Can we call the Penguins era a disappointment?

[Beauner]

Hard to win when 3 guys take up over 25mil in cap space. Prevents you from having enough depth to win it all.

Thats on management.

And 0 forwards on their ELC's contributing anything worthwhile

False. Most Cup teams commit lots of money to core guys.

The Penguins problem is refusing to use young players and holding on to old guys too long, as well as having no distinct identity.

 

[ILoveStephanieBrown]

the penguins are a terrible organization propped up by two superstars.

 

[pezpunk]

They won a cup. Not a bust.

Signed, a Caps fan

 

[King Mapes]

Yes. I thought this team would have won atleast 2-3 by now. They haven't done much since they won. I'm baffled.

 

[Phrazer]

They won a cup. But based on the expectations of this team in the late 2000's they are absolutely a disappointment. Even if they didn't win again, more deep runs would have given them more favor. But yes this team was getting hyped on the edge of being a dynasty, they have disappointed no doubt.

 

[Oil Spill]

When you have the 2 best players in the world you should win more than 1 cup.

Lemieux and Jagr only ever got two, Crosby and Malkin could win another but not the way the team looks right now. Just having only won one cup does not make them bust's.

 

[613Leafer]

Well, they did win a Cup. So its not all bad. And with Crosby under age 30, theoretically they could retool and win another one, maybe two over the next 7-10 years.

But yea, you'd kinda hope for a bit more from a team that has TWO guys that have both won multiple Art Ross trophies, and have three Hart Trophies between them. Nobody was expecting an Oilers type of dynasty, but a Detroit, NJD, Colorado, etc type of "modern" dynasty, where you win 2-3+ times over 10-15 years would have been the baseline expectation I would argue.

So we'll see. The organization definitely needs work, but Crosby still has half his career left.

 

[OneMoreAstronaut]

Meh they won a cup. Maybe they didn't become the dynasty you seem to have expected, but that's not a bust.

 

[Warden of the North]

They won a Cup. So no.

 

[pezpunk]

When you have the 2 best players in the world you should win more than 1 cup.

Well maybe they would have if they did have the two best players in the world. Ovechkin plays for the Capitals, though.

 

[ugrakarma]

After 2009 I felt like they'd win many more in the future with the core getting to their prime. A few lackluster seasons later it looked like Bylsma was the problem but apparently the issue lies deeper.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Hockey is a team sport and there's a ridiculous amount of parity in the league. People assume that the few best players are responsible for a huge part of success/failure but they're really not. Depth is insanely important.

 

[Fergus]

People overrate the impact 2 players can have, even if they are the best in the world.

 

[TheStatican]

Yup they're a bust. That realization would of pissed me the **** off a couple few years back. But at this point I really don't care anymore, I'm no longer a fan of them or the NHL in general, but that's another story. My friends think that's crazy, but I've found other things to turn my attention towards and be obsessive about. Things that I can actually control. Obsessing how well a bunch of millionaires were playing the game of hockey was not one such a thing

 

[613Leafer]

Hockey is a team sport and there's a ridiculous amount of parity in the league. People assume that the few best players are responsible for a huge part of success/failure but they're really not. Depth is insanely important.

Saying the era is a bust doesnt mean Crosby or Malkin are to blame. Management IMO are the primary guys to blame. They simply havent built a good longterm sustainable contender around these guys.

Theyve generally had question marks either on their forward depth, blueline, scoring wingers, and/or goaltending through the whole era. The playoffs where theyve gone deep have generally been because one of or both of Crosby/Malkin carried the team.

Right now, they have a few valuable pending UFAs (Martin/Ehrhoff), a few aging/declining former solid secondary players (Dupuis/Kunitz), and a pretty thin farm system. Hard to see how theyll get much better short-term, which is due to past management decisions.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Back to back Stanley Cup finals appearances, winning one of the two. No, not a bust. It's great actually.

However, they're on a downward spiral. Crosby,Malkin and Letang are not getting any younger/healthier, they spend a lot on those 3 players already. They have crappy depth, a shallow prospect pool outside of Bennett.

They have to fire Johnston and JR ASAP, find the right people to take over the management. They get rid of the dead weight first (Kunitz, Adams, Lovejoy and Ehrhoff the band aid).

Then, they have 2 options :

1) Improve on the current core's supporting cast.
2) Trade Malkin to form a new core with a legit 1st line winger and some prospects for the future.

The way it is right now, the Pens need to react quickly, or they'll find themselves in the same situation as the Bruins.

 

[ashenhigh]

Hockey is a team sport and there's a ridiculous amount of parity in the league. People assume that the few best players are responsible for a huge part of success/failure but they're really not. Depth is insanely important.

I agree with you. They should trade Malkin.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Crosby and Malkin are still only 27/28. Yzerman didn't win his first cup until age 32 and he ended up with 3.

 

[poeman]

No era with the core players is a bust when you win a championship...

 

[King Mapes]

After thinking about it, they won a cup so I suppose bust is the wrong word to use. "Disappointing" is probably better.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

So far, yes. Expectations should be higher than one Cup for a team with arguably the 2 best players in the world over the span of 7 years.

Of course, there is still time.

 

[ThePsychicSaw]

they shouldn't have even got past the caps the year they won it.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

injuries and age seems to of hurt them.

lots of the complimentary pieces they had declined from age
lot of players have had unfortunate injury issues

 

[Frank Garrett]

MAF = worst goalie to have ever won a Cup. Biggest fluke season ever.

 

[Trottier]

it's hard to win a stanley cup and they won a stanley cup. some kinda bust.

Yes, but "the era" is over!

This place sometimes.