Big Chances & Big Needs; Penguins Finding Solutions to Big Problems

The Pittsburgh Penguins need a third-line center. And a right-side defenseman.

Because the roster doesn’t necessarily have players who are easy answers, coach Mike Sullivan was forced into a couple of desperation moves with players who were castoffs, both of which seem to be yielding surprising dividends.

The St. Louis Blues dumped Kevin Hayes, including second and third-round picks, to facilitate the Penguins to make the trade for him. The Penguins cut ties with P.O Joseph over fears he would command a salary arbitration award well above their valuations. Those same Blues signed, then soured on Joseph, trading him back to the Penguins for future considerations after dumping him in the press box as a healthy scratch.

The Penguins’ search for a third-line center was exhaustive.

Cody Glass and Drew O’Connor have filled the role. So, too, have Lars Eller, Blake Lizotte, Noel Acciari, and even Vasily Ponomarev. The third-line center committee has grown throughout the season as needs and necessity beckoned and ineffectiveness cast aside contenders.

Sullivan doesn’t like O’Connor in the middle. Despite some energetic performances in November, O’Connor’s faceoff percentage is woeful (42%), and the big forward moved back to wing.

Thus, the search continues, but Hayes may be putting an end to it. Possibly.

After a month of press box nachos, Hayes has played the last four games and filled the role as well, if not better, than any of the current options on the team.

In those four games, Hayes has two goals, a relatively even Corsi, scoring chance rates, and, most importantly, zero goals against. The line has finally found some traction after a couple of months of flashes followed by invisibility.

After another goal but a disappointing loss in Carolina, Hayes downplayed any resurgence.

“I don’t know, it’s only been two games,” he replied.

The line scored again in the Penguins’ 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers Thursday. Hayes scored when Drew O’Connor worked the low zone, winning a couple of puck battles and then slipping a slick little pass in front of the net to Hayes.

At a couple of points this season, Sullivan has acknowledged Hayes’s potential but always adds a caveat that also acknowledges Hayes’s challenge to be an NHL regular despite his $7 million salary (and roughly $3.5 million cap hit to the Penguins).

“He’s a good player. He’s got great offensive instincts and can score goals. (Hayes) can finish,” began Sullivan, leading up to his warning. “He’s pretty good in the faceoff circle and has poise with the puck. He doesn’t throw it away … He has good size. He’s strong. When he’s skating, I think he can be an effective player. ‘

The last line is the kicker, echoing Sullivan’s preseason evaluation and challenge to Hayes, “When he’s skating.” The knock on Hayes has been his skating and how he uses it. So, Hayes isn’t firmly established in the Penguins lineup yet, but the 32-year-old is on his way.

Sullivan has distributed the third line’s ice time, starting their shifts in all three zones, unlike the fourth line, which soaks up the hard defensive assignments.

The advanced analytics and the eye test diverge somewhat on Hayes’ and the third line’s recent play. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, they’re underwater on general scoring chances (13-16) but slightly ahead on high-danger chances (6-5). However, the line has popped in some big moments, including a big goal Thursday.

“You know, we put (O’Connor) and Jesse Puljujarvi with him right now. They’re two guys that are big and strong and can skate,” Sullivan said. “When those guys get in on the forecheck and wreak havoc and force turnovers, I think it creates opportunities for the whole line.”

Young Guns?

The left-handed Joseph might be the answer to the Penguins’ shortage on the right side. In a somewhat surprising twist, Joseph has adequately filled the role despite being dumped there by Sullivan out of necessity.

Read More: Dubas Explains Penguins’ Joseph Trade; Full Analysis

His game has been strong, and he’s found chemistry with rookie Owen Pickering, which means the Penguin’s two youngest defensemen are on the same pairing.

With Pickering, Joseph has been on the ice for zero goals against, eight high-danger scoring chances for, and only two against. The pairing hasn’t yet been on the ice for a Penguins goal, but the advantage has been theirs.

Joseph admitted to PHN that he doesn’t have a lot of experience on the right, and being forced to his backhand in several situations isn’t ideal. However, he’s been fine, if not the best option the Penguins have used this season.

“I think P.O does a pretty good job on the right side. It’s not an easy thing to do, and I think one of the things that allows him to do it is this game,” Sullivan replied to PHN on Jan 1. “He’s a mobile guy. He’s got decent puck skills and skating ability, just the pivots and things of that nature. It’s a little bit different than playing the strong side. If you don’t have that type of mobility, it’s not easy on your backhand. Under difficult circumstances–I think if he had his druthers, he would not want to play on the offside– but of necessity, that’s what the team needs, and he embraces the challenge.”

While PHN sheepishly admitted to Joseph that we didn’t coin the term “Necessity is the mother of invention,” we did introduce him to it. And sometimes, the best solutions are those born of desperation. Just as Joseph resurrected his 2023-24 season when necessity thrust him beside mentor Kris Letang, Joseph’s sobering season turned promising when Sullivan turned to him to fill the right-side opening following Letang’s recent injury.

It worked. Just as Hayes has worked. And the patchwork Penguins remain in the playoff fight.