The Pittsburgh Penguins made every effort to delay a youth movement. It’s here now.
But the veteran captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins hasn’t witnessed this since his rookie season eighteen years ago: his club is probably going to be forced to play spoiler as the season progresses, and the players he has depended on for so long are starting to fade away one by one.
After losing to Washington 6-0 at home on Thursday night, Crosby remarked, “It’s a new experience for sure.” In Pittsburgh’s dressing room, Jake Guentzel’s nameplate was still above the stall next to Crosby’s as he spoke. It disappeared by Friday morning. Guentzel was, too.
The Penguins general manager/director of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas, moved the team’s emphasis from trying to help the NHL’s oldest roster make one last postseason run to a long overdue youth movement. Overnight, the franchise’s ninth all-time leading goal scorer was shipped to Metropolitan Division rival Carolina in exchange for forward Michael Bunting and a few prospects.
Crosby shrugged when asked if there was any chance Pittsburgh, which starts the weekend in 12th place in the 16-team Eastern Conference, could contend for a postseason berth without one of the final players from the core that captured the team’s sixth Stanley Cup in 2018. Crosby said, “I hope.” “Well, that would be fantastic.”
Crosby conveyed positivity throughout his speech. Nor did his tone. Call it the lingering effects of spending almost two decades pursuing and sometimes winning the greatest prize in his sport.
Currently enjoying one of the best seasons ever for a 36-year-old in NHL history, this player is among the most competitive in the game. But even with his 32 goals and unwavering determination, the Penguins have been unable to overcome a weak power play and a squad that lacks the ability to score goals, which has long been the defining characteristic of the franchise, from Mario Lemieux to Jaromir Jagr to the two-headed monster of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Rebuilding around his franchise icons without going bankrupt is Dubas’s attempt to thread a needle that past league heavyweights Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles could not, six months after he expressed confidence his team could prove the skeptics wrong.
He’ll need support from Crosby, Kris Letang, and Malkin to pull it off. This summer, Crosby will be eligible for an extension, but he has no intention of requesting time to move on. Letang, who still has four years remaining on his contract, and Malkin, who inked a four-year contract in the summer of 2022, are approaching the halfway mark of their respective deals.
You know that I wish to remain here? Friday, Malkin stated. Had I desired to switch teams, I most likely would have done so two years prior. Once more, this is my house, my second home, as you may know. Here is where I’m happiest in any circumstance. I’ve suffered wounds. Currently, things are difficult. This is where I want to be.
Finding the stamina to battle through a demanding final stretch that starts this weekend with back-to-back games against Boston and Edmonton will be the short-term problem.
The Penguins didn’t seem very focused on Washington; maybe they were preoccupied with the trade discussions involving Guentzel. Letang bemoaned the lack of “vigor, drive, anything” in his squad. Collectively, we failed to appear.
An occurrence that has not happened often in the Crosby-Malkin-Letang period. Pittsburgh had only participated in one game before this season, in the regular-season finale versus Columbus in the fall of 2006, which was its only game since being knocked out of the playoffs.
A club that has been constructed to win now for nearly the duration of Crosby’s career has a difficult decision, so that number could rise considerably this time around.
21 games remain to be played. However, the team’s exhibition-style play in a sloppy victory over Columbus on Tuesday and their lackluster performance against the Capitals on Thursday give the impression that they are eager for summer to arrive.
Malkin conceded that something had to be done to lift the atmosphere in space. Winning would be beneficial. But during the past month, there haven’t been many victories. Dubas’s choice, which he acknowledged was controversial with both inside and outside the organization, was one of the primary reasons behind this.
As illness progresses, “a lot of people can be upset at you, and it can be lonely,” according to Dubas. That’s part of the job. With a quarter of the schedule remaining and a close friend now playing somewhere else, finding a means to move on is also important.
That’s going to be a hard request. On Friday, Crosby was silently sitting at his stall. Letang, too. Malkin attempted to project optimism from a few feet away, maybe endorsing Bryan Rust’s advice to “fake it until you make it” in order to turn things around.
“It’s possible that a few new guys energize us; you never know.” said Malkin. “Perhaps you won’t feel pressured as much after the trade deadline, and you might play better overall. In fact, everyone might play better. Who can say? Even though it’s not a great chance, we still think we can qualify for the playoffs. Despite being aware that they might be the only ones.