After going through a roster rebuild that spanned the better part of two seasons and helped them win the Stanley Cup last season, the Pittsburgh Penguins like their chances to repeat as champions.
"I certainly am not anxious to make changes right now," said general manager Jim Rutherford, who signed a contract extenion this offseason that runs through 2018-19. "If we have to make any adjustments, we'll do it in maybe December or January. Hopefully we don't have to make any."
Cullen, who had 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists) last season, considered retirement for about two weeks before expressing interest in returning for a 19th NHL season. The 39-year-old signed Aug. 17, which gives coach Mike Sullivan the option of preserving the same four lines that won the Stanley Cup.
The returning group fits Sullivan's aggressive style, with each line playing a fast, straight-ahead game.
The "HBK Line" of Nick Bonino centering Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel, probably the best example of the Penguins' speed and depth, was Pittsburgh's most productive line during the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite being considered its third line by many. Kessel could miss the start of the season recovering from hand surgery he had on July 8.
"The pressure is always going to fall more on your star players. They're going to play big minutes, they're going to play in the toughest situations, and if you can get guys on your third or fourth lines winning games for you, then you're well on your way to having a good team. That's what we'll continue to do. We'll try to build as much balance throughout the lineup as we can." Rutherford said.
Cullen excelled as the fourth-line center between left wing Tom Kuhnhackl and right wing Eric Fehr throughout the playoffs, tying his NHL career high of four postseason goals from 2006, when he won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
"I think you just don't know until you get there, but when you're that close, it's also tough to keep it in perspective that once it's gone, it's gone. Because if you retire, if you quit, if you do whatever, six months down the road, you're not going to be able to just say 'Oh, I'm going to just play again.' No, you're done." Guerin said.
After Lovejoy's departure, the return of Schultz preserves some stability along the blue line. Schultz, Kris Letang, Trevor Daley, Olli Maatta, Ian Cole and Brian Dumoulin likely will fill the six spots in Pittsburgh's dynamic defense.
Defenseman Derrick Pouliot, going into his third NHL season, could earn regular playing time with a strong training camp. If so, the 22-year-old has the talent to possibly fit into one of Pittsburgh's three pairs sometime during the season.
The Penguins worked to build more defensive depth early in the offseason, re-signing Steve Oleksy and signing David Warsofsky, Stuart Percy, Cameron Gaunce and Chad Ruhwedel. Defenseman Tim Erixon was re-signed to a one-year, two-way contract.
"Getting Warsofsky back was good. [Sullivan] likes him. He can play in certain situations. And Oleksy was a key guy for us. Erixon was another one. I give him a lot of credit. He had a chance to go to Russia and make a lot more money. He'd really like to get back to the NHL. He has some work to do. He's got to build up his lower body, get a half of a step, but he's a smart player and if he has a good summer, he could find a spot on our team." Rutherford said.
The Penguins were quiet in free agency, bringing back defenseman Justin Schultz and veteran forward Matt Cullen, each on a one-year contract; Schultz will earn $1.4 million this season and Cullen $1 million. Those moves, along with trading forward Beau Bennett to the New Jersey Devils for a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft on June 25, and defenseman Ben Lovejoy signing with the Devils as a free agent, have been the most eye-opening developments of the past two months.
The returning group fits Sullivan's aggressive style, with each line playing a fast, straight-ahead game.
The "HBK Line" of Nick Bonino centering Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel, probably the best example of the Penguins' speed and depth, was Pittsburgh's most productive line during the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite being considered its third line by many. Kessel could miss the start of the season recovering from hand surgery he had on July 8.
"The pressure is always going to fall more on your star players. They're going to play big minutes, they're going to play in the toughest situations, and if you can get guys on your third or fourth lines winning games for you, then you're well on your way to having a good team. That's what we'll continue to do. We'll try to build as much balance throughout the lineup as we can." Rutherford said.
Cullen excelled as the fourth-line center between left wing Tom Kuhnhackl and right wing Eric Fehr throughout the playoffs, tying his NHL career high of four postseason goals from 2006, when he won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
After Lovejoy's departure, the return of Schultz preserves some stability along the blue line. Schultz, Kris Letang, Trevor Daley, Olli Maatta, Ian Cole and Brian Dumoulin likely will fill the six spots in Pittsburgh's dynamic defense.
Defenseman Derrick Pouliot, going into his third NHL season, could earn regular playing time with a strong training camp. If so, the 22-year-old has the talent to possibly fit into one of Pittsburgh's three pairs sometime during the season.
The Penguins worked to build more defensive depth early in the offseason, re-signing Steve Oleksy and signing David Warsofsky, Stuart Percy, Cameron Gaunce and Chad Ruhwedel. Defenseman Tim Erixon was re-signed to a one-year, two-way contract.
"Getting Warsofsky back was good. [Sullivan] likes him. He can play in certain situations. And Oleksy was a key guy for us. Erixon was another one. I give him a lot of credit. He had a chance to go to Russia and make a lot more money. He'd really like to get back to the NHL. He has some work to do. He's got to build up his lower body, get a half of a step, but he's a smart player and if he has a good summer, he could find a spot on our team." Rutherford said.
After an improbable run through the second half of last season to the Stanley Cup, the Pittsburgh Penguins are primed for a potential repeat. Outside of the goaltending situation, almost everything seems set in stone for Pittsburgh nearing the end of a quiet offseason.
Evgeni Malkin
After returning from an elbow injury that sidelined him for five weeks, Malkin wasn't himself throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He finished with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists), showing flashes of brilliance in 23 games. That would be an excellent output for most other NHL players, but for Malkin, it appeared a bit lackluster. That shouldn't be the case this season. On June 23, the Penguins announced Malkin wouldn't need surgery on his injured left elbow. After rehabilitating and vacationing in Miami most of the offseason, Malkin is unlikely to miss any playing time once Pittsburgh's regular season begins against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 13, after he competes for Team Russia in the World Cup of Hockey 2016 beginning Sept. 17."I'm OK because most guys play with injuries. Most players play with injuries, but I feel very good. … I'm not young anymore (he turned 30 on July 31). I need to work a little harder. I need to practice a little bit more and have fun with my family, work and train." Malkin said.
Penguins Roster
The Penguins roster should look pretty close to the way it did in June, with the exception of Lovejoy. The stability Pittsburgh was able to maintain throughout the offseason has it in position to compete for the Stanley Cup again. The Penguins' speed proved to be a problem for opponents throughout the playoffs, and that shouldn't change. Forwards Carl Hagelin, Phil Kessel, Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust push the attack with a north-south style coach Mike Sullivan consistently emphasized after being hired Dec. 12. After seeing Sullivan's style work, Pittsburgh should again be one of the most aggressive teams in the NHL."I thought the players were very receptive to what we were trying to preach to them. It was a process, I think, to get us to where we wanted to be. … I think anytime as a coach, when you're trying to play a certain way and you're trying to sell a certain way to your players, ultimately you have to have the results to back up what you're selling." Sullivan said.
Kessel could miss the start of the season recovering from hand surgery he had on July 8, and general manager Jim Rutherford said this week he is optimistic that other injured Penguins, including defensemen Trevor Daley (broken ankle) and Kris Letang (foot), and forwards Rust (hand), Nick Bonino (elbow infection) and Patric Hornqvist (hand) will be ready to play against the Capitals.
Early last season, it appeared Crosby's best days may have been behind him. Then December came and he again claimed his spot as one of the League's best players. Without Crosby rebounding in the way he did in the second half of the season, the Penguins might not have made the playoffs, never mind win the Stanley Cup. He finished with 85 points (36 goals, 49 assists) in the regular season and had 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in the playoffs to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. If Crosby maintains his performance from late last season, Pittsburgh likely will get off to a much better start.
Forward Depth
During the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Capitals, Sullivan was asked about the Penguins' third line. Before answering, he had to ask which line was considered the third. Most consider Crosby's line the first, Malkin's the second, and the "HBK Line" of Bonino centering Hagelin and Kessel the third. Pittsburgh doesn't see it that way, especially because Hagelin, Bonino and Kessel made up its most productive line throughout the postseason; they were three of Pittsburgh's top five scorers in the playoffs. That forward depth caused matchup problems for opposing coaches, a trend that could continue once Kessel is healthy.
Goaltending
Derrick Pouliot
Pouliot entered last training camp with a good chance of making Pittsburgh's roster. Once the season began, he found himself playing for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League and didn't see NHL action until Jan. 23. The 22-year-old defenseman has huge upside and could compete for a larger role with Lovejoy no longer in the picture and Daley recovering from his injury. Pouliot has the tools to work in an up-tempo style and cater to Sullivan's system.
Chris Kunitz
Throughout last season, Kunitz didn't seem to have the same offensive punch he once possessed playing wing on a line with Crosby. That changed when Kunitz was moved to Malkin's left wing in the playoffs, which helped him score 12 points (four goals, eight assists), his most since scoring 14 in the 2009 postseason. Despite that surge, Kunitz, 36, remains the biggest question mark on Pittsburgh's top three lines. It remains to be seen if Kunitz can continue to throw his body around (264 hits last season) while contributing offensively.
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