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Welcome to the newest file in THN.com’s series examining the top issues facing every NHL team.
In this file, we’re breaking down three topics of major significance facing the Pittsburgh Penguins.
1. How much more of Pittsburgh’s future will GM Kyle Dubas sacrifice for a playoff push?
Little by little, and trade by trade, Kyle Dubas has done everything in his power to position the Penguins as a playoff team in the Metropolitan Division.
His critics will argue Dubas has focused too much attention on the here-and-now and not enough on the long-term future of the franchise.
But to his credit, Dubas recently added top prospect Rutger McGroarty in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets, a move that has the potential to be a foundational addition well after cornerstone veteran stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are no longer active NHLers.
Related: How Rutger McGroarty Can Be a Future Leader of the Pittsburgh Penguins
That said, this season definitely feels like a “playoffs-or-bust” kind of year for Pittsburgh. Missing the post-season for three straight seasons in the Crosby era would be a catastrophe, so if there’s an opportunity to beef up the Pens’ lineup by the trade deadline, we expect Dubas to jump at it. If that means peeling off another draft pick or prospect to bring in more experience and playoff pedigree, Dubas will likely say “so be it.”
Dubas knows as well as anyone the pressure the Penguins will be under this season to do something of consequence this year. He also knows the blowback he’ll be dealing with if the Pens fail to make the playoffs. He’s going to use every card he has to improve Pittsburgh right away, and at the same time do his best to ensure the Penguins’ stock of young talent has at least a few assets worth building around.
It’s a balancing act, really, and Dubas has to demonstrate he can work well on a highwire.
Related: NHL Hot Seat Radar: Should Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas Already Feel the Heat?
2. Does star center and captain Sidney Crosby deserve a raise for his next contract?
There’s no question Crosby’s current contract that pays him $8.7 million annually through this coming season has been a tremendous bargain.
But given that Crosby is now 37 years old, and given Pittsburgh’s salary cap constraints in the next few years, does it make sense for Dubas to boost Crosby’s salary by a notable amount?
In a just and fair world, Crosby would be earning $10 million or more. Other teams are paying their players more than that when they’ve accomplished far less than Crosby (cough-cough Mitch Marner and the Leafs, cough-cough), so giving Crosby less than that amount doesn’t seem right.
The bigger question for Crosby is the term of his next deal.
Does he want to sign a three-year contract and play into his forties? Or does a series of one-year extensions make more sense for him and give him an opportunity to leave as a UFA if it’s clear the Penguins can no longer guarantee a playoff berth for him?
If we were forced to make a bet, we’d probably choose the compromise between those two options – a two-year deal that averages about $11 million per season. Something that looks like John Tavares’ current contract with Toronto, only for one-quarter of its term, is a compromise that should work for both sides.
Crosby has said on numerous occasions he’d prefer to play only for one team, and a two-year-extension would give him that chance while also allowing for the possibility things don’t work out in Pittsburgh and joining another team until his NHL days are over.
Penguins fans undoubtedly want him back, but business is business. As we saw with Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay, sometimes even the most iconic players are forced to move on and do something they otherwise would never have done.
It’s not at all probable Crosby leaves the Penguins, but it is possible, and that alone should terrify Pittsburgh fans until he signs a new deal.
3. What’s the bar No. 1 goaltender Tristan Jarry should meet and clear to maintain starter duties?
The 29-year-old Jarry has struggled with consistency in his NHL career. While he posted a .903 save percentage and a 2.91 goals-against average last season, Jarry must aim for better than that this year and beyond.
Considering he’s earning $5.375 million per season for the next four years, Jarry needs to get his individual totals back near the 2.42 GAA and .919 SP he had in 2021-22.
However, the bigger area Jarry needs to improve on will be his post-season performance if the Penguins get that far. In the past two post-seasons he appeared in, Jarry posted a sub-.899 SP and provided evidence for Penguins supporters arguing the team has put its chips in on someone who’s unreliable in the biggest stage.
Dubas’ long-term commitment to Jarry means the latter is essentially untradeable for the foreseeable future, and backup Alex Nedeljkovic has posted an SP of .902 or worse in each of the last three years.
Consequently, the player under the most pressure this season in Pittsburgh is Jarry. If he can get on a roll and help power the Penguins into the playoffs, fans will forgive his imperfections. And if the Penguins crash out of the playoff picture for the third-straight season, Jarry could be the scapegoat. He doesn’t have to be flawless, but Jarry does have to do his share of the battling and at least give Pittsburgh’s skaters a chance to deliver solid results in the win/loss columns.
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News Summary:
- NHL's Top Issues Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins: Dubas, Crosby, Jarry In Spotlight
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.