The Pittsburgh Penguins have a pretty good idea of what they can expect from some of their players this coming season.
sidney crosby he should once again be among the best 200-footers in the sport, averaging more than a point per game and setting an example for his teammates across the ice with his commitment and attention to detail.
Kris Letang, the occasional blunder aside, will continue to be the anchor of the defense corps, combining offensive chops, underrated physique and exceptional conditioning.
Jake Guentzel will once again be as fearless as he is efficient on the offensive end, Chad Ruhwedel will be quietly effective in whatever duty is assigned to him and Mark Friedman will irritate opponents more than a sharp stone on your skate.
But even if the players whose contributions can be predicted perform exactly as expected, there are some who are wild cards, capable of producing well above or below expectations. (The play of Evan Rodrigues and Kasperi Kapanen, respectively, in 2021-22 are an example of that.)
What teams can get from those players can go a long way in determining how successful (or disappointing) their season is, and the Penguins, like most clubs, have a few at every position up front and on defense. (If the Pittsburgh Penguins don’t get a consistently strong game from the No. 1 goalie tristan jarrywhat the rest of the list contributes probably doesn’t matter much).
Here’s a look at the guys who, as the roster currently builds, are shaping up to be the Penguins’ biggest personnel variables in 2022-23.
CENTER
Jeff Carter — He seemed timeless during the opening months of last season, racking up 11 goals and nine assists in his first 29 games and holding the No. 2 line quite deftly while Yevgeny Malkin he was recovering from off-season knee surgery.
But Carter’s effectiveness waned as the season progressed and he had eight goals and 17 assists in his last 45 games. (And while plus-minus is obviously a flawed and limited stat, it’s hard to ignore that he was minus-1 in those opening 29 games, minus-7 in the last 45.)
With the return of Sidney Crosby and Malkin, Carter plans to resume his role as the center of the back row, while working on the No. 2 power play and penalty unit. He will be 38 on Jan. 1, and if he performs like having a great deal of experience, or just getting old, will determine how stable the Penguins are in the middle.
ON THE LEFT
jason sugar — Zucker hasn’t been the offensive force the Pittsburgh Penguins expected when they acquired him from Minnesota in 2020, registering just 23 goals and 24 assists in 94 games.
Part of the problem has been a series of injuries, including one that required core muscle surgery. Effort certainly isn’t an issue, as Zucker has been a vigorous and effective forechecker when he’s in the lineup.
It may not be realistic to score it to match the 33 goals he scored for the Wild in 2017-18, but if Zucker can get 20-plus, it will add a dimension to a No. 2 line that has the potential to prevent opponents from concentrating their efforts. defensive players in Crosby’s unit.
ON THE RIGHT
Kasperi Kapanen — Not exactly a polarizing figure, because Kapanen skeptics seem to outnumber Kapanen supporters. And it’s not hard to see why.
The only thing there is universal agreement on is that 2021-22 was a very bad season for him, as he had much more puzzling decisions, such as a propensity to curl toward the boards rather than go to the net after carrying the puck. through the blue line — what points.
Still, management has enough confidence in him to have re-signed Kapanen to a two-year deal, and if he can harness his speed and shooting on goals and assists, he could give the offense a boost by allowing Mike Sullivan to deploy. three lines that are a legitimate threat to score.
LEFT DEFENSE
Brian Dumoulin — Just about every left-handed defenseman on the Penguins has some questions, but the biggest one is whether Brian Dumoulin can bounce back from a poor performance last season.
If he does, Dumoulin and Letang will be a number one quality couple, as they have been for most of their time together. However, if Dumoulin stumbles, the aftershocks will affect the entire unit which, for now at least, has no one qualified to intervene alongside Letang.
Dumoulin is entering the final season of a $4.1 million salary-cap deal, and while he doesn’t seem like a guy who needs extra motivation, playing for his next contract, and possibly his future with the Penguins, he can’t. it does not hurt
RIGHT DEFENSE
Jan Rutta — The right side of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ defense, led by Letang and Jeff Petry, might be the strongest part of their depth chart (not that having a couple of future Hall of Famers should be downplayed) in center), so Rutta shouldn’t have to fill a high-profile, big-minute niche.
Assuming Sullivan doesn’t switch him to the left side (Rutta has played both), he could be a good partner in the third matchup for a southpaw with offensive chops, like Ty Smith or PO Joseph.
Having enough of a responsible defensive presence to allow a young player to develop his offensive game to this level would more than justify the three-year deal the Penguins gave Rutta a few weeks ago.
