Five former Pittsburgh Penguins are still competing for the Stanley Cup.
PITTSBURGH – The Stanley Cup Playoffs are down to four teams as the Conference Finals are set to kick off, and a handful of former Pittsburgh Penguins are still alive. Between the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, and Dallas Stars, five former Penguins have a chance at the Stanley Cup.
New York Rangers
Chad Ruhwedel
A pillar of consistency with the Penguins, Chad Ruhwedel was dealt to the New York Rangers this past trade deadline. Since then, Ruhwedel has only played in five games with the Rangers, none of which have come in the postseason.
The Rangers entered the playoffs as the President’s Trophy winners, however, and are looking to break a trend of regular season champions falling short of the Stanley Cup. They’ll have a tough time going up against the betting favorites.
Florida Panthers
Evan Rodrigues, Dmitry Kulikov
The Florida Panthers are looking to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season, and according to BetMGM, they have the best odds of winning the whole thing. With former Penguins like Evan Rodrigues and Dmitry Kulikov, they appear to be the most well-rounded team still alive.
Rodrigues has been a great addition to the Panthers’ bottom six, putting up three goals and three assists through 11 games. One more tally will give him a career-high in postseason goals.
Edmonton Oilers
Cody Ceci
Jumping to the Western Conference Final, the Edmonton Oilers might have their hands full. Former Penguins defenseman Cody Ceci has largely struggled this postseason but scored a massive goal in Game 7 to help push the Oilers to this point.
The Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks in the second round, knocking off five former Penguins. With the Canucks gone, the Panthers are now the team with the most former Penguins remaining in the postseason.
Dallas Stars
Derrick Pouliot
Derrick Pouliot started his NHL career with the Penguins in 2014 and is still floating around the professional ranks. He played five games with the Dallas Stars in 2023-24 but has yet to lace up in a playoff game.
The Stars are BetMGM’s favorite to make it out of the Western Conference, giving Pouliot a good chance of securing a Stanley Cup ring.
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