Speculation: Pens are favored to just make the playoffs according to Vegas Odds. Do you agree?

[Jaded-Fan]

According to BetMGM, the Penguins are a +3500 to win the Stanley Cup in 2024; that ranks 15th in the NHL and fourth in the Metropolitan Division.

At +3500, the Penguins fall behind the Carolina Hurricanes (+1200), New Jersey Devils (+1200), and New York Rangers (+1400).

Landing at 15 would be enough to squeeze the Penguins back into the postseason after a year hiatus.

When it comes to coming out as the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Penguins land eighth in the East with +1800.

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/betting-odds-pittsburgh-penguins-playoffs-stanley-cup-longshot

The headline says it all.

Do the Pens make it in by the skin of their teeth?
Just miss?
Do much better and end up among the top three teams in the east?
Do much worse and become a bottom five lottery favorite?

Click to read more...

 

[Andy99]

The ceiling is a 25-33% chance of being #4 in the Metro and a wild card team…however I think the odds favor them being a bottom three team in the division along w Philly and either Caps or CLB

 

[SomeDude]

If everything stands pat, I see a very similar season as last except instead of missing in the last game of the season, we are eliminated at like game 75.

There will be 1 or 2 random 3 or 4 game streaks that will give us hope followed by 2 weeks of mediocre reality.

 

[BusinessGoose]

They missed by a point last year

It's about the same team right now

So yeah they SHOULD make it.... But it's early

 

[Jaded-Fan]

For once the Pens, especially the core, was relatively healthy. Crosby and Malkin combined had their healthiest season ever.

The Pens if you recall were the most injured team by far the last decade and a half.

Will that degree of health be repeated next year?

Will the core continue to play at the high level that they did as they close in on age 40?

 

[SomeDude]

For once the Pens, especially the core, was relatively healthy. Crosby and Malkin combined had their healthiest season ever.

The Pens if you recall were the most injured team by far the last decade and a half.

Will that degree of health be repeated next year?

Will the core continue to play at the high level that they did as they close in on age 40?

Healthy, but I think Sid was clearly worn down during the home stretch. His productivity nosedived and naturally so did the team.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Too early to say. Need to see the final rosters of the bubble teams and what Dubas' final moves are.
As constructed right now, I very much see a top 10 defensive team if Jarry's better. Probably pretty weak offensively though.

 

[Peat]

Right now I think either they'll make it quite comfortably or miss it quite comfortably. That doesn't really account for whacky injuries... but either the core remain good, the team is more resilient and believes in themselves more, people are pissed, and they make it; or the core doesn't remain good and a lack of quality spells the end of things quickly.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Healthy, but I think Sid was clearly worn down during the home stretch. His productivity nosedived and naturally so did the team.

I suppose what I am saying, in answering my own question, is that last year everything went right for the most part. And they STILL missed the playoffs.

They pretty much have the same team give or take. Except that the core is a year older and unlikely to be as healthy.

So what is the definition of insanity again? Not that they had a better option given the reality of their situation.

Note that this is my opinion. Reasonable minds certainly can differ and I hope that I am wrong.

 

[Peat]

I suppose what I am saying, in answering my own question, is that last year everything went right for the most part. And they STILL missed the playoffs.

They pretty much have the same team give or take. Except that the core is a year older and unlikely to be as healthy.

So what is the definition of insanity again? Not that they had a better option given the reality of their situation.

Note that this is my opinion. Reasonable minds certainly can differ and I hope that I am wrong.

The team's 4 best dmen missed an average of 22 games each. In the 30-odd games we got to see all of them, we had a top 10 defence. We did not have a top 10 defence the rest of the time.

We also have whatever was going on with Jarry which led to them having a very bad season after the injuries hit.

To me, the injuries were just as bad an impediment as past years, if not actually worse. It might have looked better in terms of man games missed, but the clustering was brutal. Which was then reinforced by an absolutely ghastly in season GMing performance.

 

[centipede2233]

Healthy, but I think Sid was clearly worn down during the home stretch. His productivity nosedived and naturally so did the team.

If Crosby is worn down with first rd exits the previous 3 seasons plus covid stopping the league for months….that doesn’t bode well moving forward

 

[metalan2]

First overall in the league for some reason. Trip to ECF.

 

[Kristopher Letang]

I think the difference between Hextall and Dubas is that he won’t let the roster suck ass for too long before making moves to try to save the season.

We could have easily made the playoffs last year if Hextall decided to start working before the deadline imo.

I guess time will tell.

 

[Zap Rowsdower]

Vegas odds are to make money, not if they really think they'll make the playoffs or not.

 

[Gurglesons]

I’ll wait until October to believe in whether we can or can not but as currently constructed this team is at best an 8th seed.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Same as last season, more or less. A wild card team likely to get booted in the 1st round if they make it, or miss by a few points in they end up on the outside. In short; a crappy team.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Id be more surprised that we dont actually. Our defence got decimated last season, guys like Ruh were playing top 4 minutes. Dumo gone and a healthier defence gets us in.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I hope we don't though.

 

[HandshakeLine]

7th/8th seed.

 

[Lust for Life]

We'll make the playoffs.

 

[canadianguy77]

They were winless last season against the Canes, Devils and Islanders. I don’t think they’ll lose to the Islanders every game again next season. Although I could easily see them losing every game to the Rags instead of splittin with them like last season. They didnt lose to the Jackets or Cryers last year and went 2-1 against the Craps.

I think it all comes down to how they play against the Islanders. I don’t see many if any wins againt the Canes, Devil or Rangers. They’re going to need to pick up wins against the Islanders if they want to even sniff a chance to make the playoffs imo.

 

[cygnus47]

We're a bubble team for sure. If we get Karlsson I think we make it, but we'll probably be 4th in the division. Buffalo, Washington, NYI and Detroit haven't done anything to suggest they'll be any better than last year.

We need some stuff to go our way though:
- Karlsson or another puck mover
- Sid and Geno both playing 70+ games at about the level they've been at, at 36 and 37 years old
- Some defensive zone and PP adjustments
- Jarry/Ned not completely shitting the bed if we don't get all the above.

 

[orby]

I won't be shocked if they make the playoffs with this roster. It is adequate if unspectacular. I don't expect them to get out of round 1 without a significant add, though.

 

[eXile3]

Bubble team sounds right.

 

[Pens x]

If the season started today, I don’t think we would make it. We were incredibly lucky with injuries last season; I can’t see us getting that lucky again. I don’t think people realize this.

We needed to sign/acquire a better 3C and upgrade our goaltending. Instead, we kept Jarry and signed Lars f***ing Eller. I fully expect Lars Eller to play 30 games in the top 6 this season. I don’t even want to make the playoffs if Jarry plays.

Find me some articles showing the Pens were one of the winners in free agency. I did a Google search of winners of nhl free agency and they were one of the losers in 3 of the 4 first articles I found. They were neither winners or losers in the one article.

Ironically, Toronto is on these lists as winners. I think players wanted to play in Toronto, thereby making Dubas look good. Now that he works for a team that doesn’t draw interest, he is struggling.