Penguins Update: Congrats to Phil and Teddy and Other Ramblings

The long (looooong) trek to the 2023 Stanley Cup is finally complete. In only their sixth year of existence, the Vegas Golden Knights blistered the undermanned Florida Panthers (sans heart-and-soul leader Matthew Tkachuk) in Game 5 by a 9-3 count to snatch Lord Stanley’s coveted chalice in convincing fashion.

Shades of the Islanders, who captured their first of four-straight Cups in only their eighth year of existence. And wholly reminiscent of our 8-0 Game 6 destruction of the Minnesota North Stars back in ’91.

In hindsight, the Golden Knights seemed destined to win the Cup. After all, I’d completely dismissed them as a legit contender. (Yes, the reverse PenguinPoop Curse is alive and well.) I mean, any team that signs Phil Kessel as a free agent and trades for Teddy Blueger can’t possibly go all the way, right?

But there was Teddy and Phil, celebrating with their teammates and hoisting the Cup, the latter sharing the moment with his daughter, Kapri. Phil’s third Cup, by the way.

Who’da thunk it when he was being roasted in Toronto back in the day. Then again, the Cup makes for strange bedfellows.

To a man, Kessel’s teammates were “thrilled” for him (pun intended), none more than Mark Stone.

“One of my favorite teammates I ever played with,” gushed the Golden Knights’ captain. “He could’ve pouted and kinda gone away (over not playing), but still came to the rink every day with a smile on his face. Did everything you could ask, right? He’s a true professional.”

And how could you not be happy for Stone, who overcame career-threatening back injuries that required two surgeries to lead his team to a Cup. In the process, scoring a hat trick in the clincher.

Shades of Mario Lemieux.

For the record, the 30-year-old right wing stands 6’3” and weighs 217 pounds. Not the fastest skater in the world, but a character guy through and through. In short, the kind of player our Pens never seem to get (or have use for), especially since Mike Sullivan assumed the coaching reins.

Ditto rugged teammates like Nicolas Hague, Brayden McNabb and William Carrier.

A problem newly minted black-and-gold exec Kyle Dubas needs to remedy, post haste.

Speaking of players the Pens (Sullivan) would have no use for, the Capitals are reported to be listening to offers for right wing Tom Wilson. The 29-year-old heavyweight is entering the final year of a contract that pays him $5.166 million.

If we don’t re-sign Jason Zucker (and even if we re-up him) I’d pull out all the stops to acquire Wilson. Simply put, the 6’4” 220-pounder is a unique talent. There’s no one else like him in the league. The Toronto native’s an old-school, throw-back power forward cut from the same bolt of cloth as former Pens Rick Tocchet and Gary Roberts.

Wilson can fly, hits like a freight train, scraps with the best of ‘em and can score, too (three 20-goal seasons). A game changer. Oh, and he skated alongside Alex Ovechkin in DC, so he knows how to read and react to elite talents.

The lone red flag. He underwent (successful) surgery to repair a torn ACL last summer, but bounced back beautifully to notch 13 goals in 33 games…a 35-goal pace over a full season.

To sum up, Wilson would provide the type of productive power presence we haven’t had since Roberts plied his steely eyed trade for us back in the early 2000s. And it would be deliciously poetic to have him skating a regular shift under Sullivan, the ultimate anti-tough guy coach.

But I digress.

Congrats to Phil and Teddy and the rest of the Golden Knights!

Now the fun really begins.