3 Thoughts: NHL’s Faulty Thinking; Why Didn’t Granlund Work with Penguins?!

There is some revisionist thinking sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins land Wednesday, the day after former, albeit briefly, Penguins forward and current Dallas Stars hero Mikael Granlund humbled the Winnipeg Jets with a hat trick in Game 4, pushing the ‘Peg to the brink of elimination in Round Two.

Since the Penguins unceremoniously bundled Granlund in the Erik Karlsson trade on Aug. 6, 2023, the forward has been nearly a point-per-game player for the San Jose Sharks and a healthy contributor to the loaded Dallas Stars lineup.

Granlund had 60 points (12-48-60) in 69 games last season. He had 45 points (15-30-45) in 52 games for San Jose this season, then 21 points (7-14-21) in 31 games for Dallas after San Jose traded him and defenseman Cody Ceci for a 2025 first-rounder and a conditional third.

It’s a far cry from the revulsion at his acquisition in 2023 and new GM Kyle Dubas essentially salary dumping him in the Karlsson deal, along with fellow cast-offs Jan Rutta, and Jeff Petry.

Combined, Petry and Granlund personified the failed Ron Hextall regime. Players who may have had value in one situation, but zero with the Penguins.

And there begins the questions and revisions.

Recall that Granlund had a whopping five points in 21 games, including just one goal with the Penguins. He was roundly panned before stepping onto the ice in a Penguins sweater and did little to change the public narrative as former coach Mike Sullivan shuffled him around the lineup, trying to find a fit. Somewhere. Anywhere.

Even Granlund admitted it didn’t work.

So, why didn’t it?

Granlund was in the midst of a terrible season with Nashville when Hextall accepted the consolation prize in lieu of his real target, J.T. Miller. Echoes and whispers have bounced off the PPG Paints Arena walls about how close the Penguins came to acquiring Miller. Some say it wasn’t that close, and others will tell you that it came down to Hextall’s decision to decline the final offer, despite Miller figuratively having his bags packed and ready to go.

Also, Granlund was going through some heavy personal issues. He separated from his wife that spring as Nashville traded him to Pittsburgh, and the divorce was finalized in July, according to a Finnish magazine’s feature story on his ex-wife. She moved back to Finland with the couple’s sons, who were five and three years old.

If the personal toll wasn’t enough, Granlund’s east-west game was a terrible fit for Sullivan and the Penguins, who were trying, and failing, to play a speedy north-south game.

Square peg, round hole. Blame the GM, who should have known both mitigating circumstances. It was just another fumble from the Hextall regime that egregiously whiffed on so many things.

Now, the Karlsson trade is another matter for another day, and that postmortem might be finalized later this summer.

2. NHL Schedule

The 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins were the first team to win the Stanley Cup in June. Believe it or not, until then, the NHL actually awarded the Cup in May (or earlier) since the Cup first became the NHL’s prize in 1926.

Hockey fans are forgiven if it starts to feel like work watching hockey into later May. Then into mid-June. And then last season (and probably this season), into later June.

Let’s get this thing moving.

The 1991 Penguins’ championship occurred on May 25. In 1992, a 10-day players’ strike delayed the end of the regular season until April 16 (that’s when the season ended this year!). Despite the Penguins and Chicago storming through the playoffs with seven and 11 victories in a row, respectively, the Cup Final lasted until June 1. The Penguins swept the series (thus also winning 11 in a row), or it would have been later.

The 1992 season began on Oct. 4 and was to end in early April, and the Penguins played nine sets of back-to-backs in 80 games.

There has been talk of the NHL expanding the schedule to 84 games. Absolutely silly. Playoff games make money, not a weeknight game against an out-of-conference opponent.

If the playoffs in 1992 began at the same time as 2025, why in the name of Jim Paek will it take three more weeks?

Ending the season earlier would be a great help. If the solution is more divisional games and abandoning the fan-engaging (yet incessantly complained about) divisional playoff format, fine. Do what needs to be done, but these elongated seasons can’t continue.

The breakneck travel schedule this season to accommodate the Four Nations Face-Off was, at times, soul-crushing, even for the players. Next season, the break will be worse to accommodate the Olympics.

Figure it out. Two fewer games for the Olympics? OK.

Start the season on Oct. 1 every year? YEP.

More divisional home-and-home series? Heck yes!

There are ways around this late June nonsense, but it will take a few important structural elements not commonly found within the confines of hockey or the New York offices. First, don’t listen to social media. Fans will complain. Do the right thing and let them enjoy it later. Second, look at fan responses via the ratings. Fans might complain, but the simple fact is that divisional rivals drive more clicks and TV viewership. Do the math on how many more eyeballs will be available in May vs. June, then do the math on the increased revenues. That’s how much projected revenue the league can sacrifice in the regular season. Lastly, don’t seek consensus. Figure it out and hand down the verdict.

3. Copy Cat?

Every year, a new idea, style, or wrinkle emerges that has the media, fans, and even teams thinking about adopting it for next season.

Last year, the Florida Panthers’ physicality was a topic du jour. The year before that, the Vegas Golden Knights ascended to the top with a veteran lineup full of trade acquisitions and free agent signings with nary a home-grown draft pick.

The 2025 Western Conference Final might become a case study of two very different ways to build a roster. The Dallas Stars are one of the deepest teams in years. The forward lines are packed with players perfectly suited to their roles, but absent superstar players (unless you count Mikko Rantanen?).

The Edmonton Oilers are all about star power. It overcomes spotty goaltending and defensive deficiencies.

The Eastern Conference Final will likely be the terminally hard-working and unique man-on-man system of the Carolina Hurricanes against star-powered Toronto or tough Florida.

Will more teams try to emulate Carolina and Dallas? It sounds like an easy choice, and the faster choice to return to Stanley Cup contention, but most hockey people would prefer the star route.

Traditionally, star power wins out.