Kyle Dubas Mike Sullivan Presser, Pittsburgh Penguins Free agent gambles, capable defensemen are gone, trades for younger but unproven players were made, and twins were drafted. In the shadow of Jason Robertson signing with the Dallas Stars, closing any remaining chance for the Pittsburgh Penguins to snag the star player, the offseason roster just got a lot closer to final.
And with the removal of one potential trade target, the Penguins’ options–at least for the next few months–have greatly dwindled. As general manager Kyle Dubas conceded following the first round of the NHL Draft, the Penguins didn’t have a top-10 pick, which became popular trade chips for talented players in the days leading up to the draft. And try as Dubas did, he wasn’t able to overcome being stuck with the 22nd overall pick by virtue of the Penguins’ surprising season.
Not that Dubas would have traded the wins for a higher pick and thus more trade capital, but maybe this offseason was more intentionally geared toward accepting a step backward and less about patchwork veterans on short deals to be competitive. It surely seems like it. Exhibit A: Andrei Kuzmenko.
While more productive and well-rounded players were on the market, and are still on the market, Dubas lept at Kuzmenko, who is a few years removed from a productive NHL season and carries the frustration of several coaches for his sometimes lackadaisical game and not nearly enough offense derived from his talent. Patrik Laine, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Michael Bunting are still on the market and were available on July 1.
Viktor Arvidsson, Bobby Brink, and Jack Roslovic were also available for less money. Perhaps some spurned the Penguins’ offer, but it seems unlikely that any except Bunting would do so. Not only did the Penguins sign Kuzmenko after a 25-point season, but they also gave him a raise from his previous $4.3 million cap hit.
The probability that he could replace the offense lost when Anthony Mantha and his 33 goals hit the free agent market in search of a long-term deal (which he didn’t get) is slim. Instead, Kuzmenko feels quite expendable. He could be out of the lineup, especially if one of the Penguins’ young players, such as Ville Koivunen or Rutger McGroarty, earns that spot.
Exhibit B: The blue line. More rebuilding by stepping backward. Furthering the notion that the offseason has been more about rebuilding were the moves on the back end, trading away top-pairing left-side defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and letting competent left-sider Ryan Shea walk via free agency.
Both are in their late 20s, so they didn’t age out, but Wotherspoon was traded for 25-year-old defenseman Kaedan Korczak, whom the organization believes has more upside. However, Korczak is blocking prospect Harrison Brunicke, who very much seems ready, and Shea was allowed to leave for somewhat inexplicable reasons, other than creating space for new players.
And then there is the context of re-signing Evgeni Malkin, in part bowing to the pressure of history, fans, and teammates. The simplest projection for Malkin, who will soon turn 40, is that Malkin almost assuredly will not replace the offense he provided last season. Penguins Trades The trade with the most upside, and the one that was most in line with Dubas’s recent rebuild strategy, was acquiring Nick Robertson for a 2028 fourth-round pick.
Robertson has been on the outs in Toronto for a few seasons and is finally free after scoring 16 goals with 32 points in 78 games last season. Robertson, 24, has a lot more to give and was only one of two moves this offseason that are more likely than not to pay bigger dividends immediately. The other move likely to pay off is signing 26-year-old left-handed defenseman Declan Carlile, who has been a late bloomer, much like Shea.
Oddly, the first trade of the offseason was acquiring Hendrix Lapierre, 24, from the Washington Capitals for future third and fifth-round picks. Lapierre is a playmaking center who isn’t the strongest and has been relegated to more AHL work than NHL ice. He had 16 points (4-12-16) in 74 NHL games last season.
The Penguins signed him to a two-year deal worth $1.3 million per season, but with so many bottom-six forwards and a full top-six, it’s hard to place him in the lineup. Penguins Offseason Grade:?? It is hard to know on which scale to grade the Penguins and Dubas.
If we grade the team on overall improvement, the grade is a solid D. They simply are not a better team today than they were in May, and Dubas isn’t likely to have acquired more trade chips, either. Acquiring Korczak, Carlile, and Robertson might be proper strokes, but the rest is
curious. Signing 34-year-old right-handed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to complete the blue line also remains perplexing. He can play on the left, but most observers note he’s better on the right–where the Penguins are stocked with Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Korczak, and Brunicke.
Yet, if we grade the Penguins and Dubas for setting up for a rebuild, then the grade improves to a B. PHN graded the Penguins draft, including Liam and Markus Ruck, well but only gave it a B. The Rucks are a few years away.
Cynically, the Penguins appear headed to that top 10 draft pick, but will have a few players, such as Robertson and Carlile, vying for long-term employment. Perhaps Dubas and his cast of front office rainmakers have again outsmarted everyone. Or not.
Taking a step back to take a step forward is what a rebuild looks like, no matter how we grade it.