Talent Shortfall Contributing to the Penguins’ Struggles

It goes without saying that Mike Sullivan doesn’t get a ton of love on our blog. While I think more highly of him than my esteemed colleague, Other Rick, I’ve had my issues with the Penguins’ coach as well, mostly over matters of personnel and style.

However, as I listened to him answer questions last night in the wake of our 4-3 home-ice loss to Florida, I felt for him. Even in the wake of a draining, disappointing defeat his answers were intelligent, well thought and introspective. No one cares more about winning…or takes it more personally when we don’t…than Sully. You can hear it in his voice.

It’s also obvious he and the coaching staff are trying their darndest to right a black-and-gold ship that’s been taking on water to tune of a deceptive 7-5-4 record since January 27. Specifically, he mentioned seeking out forward combinations that might click and provide some desperately needed secondary scoring.

It isn’t as though the players aren’t trying, either. Nobody gets to the NHL without a strong work ethic and a willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team.

Maybe we’ll experience an uptick when Teddy Blueger gets reacclimated and the “Grind Line” gets reestablished, or when popular Jason Zucker returns. Perhaps one of a myriad of stone-cold forwards will have a breakout game and reignite our foot soldiers. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll turn things around and take one more serious run at the Cup.

But right now, it feels like something’s missing.

Talent.

While our big five of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust are lighting it up, the rest of the team most assuredly isn’t. It makes sense in way. Hamstrung by cap constraints, GM Ron Hextall had to scour the bargain basement over the offseason to plug holes. While Danton Heinen, Brock McGinn, Evan Rodrigues and Dominik Simon are all capable players, none has ever eclipsed 16 goals in a season. Right now they’re all pretty much playing to form…or worse.

The Pens were no doubt counting on more from Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen. Carter’s offensive game went into the tank almost precisely when he signed a two-year extension on January 26. Since then the big guy’s tallied a lone goal and four points in 16 games. It’s all-too-easy to forget he’s 37 years old. Funny GetGo commercial aside, the gifted but star-crossed Kapanen seems lost in a Dante Inferno-ish funk largely of his own making. Count me among those who thought he was primed for a breakout season.

As Tribune-Review columnist Mark Madden recently opined, the team looks a little stale, too. Other Rick suggested, it could be due in part to a lack of internal competition for jobs. Everyone pretty much knows they’re going to be in the lineup no matter what.

How to fix things?

Wish I knew. Given cap constraints, it’s hard to imagine us landing anything close to an impact player at the deadline without mortgaging what little future we have in terms of picks and prospects. Nor is one guy going to make that much of a difference. Based on recent performance, we need more help than that. A lot more.

One move I do think we can make, and I alluded to it in a previous post. It’s time to sit Simon and give someone else a try. Again, it isn’t that the Czech Republic native doesn’t bust his tail and do some little things well. But with the lunch-pail gang mired in an epic slump, we simply can’t afford to carry a bottom-sixer who isn’t going to score under any circumstances.

Radim Zohorna and/or Drew O’Connor couldn’t do worse, production-wise, and most likely would do better. Maybe a lot better. It’s time to find out.

I have a sinking feeling that our last best chance to capture another Cup with Crosby and our present core was last season. Too bad Tristan Jarry simply wasn’t ready at that juncture of his career. Timing, they say, is everything. 

Again, it isn’t an impossibility for the Pens to turn things around this spring make a run at the Cup. But I wouldn’t bet the ranch on it.