Is This Penguins Team Built for Success?

By Calem Illig (@calemillig)

In 2005, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the draft lottery and selected the “Next Great One,” Sidney Crosby from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. With a star studded team including Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Sergei Gonchar, the Penguins were set to be successful for years. After losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, the Penguins defeated the Red Wings in an epic seven game series. After winning their first Stanley Cup since 1992, it was assumed that several more Stanley Cups would be won by this franchise.

The Penguins were never able to win another Cup, and since then have continued to put up disappointing playoff performances. With the trade deadline coming up, let’s take a look at this Penguins team compared to other years.

2009 Overview: This was a championship team, but on paper it didn’t look like it. Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin had just arrived into Pittsburgh as Crosby had two new wingers. Max Talbot, after a strong playoff, was put onto Evgeni Malkin's right wing. While both of these lines were productive, the third line was the most important. Arguably the best third line in hockey, the Cooke/Staal/Kennedy line was dominant throughout the playoffs and the finals. The speed of Kennedy, the size of Staal, and the work ethic of Cooke made this line unbeatable. To build the Penguins for success, the Penguins must have a strong third line. This was also a very deep defensive corps. Gonchar had tons of success with Orpik as his stay home defender, Gill and Scuderi formed a great shutdown pair, and Mark Eaton helped develop the young Kris Letang. This defense was full of veterans, whereas the Penguins this year are very young. Olli Maatta, Derrick Pouliot, and Brian Dumoulin have very little playoff experience and it will be crucial that they can adapt to a playoff situation.

2013 Overview: This season was supposed to be the year for Pittsburgh. Ray Shero brought in Iginla, Morrow, Murray, and Jokinen with an “all in” approach to win the cup. Pittsburgh gave up Joe Morrow, their first round pick in the 2013 draft as well as a second round pick, plus other assets to acquire these players. None of these players lived up to expectations as the Penguins were pummeled by the Boston Bruins. With the exception of Jokinen (who was still under contract), all of the players acquired at the deadline did not remain with Pittsburgh the next season. With almost no prospect pool now, the Penguins have almost no tradeable assets. Pittsburgh should stay away from high priced rental players.

2015-16 Overview: On paper, this is a championship caliber team. Crosby is with his most comfortable winger with Kunitz and has Patric Hornqvist who had a 50 point season just a year ago. Evgeni Malkin has speedy wingers with Hagelin and Kessel, with Kessel bound to break out soon. The third line seems impressive, with two very capable centers with Fehr and Bonino. Beau Bennett is a huge question mark with his injury history though, as he’s barely played this season. Sheary, Cullen, and Wilson will prove to be a huge fourth line for the Penguins. The defense is very young and how they adapt this year will be crucial. Marc-Andre Fleury is a stud in goal and hopefully can continue that trend.

The Biggest Needs:

Depth is going to be the biggest need for the Penguins, both on offense and defense. Beau Bennett and Ben Lovejoy are both big question marks, and an upgrade would be efficient. Sheary and Wilson have both been a huge boost for the Penguins this year, but it’s unsure whether both will remain in a completely healthy lineup. The Penguins should stay away from big name players like Andrew Ladd or Dan Hamhuis as their asset pool is very low to this point.

Tradable Assets:

Ian Cole- Acquired at the trade deadline last year for Robert Bortuzzo, Cole was supposed to be a depth defenseman. After a strong campaign, Cole was given a three year, $2.1 million contract. Cole has struggled under both Mike Johnston and Mike Sullivan and has been a healthy scratch for almost all of Sullivan's reign.

Ben Lovejoy- Also acquired at the deadline last year, Pittsburgh fans and media were outraged after Lovejoy was acquired for Simon Despres. A poor playoff performance has made the trade look even worse now. Playing on the bottom with with Brian Dumoulin and now Derrick Pouliot, Lovejoy is in a reduced role and an acquisition of another defenseman could push him out of the lineup.

Sergei Plotnikov- Signed this summer as a free agent, Plotnikov has fallen out of favor with Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. Plotnikov has yet to play in a game since January 6th and probably will never dress for the Penguins again. Rumors are the Maple Leafs have expressed interest in the Russian forward.

Beau Bennett- The oft injured Bennett has once again found the injury bug this season, and has played in only one game since December 14th. There won’t be much value for Bennett, though a change of scenery would probably benefit both sides.

Nick Bonino- Acquired from Vancouver for Brandon Sutter, Bonino was meant to bring a boost to the Penguins third line. He has not had much offensive production this year, netting only three goals and ten points. He has also been out with an injury since January 12th and it is unsure when he will return.

Patric Hornqvist- After a 50 point season last year, Hornqvist has slumped this year. With Mike Sullivan coming in as coach and Sidney Crosby regaining form, Hornqvist’s stats have improved. Pittsburgh shouldn’t look to trade him, but if a deal is there, he is probably the most tradeable asset.

Possible Targets:

Matt Hunwick- Hunwick has had a decent season with an awful Toronto team. He would most likely fit on the bottom pairing in place of Ben Lovejoy. Hunwick would not be a rental as he is signed through next season, a $1.2 million cap.

Matt Bartkowski- A Pittsburgh native, Bartkowski is in a similar situation to Hunwick. Vancouver looks to be sellers and Bartkowski could add depth to the bottom pairing. He carries a cap of $1,750,000 for the rest of the season.

Scott Hartnell- Probably the biggest pest to the Penguins in recent history, Hartnell is having a great season. Tied for the lead in points for Columbus, Hartnell is a player that would play in the bottom six, but could easily fit into the top six. Hartnell has a cap hit of $4,750,000 until 2019, which would be very difficult for Pittsburgh to carry.

Brad Boyes- A player Pittsburgh should've looked at in the offseason, Boyes could easily fit into the Bottom six. Boyes has a very friendly cap at $700,000 for the rest of this season

Jamie McGinn- Having a good season on a struggling Sabres team, McGinn could be a perfect third line candidate. His $2,950,000 should be manageable as it expires at the end of this season.

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