Perhaps you went through something similar when it came to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ all-star trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang remaining the core of the team going forward.
This seasoned sportswriter was caught a bit off guard, to tell the truth, slowly coming to the opinion that keeping the three of them together was the right move.
By far the right move.
The transformation began fairly predictably with accepting the idea that Malkin and/or Letang could hit free agency this summer. Even accepting the notion that maybe it was time for the team to rebuild and refresh Crosby, who has three more years on his contract and certainly isn’t going anywhere.
But the more the situation was analyzed and scrutinized, and especially the more some advocated moving forward, the more a nagging thought turned into a full-fledged reaction: that those calling for an update instead of a reboot were wrong.
so when kris letang Y Yevgeny Malkin they were eventually re-signed, and each with a functional cap of $6.1 million, it looked as if Penguins general manager Ron Hextall had won the offseason.
That reaction was not only built up over several weeks or months, but it was also multiple.
Sure, there was logic in breaking up the band. All three are in their thirties. The Penguins have won just one playoff series since the three stars earned their third Stanley Cup together in 2017. It was going to be tough to re-sign Malkin and Letang and still put together a potentially contending team under a pretty stagnant salary cap. It was crazy to impose emotion over business sense.
And that’s not to mention a faction that didn’t particularly trust Malkin to play at a level close enough to his dominant prime to make him worth bringing back for several years.
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The other side initially seemed flimsier. Gosh, wouldn’t it be nice to see all three of them finish their careers together with the Penguins, see if maybe they could win a couple more rounds of the playoffs? After the three of them have played 16 years together, the change would be disgusting.
But you know what? That’s not so flimsy after thinking about it more.
Breaking the core could have easily failed. Take it from someone who, before the pandemic, had spent as much time as any reporter in the Penguins locker room: Those three are the heart and personality of the team, embodying the idea that the sum can be better than its parts. even though those parts are pretty good.
That’s not trite; It is the truth. At least, that’s the truth on a team that has Crosby as its captain and compass.
Crosby is not a squeaky wheel, but he is a creature of habit. Keeping him happy and comfortable has tangible benefits, and he made it very clear that he was hopeful that Malkin and Letang would return. He already lost another fundamental player and friend, goalkeeper Marc-Andre Fleury, several years ago.
There is also the business side of renovations.
Letang is a special talent, and it’s doubtful the Penguins could have adequately replaced their best defense through a trade or NHL free agency, particularly at that price. He is also a fitness fanatic who seems to defy Father Time.
Malkin seemed to be doing just fine after major knee surgery last year, and while he may not be as quick or dominant as he once was, he’s arguably still one of the best second-row centers in the NHL and, like Letang , probably couldn’t have been reasonably replaced at his salary cap.
Sure, it’s possible that Malkin’s skills will erode before his four-year contract is up. That might even seem more likely as Letang’s abilities eroded in her six years. That initial thought eventually gave way to one more, still worth it.
As for those four straight first-round playoff losses, repeatedly bringing them up as a reason to rebuild might have had the biggest influence on a transformed view of Malkin and Letang. Those misses were primarily the product of goalie situations and injuries — not excuses, but legitimate mitigating circumstances that don’t speak to whether the Big Three are still good enough to lead the team to a longer playoff run.
Finally, in those moments when a sportswriter softens a bit to consider the fans’ perspective, comes the recognition that the team wouldn’t look like the Pittsburgh Penguins with Letang and/or Malkin playing elsewhere.
Reconstruction will come eventually. For now, who knows what the three guys with a combined three Stanley Cups, one Calder Trophy, four Art Ross Trophies, two Rocket Richard Trophies, four Lester Pearson/Ted Lindsay Awards, three Conn Smythe Trophies and three Hart Trophies might still have in the tank?
There’s no harm in finding out, as all three stars and long-time teammates have a chance to finish their careers with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It must be an interesting walk. What is the point of a person’s evolved opinion? Isn’t that the kind of argument that makes sports worth following?
