The Penguins attempted to bolster their faltering offense through trades and free agent acquisitions, but all that attention could have been to the detriment of their defense. New forwards Phil Kessel, Eric Fehr and Nick Bonino are expected to improve an offense that averaged 1.61 regulation goals during their final 18 games of the regular season. With a returning core of forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, defenseman Kris Letang, and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, plus already mentioned above, Phil Kessel, the Penguins are expecting to return to the top of the conference in Mike Johnston's second season as coach.
The Penguins got the player they were looking for when they traded for Kessel. The thought of placing Kessel on the right side of Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin should have Penguins fans excited, but where he'll play is undecided.Injuries and inconsistency last season left the Penguins searching for wings to play alongside Crosby and Malkin. Patric Hornqvist helped fill that role, primarily playing to the right of Crosby, but his addition in a trade with the Nashville Predators cost the Penguins 40-goal scorer James Neal.
General manager Jim Rutherford hopes he ended those problems by acquiring Kessel.
"It's a nice addition to our team, obviously," Crosby told CTV News Atlantic. "He's a great scorer, he brings a lot, and offensively he's going to help any team. So we're happy to have him, and I think from talking to him he seems like he's excited, and I think it'll be something that everyone's looking forward to this season, a lot of anticipation."
Rutherford, who said he would bring in at least one top-six wing after the Penguins were eliminated by the New York Rangers in five games in the Eastern Conference First Round, acquired Kessel, forward Tyler Biggs and defenseman Tim Erixon for forwards Kasperi Kapanen and Nick Spaling, defenseman Scott Harrington and two draft picks.
Kessel has scored at least 32 goals in five of his past seven seasons. Sliding him into the top six immediately improves a unit that struggled while Malkin trudged through a late-season sprained ankle. The addition of Kessel to a top-six group that includes Crosby, Malkin, Hornqvist and David Perron should help restore Pittsburgh's firepower.
Crosby had much success with forward Patric Hornqvist last season. Hornqvist benefited from Crosby's presence while enjoying arguably the best season of his NHL career (25 goals, 51 points in 64 games). In turn, Crosby benefited from Hornqvist's tendency to fight his way to the crease. The Crosby-Hornqvist duo was the only true offensive threat Pittsburgh had during their short stay in the postseason, and there seems to be little reason to separate them. That is where the problem lies. If Crosby and Hornqvist are paired again, that makes it virtually impossible for Kessel to play with Crosby. Kessel and Hornqvist are pure right wings, meaning that one will play with Crosby, and the other with Malkin. Crosby and Hornqvist have proven to be a successful pairing, but the idea of Kessel to Crosby's right could be more enticing. Whoever doesn't land with Crosby will find himself next to Malkin, so there's not much reason for him to complain.
Kris Letang is one of the NHL's best all-around defensemen, and he took a large step forward last season as a leading voice in Pittsburgh's dressing room. But after Letang, the defense is riddled with questions. Paul Martin is gone. Olli Maatta is returning from a season-ending upper-body injury. Ben Lovejoy must improve after a disappointing return to Pittsburgh after he was acquired in a trade from the Anaheim Ducks last season, and 36-year-old Rob Scuderi's production continues to decline in the final stages of his career. Letang will have to carry a big load, but if Pittsburgh's young defensemen, including Maatta and Derrick Pouliot, can continue progressing, the defense could round into form.Marc-Andre Fleury has silenced his critics during the past two seasons and was the primary reason Pittsburgh qualified for the playoffs despite their offensive struggles. But with no proven backup after Thomas Greiss left as a free agent, Jeff Zatkoff, who assumes the role, was 12-6-2 with the Penguins in 2013-14, his only NHL season with more than one game, Fleury will again be expected to face a heavy workload.
That didn't faze him last season, when he matched his NHL career-best 2.32 goals-against average and set a career high with 10 shutouts in 64 games, and the expected offensive uptick could take some pressure off him. Whether Fleury can handle being the Penguins' workhorse for a third consecutive season remains to be seen.
The Penguins' lack of depth up front has been a problem for the past two seasons. But Kessel's addition to one of the top two lines will knock someone from a top-six role on to the third line. Chris Kunitz could find himself in that position if he doesn't land at second-line left wing alongside Malkin. Pascal Dupuis is also likely to play as a third-line wing when he makes his return from a blood clot that had the potential to end his 15-year career.
Pittsburgh added forwards Eric Fehr, Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen, who could center the third and fourth lines, and Russian forward Sergei Plotnikov during the offseason. With the trickle-down effect caused by Kessel's addition, coupled with the offseason acquisitions, this could be Pittsburgh's deepest group of forwards in several seasons.
The Penguins' core four have been, and will continue to be, their greatest strength. Crosby and Malkin form what is arguably the NHL's most explosive one-two combination at center. Letang has been one of the NHL's best offensive defenseman throughout his career and continues to improve. Fleury routinely has been a stellar regular-season performer but recently has become Pittsburgh's most dependable postseason performer as well.
The most pressure is on Letang, who returns from a late-season concussion after a dirty hit by Coyotes tool Shane Doan, to lead a defensive unit that causes concerns following Paul Martin's departure as a free agent to the San Jose Sharks. But Letang improved as a leader last season and seems prepared to take full control of Pittsburgh's blue line.
"I'm in great shape. I got on the ice last week, so I'm following the same program I follow every summer. There was no delay in that sense. ... I'd say it's been one of my best summers in terms of training and how I feel." Letang said
Mike Johnston made his NHL coaching debut last season and was expected by many to immediately lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup. That didn't work out.
But Johnston did impress his players with his hockey IQ, which helped steer the Penguins through uncertain waters riddled with injuries. Pittsburgh may have snuck into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season after struggling through the final month, and lost to the New York Rangers in the first round, but Johnston learned what it is to be an NHL coach. With an improved roster led by a solid core, and with one season's experience, Johnston could be prepared to deliver the championship he was unprepared to win last season.
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