Speculation: This 20-21 Penguins team misses the playoffs... UPDATE - WRONG

[EightyOne]

I think they barely miss. As others have mentioned, incredibly top heavy forward corps. As it stands now, the bottom six is straight t-rash. Its not good.

Defense is average, at best. That's with everyone healthy. The bottom pair really scares me.

Jarry, IMO, has the potentail to be a legit top-end goaltender. But is he ready? We'll see.

If the bottom six can get lucky and activate, they should still be in the top third of the league.

But, it doesnt look like a match-up nightmare for other teams to gameplan around. There is a lack of creativity on the bottom half of the roster. Unless a couple guys can ride the lightning and play up to or over their potential. If that happens, team could surprise a lot of others.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Still think we'll make the playoffs. I just can't see this organization missing--it's not what we do, injuries or not.

I don't think we'll contend, and if/when we make it we'll be out of the 1st round in short order, but y'know. We'll make it.

 

[Gurglesons]

Still think we'll make the playoffs. I just can't see this organization missing--it's not what we do, injuries or not.

I don't think we'll contend, and if/when we make it we'll be out of the 1st round in short order, but y'know. We'll make it.

I think we potentially could squeak pretty far depending how players mesh and if Sullivan gets fired.

Also, I think people are overlooking how disastrous the cap implications have been and will be to the majority of the Eastern conference.

 

[Pens x]

If the bottom six can get lucky and activate, they should still be in the top third of the league.

We are going to need quite a bit of luck for our current bottom six to not be pathetic.

But defensive zone face offs in the second half of the first period, on Tuesday nights were great last year.

 

[EightyOne]

We are going to need quite a bit of luck for our current bottom six to not be pathetic.

But defensive zone face offs in the second half of the first period, on Tuesday nights were great last year.

I'm not happy either

But I'll give it a chance

Three games and it'll be clear if the experiment is a fail

 

[Pens x]

I'm not happy either

But I'll give it a chance

Three games and it'll be clear if the experiment is a fail

You do realize the homers on this site will say that the real games don’t start happening until after the first couple of months. The pens always start the season slow!

I mean, you knew the McKegg/Rowney/Kuhnhackl etc sad collection of bottom six was going to fail. Why wait to fix a giant weakness?

I don’t think we will hear the hindsight 2020 crowd as much since people are finally starting to grow tired of JR. But some will mention that Rodrigues was an analytical darling, how were we supposed to know he’d suck?

 

[Varan]

Pens core isn’t like Chicago’s where theirs started to deteriorate after 2015. The only things I can see making the Pens miss the playoffs are injuries to their key guys, or an accelerated season in the toughest division in the NHL (even then I expect them to get in a wild card spot because the Atlantic is god-awful).

Barring injuries, all things considered they make the playoffs easy. They were fighting for 1st in the Metro not too long before the Flyers took off and created separation between them.

They can still score at will practically (3.24 goals/game) so they should be fine for at least next season. There were zero signs that they legitimately had a chance of missing the playoffs this past season.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

The team is about as good as it was last season (probably slightly better) so if we don't make it, it will be because of a lack of motivation. Lack of motivation is a legitimate concern, given how our last two playoffs went.

I expect the biggest accomplishment for the 2020-21 Pens will be making us all appreciate Bonino, Cole, Cullen, Kessel, Hornqvist, Hagelin and Daley. They all brought things we absolutely needed, and have not come close to replacing.

Motivation is a big part of it.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

You do realize the homers on this site will say that the real games don’t start happening until after the first couple of months. The pens always start the season slow!

I mean, you knew the McKegg/Rowney/Kuhnhackl etc sad collection of bottom six was going to fail. Why wait to fix a giant weakness?

I don’t think we will hear the hindsight 2020 crowd as much since people are finally starting to grow tired of JR. But some will mention that Rodrigues was an analytical darling, how were we supposed to know he’d suck?

You are making things up. I can't remember anyone thinking having McKegg and Rowney as your 3rd and 4th line Centers was going to be good. Even Rutherford said he was going to find players for those spots but wasn't going to force it by making a trade that didn't make sense and wasn't going to rush it.

Rutherford was right that it doesn't matter what we started with but what you end up with. The great thing about how talented the Pens are is they can still have a good record even with that trash. For example last season the Pens had Malkin or Crosby out for all but a few games. Bjugstad was out all but 10 games. So with missing 2 of their top 3 line Centers all season and wingers such as Guentzel and Rust out for long stretches along with Dumoulin on the top pairing they still finished with the 7th best record in the league.

So if the Pens could still finish with the 7th best record with literally injuries to our best players this team will be just fine. This team is better in every position from the team we started with last season besides 3 RW and 2 goalie. Kapanen at 1 RW over Simon, Zucker at 2 LW over Galchenyk, Matheson and Ceci as the 3rd pairing over JJ and Schultz. Jankowski at Center over Bjugstad who was atrocious in his 10 games last year.

This team is better on defense and the top 6 is world's better than the team that we started with last season. The 4th line is the same and played as our 3rd line last season. McCann back to LW makes his line stronger and Jankowski can only be an upgrade over what Bjugstad gave us. So with the top two lines better and the 4th line the same only the 3rd line people could say could be weaker than what we started with last season. I personally think Poulin will make the team and the 3rd line will be better than any 3rd line we had last season. The defense is better also so anyone who is predicting this team barely making the playoffs are way off. For all the money this team had to cut this team is actually better at most positions than last year. Also the East has gotten much weaker with many teams needing to cut players due to the cap. Caps literally paid $4 million for Schultz and I wouldn't want him for a zero cap hit because he was by far our worst defenseman last year. Toronto had to cut good players due to cap, Lightning are screwed do to the cap. I see many teams that got worse because of the cap and we actually got better than the team we started with and even the team we had at the end of the season.

 

[SEALBound]

I expect the biggest accomplishment for the 2020-21 Pens will be making us all appreciate Bonino, Cole, Cullen, Kessel, Hornqvist, Hagelin and Daley. They all brought things we absolutely needed, and have not come close to replacing.

Motivation is a big part of it.

Yes, they were major pieces as were Sheary, Rust, Kuhnhackl, and Murray. That group happened to work. Other groups don't.

In retrospect - Bonino was trash until HBK formed chemistry out of necessity. Cole was a bottom pairing dman. Cullen was blah until he got the bump to the 3rd line. Kessel seemed to be a major miss until HBK. Horny was Horny but he was a known quantity. We appreciate the hell out of him but like all players, he aged. It happens. Hagelin was meh until HBK. Daley was decent from the get go but no different that Matheson's position currently.

They all brought things they needed at the right time. I think every single person on that list is replaceable sans Horny. Kessel is collectively replaced by the addition of Zucker, Kapanen, and the emergence of Rust. Hags - Kappy, Daley - Matheson, Cullen - Bleuger. Bones, it's tough to say because to be honest, he underperformed so damn much outside of HBK. The results relative to expectations and salary may not be replaceable. But every team needs role players to step up and out perform their contract. Anyone on the roster can potentially do that. Bleuger is in line with what Bonino provided prior to HBK. They were all good but let's no romanticized that they are the only ones capable of doing what they did.

 

[PaulD]

I mean if we're out of a playoff position they'll just fire a coach and win the cup, no? Isn't that how it works?

Sullivan should have been fired after losing the the 24th place Canadiens in a snore fest.

Not to mention getting swept by the Islanders the series before that one.

 

[Pens x]

Sullivan should have been fired after losing the the 24th place Canadiens in a snore fest.

But but but the COVID bubble playoffs were a fluke!

Mario and Burkle only kept Sullivan because he’s still under contract. Ownership has proven over and over that their #1 priority is not actually winning this year, but how to cut corners to save money.

 

[BHD]

On paper, the roster looks like one of the weaker ones of the era.

- The forward group is good but not great
- The defense is OK
- The goaltending is unproven to an extent

Then you have to size them up against the division, where all their opponents have weaknesses. IMO, they're a move away from doing something. Now, is that a Kunitz type of trade or a Kessel level trade? Hard to say... If JR can do something, then I can see them making it through a lacklustre division come playoff time.

They could win another Cup again. They could not even make it. You never know with hockey. But I'm like @ColePens, it's been a heck of a ride over the past 15 years or so.

 

[Gurglesons]

On paper, the roster looks like one of the weaker ones of the era.

- The forward group is good but not great
- The defense is OK
- The goaltending is unproven to an extent

Then you have to size them up against the division, where all their opponents have weaknesses. IMO, they're a move away from doing something. Now, is that a Kunitz type of trade or a Kessel level trade? Hard to say... If JR can do something, then I can see them making it through a lacklustre division come playoff time.

They could win another Cup again. They could not even make it. You never know with hockey. But I'm like @ColePens, it's been a heck of a ride over the past 15 years or so.

I'm not sure how this is one of the weaker teams in the era. I'd argue this is the best our team has looked entering a season in a long ass time.

 

[BHD]

I'm not sure how this is one of the weaker teams in the era. I'd argue this is the best our team has looked entering a season in a long ass time.

Maybe I'm overblowing the need for another RW and underselling the defense.

 

[Andy99]

I'm not sure how this is one of the weaker teams in the era. I'd argue this is the best our team has looked entering a season in a long ass time.

too many question marks at this point makes it “weak” on paper outside of the top six...plus aging stars...team could range from missing the POs altogether to making a deep run...that doesn’t make it a strong team entering the season, but could be by season’s end if things fall in place

 

[Gurglesons]

too many question marks at this point makes it “weak” on paper outside of the top six...plus aging stars...team could range from missing the POs altogether to making a deep run...that doesn’t make it a strong team entering the season, but could be by season’s end if things fall in place

By aging stars do you mean Malkin and Letang who just put up their best statistical seasons in like five years?

 

[Gurglesons]

Maybe I'm overblowing the need for another RW and underselling the defense.

Yeah, I think so.

 

[Andy99]

By aging stars do you mean Malkin and Letang who just put up their best statistical seasons in like five years?

And Sid...most of them injured too for parts of the season...

 

[Zirakzigil]

Pretty sure most of us sold @ColePens soul for the back to back wins. Im fine with that. If we ride out the rest of Sid and Geno's careers with a mixed bag of early exits and tough finishes Id still be fine with that. Why? Cause back to back championships baby. I just want Sid and Geno to pile on the points, set in stone their places as one of the best ever to play the game and 101st best to play the game and play some entertaining hockey for me to watch. 3 cup wins and another finals appearance is a great career for any hockey player. This ride has been great, Im happy with however it ends.

 

[ColePens]

^ Agreed a 4th Cup is a greedy want by me.. not a need. There is a huge difference. 2009 and 2016 felt needed. 2017 felt like it was a chance to stamp everything about this era in an unreal fashion. Now anything is just the fanatic in me wanting more for the sake of having fun. But it doesn't alter how this Sid/G era went down. It's already set in stone.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

^ Agreed a 4th Cup is a greedy want by me.. not a need. There is a huge difference. 2009 and 2016 felt needed. 2017 felt like it was a chance to stamp everything about this era in an unreal fashion. Now anything is just the fanatic in me wanting more for the sake of having fun. But it doesn't alter how this Sid/G era went down. It's already set in stone.

I honestly agree... with one caveat. When you have guys like Geno and Sid (and Letang), the expectation, every year, should be to win it all. It is fine for us fans to be satisfied with the results of this era, but I sure hope the players and management aren't. Hell, we might never get players of that caliber ever again. We were lucky enough to get 4 generational players essentially "in a row" (Lemieux, Jagr, Sid and Geno). It is all about maximizing the current core. We inevitably go through a very hard rebuild in the next 5 years, but for the next 2 or 3, I want them to go all in and try to get another one.

 

[ColePens]

I honestly agree... with one caveat. When you have guys like Geno and Sid (and Letang), the expectation, every year, should be to win it all. It is fine for us fans to be satisfied with the results of this era, but I sure hope the players and management aren't. Hell, we might never get players of that caliber ever again. We were lucky enough to get 4 generational players essentially "in a row" (Lemieux, Jagr, Sid and Geno). It is all about maximizing the current core. We inevitably go through a very hard rebuild in the next 5 years, but for the next 2 or 3, I want them to go all in and try to get another one.

Oh the expectation IS to win it all. 100% agree with you.

The only difference is at the end of the year if we don't I'll be like "Oh well. Let's play some tennis!" Instead of "f*** Dan Bylsma and everything he is worth as he RUINS the era."

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Oh the expectation IS to win it all. 100% agree with you.

The only difference is at the end of the year if we don't I'll be like "Oh well. Let's play some tennis!" Instead of "f*** Dan Bylsma and everything he is worth as he RUINS the era."

I am always pissed when we lose, but it doesn't last a long time... unless it is 2010 and we blow it against the f***ing Habs when we had a clear path to a repeat...

 

[ziggyjoe212]

Like last season?

Penguins were 3rd seed in the division and the 5th seed in the conference. They were a playoff team any way you slice it.