Spurred by curiosity and being an extreme hockey nerd at heart, I decided to delve deeper into the correlation between size and winning the Stanley Cup in hopes of answering a burning question.
In the Cup/size debate, is bigger necessarily better?
With that in mind, I decided look at the average weight of Cup winners dating back to when our Penguins first hoisted Lord Stanley’s chalice in 1991. The results are displayed in the table below my narrative. Average weights and rankings are courtesy of Elite Prospects.
The results generally support the notion that heavier teams ruled back in the clutch-and-grab 1990s, followed by a shift in the paradigm in the seasons immediately following the 2004-05 lockout. Carolina won the 2006 Cup with a light, fast team, a blueprint that was duplicated and perfected by Detroit, Chicago and our Penguins.
The trend was interrupted by the Kings, who won two Cups in three seasons with a heavy team that also employed a puck possession game. Very similar to this season’s Calgary Flames, who happened to be coached by none other than former LA skipper Darryl Sutter. Then the needle swung back in the other direction when the Blackhawks and Pens went small and speedy to capture the next three Cups.
Since then? There’s been an audible shift in favor of brawn beginning with the Capitals’ triumph in 2018, followed in short order by the heavy Blues and even bulkier Lightning.
By comparison, smaller teams (e.g. ones built like our Pens) are struggling to stay afloat. This season eight of the lightest 11 teams missed the playoffs. The three that made it…the Kings, Maple Leafs and Pens…all went out in the first round.
Think that’s an anomaly? Uh uh. In 2020-21, seven of the 11 lightest clubs missed the postseason. Of the four that got in, only the Bruins advanced to the second round. Skipping over ’19-20, when just about everyone made it to the qualifying round, only three of the 14 lightest teams made the playoffs in ’18-19.
Although this season’s Cup is still up for grabs it, too, will go to a heftier squad. The Lightning are the burliest bunch in the league with an average weight of 206 pounds. The Avalanche 13th at 199.
As for our Penguins? I was surprised to learn that we were the heaviest team in the league for a number of seasons during the early-to-mid ‘90s, followed by an abrupt drop in weight class during the Kevin Constantine/Euro Pens era. It should be noted that Constantine was a precursor to present Pens coach Mike Sullivan in terms of his preference for smaller, quicker players.
The black and gold returned to a more sizeable lineup during the dog days of the early 2000s and with few exceptions have mostly been middleweight or lightweight since. Especially during Sullivan’s tenure.
Speaking of, we’ve lost five straight playoff series under Sully to considerably heavier teams like the Rangers and Islanders. Reinforcing the notion that our Pens could sorely use some functional size.
To that end, a pair of sizeable 18-year-old skaters could be available when we make our selection with the 21st pick in the upcoming Entry Draft. Conor Geekie, a 6’3” 196-pound center out of Winnipeg in the Western Hockey League, tallied 24 goals and 70 points in 63 games with the Ice to go with a sterling plus-46. He’s regarded as an excellent puckhandler.
On the backend, 6’5” 225-pound Lian Bichsel is noted for his rugged play and heavy shot. The Swiss-born hammer patrols the blue line for Leksands IF (Ulf Samuelsson’s alma mater) in the Swedish Hockey League. Appropriate, given his hard-hitting style.
Either could be just the right tonic for a black-and-gold squad in need of some bulk.
| Season | No. of Teams | Cup Winner | Avg. Wgt. Rank | Avg. Wgt. (lbs.) | Pens Avg. Wgt. Rank | Pens Avg. Wgt. (lbs.) | Pens Result |
| 21-22 | 32 | TBL/COL | 1/13 | 206/199 | 30 | 195 | Lost First Round |
| 20-21 | 31 | TBL | 1 | 204 | 30 | 193 | Lost First Round |
| 19-20 | 31 | TBL | 4 | 203 | 31 | 193 | Lost Qualifying Round |
| 18-19 | 31 | STL | 4 | 203 | 26 | 198 | Lost First Round |
| 17-18 | 31 | WSH | 7 | 203 | 24 | 198 | Lost Second Round |
| 16-17 | 30 | PIT | 29 | 195 | 29 | 195 | Won Stanley Cup |
| 15-16 | 30 | PIT | 30 | 195 | 30 | 195 | Won Stanley Cup |
| 14-15 | 30 | CHI | 28 | 198 | 27 | 199 | Lost First Round |
| 13-14 | 30 | LAK | 3 | 208 | 28 | 200 | Lost Second Round |
| 12-13 | 30 | CHI | 21 | 202 | 7 | 206 | Lost Conf. Finals |
| 11-12 | 30 | LAK | 2 | 210 | 11 | 204 | Lost Conf. Quarter-Finals |
| 10-11 | 30 | BOS | 25 | 202 | 20 | 203 | Lost Conf. Quarter-Finals |
| 09-10 | 30 | CHI | 16 | 204 | 18 | 204 | Lost Conf. Semi-Finals |
| 08-09 | 30 | PIT | 20 | 203 | 20 | 203 | Won Stanley Cup |
| 07-08 | 30 | DET | 29 | 200 | 12 | 205 | Lost Stanley Cup Final |
| 06-07 | 30 | ANA | 8 | 206 | 10 | 206 | Lost Conf. Quarter-Finals |
| 05-06 | 30 | CAR | 30 | 199 | 15 | 206 | Missed Playoffs |
| 03-04 | 30 | TBL | 2 | 210 | 4 | 208 | Missed Playoffs |
| 02-03 | 30 | NJD | 21 | 203 | 10 | 208 | Missed Playoffs |
| 01-02 | 30 | DET | 28 | 200 | 1 | 209 | Missed Playoffs |
| 00-01 | 30 | COL | 3 | 207 | 1 | 211 | Lost Conf. Finals |
| 99-00 | 28 | NJD | 3 | 206 | 17 | 202 | Lost Conf. Semi-Finals |
| 98-99 | 28 | DAL | 19 | 202 | 11 | 203 | Lost Conf. Semi-Finals |
| 97-98 | 26 | DET | 22 | 201 | 16 | 202 | Lost Conf. Quarter-Finals |
| 96-97 | 26 | DET | 10 | 202 | 2 | 206 | Lost Conf. Quarter-Finals |
| 95-96 | 26 | COL | 5 | 203 | 1 | 208 | Lost Conf. Finals |
| 94-95 | 26 | NJD | 8 | 202 | 1 | 205 | Lost Conf. Semi-Finals |
| 93-94 | 26 | NYR | 5 | 201 | 2 | 203 | Lost Conf. Quarter-Finals |
| 92-93 | 24 | MON | 20 | 195 | 1 | 204 | Lost Division Finals |
| 91-92 | 22 | PIT | 1 | 203 | 1 | 203 | Won Stanley Cup |
| 90-91 | 21 | PIT | 3 | 200 | 3 | 200 | Won Stanley Cup |
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View Comments
Rick
A side note regarding this years NHL Draft. Lets start a poll - sort of a block poll with prospects and who the
Penguins will target with their picks. "Just a thought". GO PENS
Phil & Rick
My preference is to trade E-Rod and Pettersson. E-Rod played over his head for half the season so another team
may see him as a player with value. Also, IMO you have to have a good blend of skill, size and toughness - we lack
2 of the 3. Not an ingredient for playoff success.
On another note I love Jon Cooper - his team is structured to do well in the playoffs and after two straight losses
in NY he made several adjustments that helped change their fate. It also helped that Vasilevskiy was really good but
the Lightning kept the Rangers quality scoring opportunities to a minimum. GO PENS
Hey Rick,
Very interesting stats. It sort of reminds me of that old Nintendo hockey game where you chose your players between the skinny fast guy, the regular skilled guy, or the overweight slow guy who could knock the other guys off the puck easy.
One of my big problems wasn't the Pens size as much the cheap shots that the Rangers took on the Pens. That didn't change with the size of the teams they took on. They did the same with Tampa. Trouba even tried a flying elbow that luckily the Tampa player ducked it. I think one of the best routes the Pens could go is to grab a guy that plays borderline cheap shot hockey. If the NHL is going to look the other way**, you need a guy like that on your team.
**Did the NHL look the other way because of the large market the Rangers are in? I wouldn't put it past them.
That all being said, I agree the Pens could stand to get bigger.
Which small guys do you get rid of and who can you bring in bigger without losing skill and cap space?
Here are the guys dragging the Pens weight level down:
Off: Guentzel 180, E-Rod 184, Blueger 185, Heinen 188, Rust 192.
Def: Petterrsson 177, Marino 181, Matheson 188, Ruhwedel 191
Obviously the Pens defense would be the best place to improve on size. I don't know that there is much available in that area free agent wise. Maybe a trade?
Hey Phil,
Great to hear from you as always and to read what you have to say.
In terms of the NHL overlooking Trouba's flagrantly dirty hits, I think you're spot-on with your observation about New York being a big-market team. Still, it makes no sense given all the lip service the league pays to player safety. Talk about speaking with a forked tongue.
I do think we need to add someone to serve as a deterrent. Ideally, it would be someone who can play and play tough, but I'd gladly settle for a Nicolas Deslauriers in the short run. Long-term, the Pens need to find ways to infuse the lineup with toughness. I watch teams like the Rangers and Lightning, and so many of their players hit and play physically. While the Pens compete hard and certainly don't lack for heart or grit, they just don't have that level of playing toughness.
Frankly, I point the finger at Sullivan and his preference for small, fast guys. JR was culpable, too, for allowing Sully to dictate personnel decisions almost to a fault. It's water well under the bridge and downstream, but the Brassard trade that cost us Reaves and Cole really screwed up a team that had an almost perfect blend of skill and physicality. We were something like 16-4 in the weeks leading up to that trade and not nearly as good afterward.
We all know Reavo and Cole weren't Sully favorites. Still can't figure out what he didn't like about the latter. We don't win those back-to-back Cups without him.
Agree if we're going to upgrade size, defense is the area to target. Even one big, snarly body back there would be a huge step in the right direction. I don't really know who to suggest. Perhaps Nikita Zadorov, who's a pending UFA. Ideally, I'd like someone who can serve as a protector as well. I'm not sure if he fits the bill, but at 6'6" 235 he's a monster and reasonably capable. Or maybe we re-sign Nathan Beaulieu on the cheap. He's not huge (200 pounds) but he'll stick up for his teammates and can throw 'em pretty fair.
Rick