything hoped for…and more. With his blazing speed, keen anticipation and underrated hands and finishing skills, he was especially adept at forcing turnovers and capitalizing. Lethal off the rush.

Tanev

RW

When injuries shook the forwards, Tanev stepped into a top-six role and flourished. Displaying better hands and finishing skills than previously shown, he was on his way to a career year until felled by a lower-body injury. Feisty and fearless with a non-stop motor, Turbo’s the ultimate in-your-face energy guy. A truly special player.

Zohorna

LW-C

Yet another depth guy who excelled. When injuries pressed the hulking Czech into service, he displayed soft hands, a high hockey IQ and surprising speed for a player of his dimensions (6’6” 220). A sleeper and a keeper.

Grade: B

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

Malkin

C

A bipolar season for Malkin. The big guy unexpectedly stumbled out of the starting blocks and looked languid and slow to boot. Then, after showing gradual improvement in February, Geno caught fire in March and tallied points in eight straight games before being felled by a knee injury. Quietly tallied points in 22 of his last 30 games.

Blueger

C

Known for his tireless work ethic, on and off the ice, Blueger evolved into a solid bottom-six center who kills penalties and handles defensive chores with aplomb. Fast and tenacious with underrated skills, Teddy scored at a highly respectable 40-point clip over a full season. Also displayed grit by dropping the gloves twice against larger, tougher opponents.

Angello

RW

Played in 19 games when injuries shook the team and performed very well. A good skater for a man of his size (6’5″ 210), Angello was a consistent physical presence, piling up 51 hits and occasionally contributing on the scoresheet despite limited ice time. He was on the ice for only one 5v5 goal against (five for).

Grade: B-

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

Rodrigues

C-RW

After initialing washing out in a top-six role, Rodrigues emerged as a fast, versatile performer with a creative streak and a flair for offense. His ability to slot up and down the lineup and adjust to varying linemates and roles made him a real asset. A little weak defensively and along the wall or his grade would be higher.

Aston-Reese

LW

Having trimmed down and gained a step over the offseason, Aston-Reese started out like a house afire with goals in his first three games. However, after contributing with solid two-way play for most of the season ZAR slipped over the final six weeks, contributing a lone goal over his final 19 games. Solid defensively, but not as assertive physically as he could be.

Grade: C+

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

Sceviour

C-RW

The veteran forward was fairly nondescript for large portions of the season, not doing anything to hurt the team but not really helping, either. However, he sprang to life a bit down the stretch, recording a pair of two-point games and was generally solid and reliable. A decent depth player.

Grade: C

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

Zucker

LW

One of the more polarizing players on the Pens this season, Zucker’s performance can best be described as checkered (a team-worst minus-8). Struggled early while showing little chemistry with Malkin but seemed to find his stride a bit after returning from a lower-body injury. Despite his inconsistent play, he scored at roughly a 20-goal clip.

Grade: C-

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

Lafferty

C-RW

Aside from Zucker, perhaps my biggest disappointment. I love the package Sam brings…speed and an abrasive attitude along with a decent skill set and the ability to win faceoffs. Yet the Hollidaysburg native is mistake-prone and seems to lack hockey sense at times. He’s consistently in the red on 5v5 shot attempts as well.

Jankowski

C

Vacillated between giving him a C- or a D+. The big center did okay defensively and against expected goals for and against values, but never really seemed to do much with the exception of a four-game hot streak in early April (six points) when he was being pushed by Gaudreau for playing time. The one off-season addition who didn’t pan out.

Grade: D

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

O’Connor

LW

Rookie winger didn’t live up to the hype that pegged him as the next John Marino coming out of training camp. After collecting an assist in his debut, was mostly invisible for the remainder of his cameo. Clearly needed some seasoning in the minors and got it, performing well with the Baby Pens (17 points in 18 games).

Grade: Incomplete

Player

Pos.

The Skinny

Currie

C

Pressed into service for one game when injuries were at their nadir.