Entering the current off-season, many hockey observers were intrigued to see the direction the Pittsburgh Penguins would take.
After all, this team stubbornly refused to go through a full roster rebuild but has also begun making moves that address its long-term future.
Unfortunately for Penguins fans, Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas’ initial roster moves this summer have not inspired confidence. Instead, there’s a sense that, at best, the Penguins will once again be a “mushy middle” team – not good enough to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs and not bad enough to secure draft picks that will be the foundation for the organization in the years ahead.
The time is now for Dubas to move veterans who will command a sizeable return in a trade – high-impact players, such as star defenseman Erik Karlsson and right wingers Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. Karlsson has a full no-movement clause, but there’s reportedly a possibility he’ll waive it to go to a Cup contender.Rakell and Rust, meanwhile, don’t have full no-move clauses.
However, Dubas has stubbornly held onto those players so far. He’s instead made low-impact trades, including acquiring third-pair defenseman Connor Clifton from Buffalo in return for depth blueliner Conor Timmins.
In free agency, Dubas has held onto the bulk of Pittsburgh’s cap space – now about $14.9 million – and spent on B-grade players, including wingers Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau. He dealt goalie Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks, further muddying the Penguins’ situation in net. Veteran Tristan Jarry was a candidate for a contract buyout but stayed, and youngster Joel Blomqvist will likely be thrown to the wolves behind a defense corps that is hardly a shutdown unit.
Consequently, the Penguins lack quality depth in important positions and the type of players who can help them contend for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.
It’s true Dubas still has time to effect major change. But if the status quo stays, the Pens will likely miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season – something that is truly hard to fathom for a team with Hockey Hall of Fame-bound icons in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. But with every day that passes without notable change, the Penguins appear destined to disappoint a fan base that not so long ago was accustomed to championship glory.
Dubas is also working with a first-year coach in Dan Muse, who has to be a teacher to Pittsburgh’s youngsters while also pushing to produce acceptable performances from the veterans. Muse’s balancing act carries with it a real danger that there could be more failure on the horizon, and the pressure felt by Dubas and Pens brass could easily trickle down into the roster, causing everyone to squeeze their sticks a little too hard.
It all adds up to a situation in Pittsburgh that’s far from ideal. The Penguins are being pulled in two different directions – toward playoff contention on one end and toward a bigger rebuild on the other end – and the mixed-message reality of the organization is likely to lead to further letdowns.
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