Penguins Concern-O-Meter: No Trades, Stuffed Roster, & New Coach
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ off-season is nearly over. The ice is laid, and the players will begin filtering back to Pittsburgh if they have not already. The hotel near the UPMC Lemieux Complex will soon be occupied by prospects and roster hopefuls who don’t yet have a reason to take up more permanent residence. Yet general manager Kyle Dubas still has plenty of questions to answer.
PHN reader Wilkesfan on X replied to one of our tweets with an unrelated question. Rather than replying with a smart-alec remark or a healthy dose of sarcasm with sprinkles, we’re going to tackle the question in an honest manner.
It’s clear the Penguins aren’t Stanley Cup contenders. Readers may need to take a whack at betting on other teams with the Caesars Sportsbook promo code.
But Wilkes’s question is relevant here.
“If Pittsburgh stands pat with their current logjam of players, is it likely they will waive and ultimately send veteran players to Wilkes?”
There is no question, the Penguins roster is a glut of players, certainly a plethora of veterans, who could produce more, but who otherwise haven’t, and in some cases are fighting for their NHL careers, competing against the growing wave of young players whom the organization should prioritize.
We won’t know which veterans are ticketed for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for several weeks. There will be plenty of tough decisions that could come down to the final days of the pre-season.
Rather, the more important question, more important than the will they-won’t they of Ross and Rachel, or why we invested five years into Yellowstone only to see the lead actor leave and the remaining characters give up, is how will the Penguins handle this oversaturation of their roster?
No Trades
Concen-o-Meter: 8 of 10.
The Penguins’ rebuild cannot begin until some of the old growth forest is turned over for the new growth. There cannot be new beginnings until there are a few ends. The Detroit Red Wings magically sustained their contention for nearly two decades, but that was in an uncapped era and with a few incredibly lucky draft picks (Pavel Datsyuk was a sixth-round pick and Henrik Zetterberg was a seventh-rounder).
Seven years after the fall of their dynasty, they’re still not hot and ready. The Penguins are three years into their dark ages and are still unwinding the past.
Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell are the two easy names to discuss, though they may have very different market valuations. Rakell is coming off a career year with 35 goals and some brilliant play. Karlsson, meanwhile, is two years removed from his third Norris Trophy and decidedly not coming off a career year.
Plenty of teams called about Bryan Rust, but none made Dubas blush with anticipation of the expected return.
The reason the concern isn’t a 10 of 10 is that there remains time for Dubas to swing a deal for one or more of his veterans.
Trades involving the big-name veterans aren’t the only cause of the logjam.
Too Many Veteran Forwards
Concern-O-Meter: 5 of 10.
The very simple reason the concern isn’t a 10 is that the young players who are coming up from the farm system, primarily Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, or getting a second chance, such as Justin Brazeau and Rafael Harvey-Pinard, will indeed get their chances.
In fact, one could presume that close decisions will go to the young players.
However, that those decisions will exist and some will go against the youngsters is understandably frustrating to Penguins fans, who are anxiously awaiting the revival.
Heck, some of us in the media are curiously awaiting what comes next, too. Everyone inherently understands there won’t be a revival or an uptick with more of the same. With respect to the veterans in the lower lineup, most of them performed as expected, but it wasn’t enough.
Yet, there won’t be enough spots in the NHL, nor will there be enough in the AHL.
The concern of delaying the process is real, but the hunch is that Dubas is prepared to coldly make it work for the betterment of the future, not the present.
Dan Muse Experience
Concern-O-Meter: 1 of 10.
Muse was the winner of Dubas’s first true head coach search. He was an unexpected candidate and certainly a surprise hire. With no NHL or AHL headcoaching experience, he will navigate a few new situations, but none that should surprise.
With successful runs in the USHL and with the US national teams, as well as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers, he’s dealt with big egos, big expectations, and turbulent situations before.
He’s a thinker, not a speech maker, which will appeal to the veterans. He’s a teacher, not a demanding tyrant, which will benefit the young players. And he has something to prove, which will unite them all.
He may or may not be the right coach, but there should be almost no concern. The Penguins might have 99 problems, but a coach ain’t one.
Core Aging
Concern-O-Meter: Zero-point-zero.
It will happen. It will be visible this season for one, two, or even all three of the Penguins’ championship core. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang and 38, 39, and 38, respectively.
While scientists might find the genes to slow aging, and plenty of infomercials claim the latest creams, pills, and ointments can reverse the process, it’s too late for the core three.
It shouldn’t be a concern because there’s simply nothing that can be done, and there are benefits to a lousy record (ahem, 2026 draft).
Categorized:Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins
So happy we have a new coach. Cant be any worse.
Loved the article!