Mike Sullivan Suggests Additions to Penguins ‘Core'
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang aren't alone in the conversations about the Pittsburgh Penguins 'core'
When you think of the Pittsburgh Penguins and their ‘core,’ everyone’s mind immediately jumps to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.
That’s a totally fair assumptions considering the amount of success and longevity those three have had with the Penguins, but perhaps more names can join that elite group?
If you ask head coach Mike Sullivan, at least a handful of names on the roster could also be considered as part of the ‘core.’
The obvious first choice is Jake Guentzel who has been with the Penguins since their 2016-17 Stanley Cup season.
Guentzel has become an integral part of the organization and is likely soon to sign a new contract that will keep him in Pittsburgh for at least a few more seasons.
Sullivan noted that Guentzel’s body of work puts him well in that ‘core’ converstation, but other names are deserving of such a spot, as well.
“I think there’s a few guys that you could talk about with respect to what that ‘Pittsburgh Penguins core’ looks like,” Sullivan said. “I would suggest to you that Erik Karlsson is part of that group. I think Rusty [Bryan Rust] has earned his way into that group.”
Karlsson is the Penguins most recent, elite-level addition and was brought in with the hopes of pushing the Penguins back into the postseason.
As for Rust, he’s been an integral piece of the Penguins since his NHL debut in December of 2014.
508 games later, Rust is more than deserving of this kind of conversation.
“We talk about the core guys a lot being our ‘Big Three’ because of the legacy they’ve built here,” Sullivan said. “But, there’s always an extension of that and that’s these guys.”
Everyone will always remember the work Crosby, Malkin, and Letang put together in Pittsburgh, and that’s well earned, but they aren’t alone in being considered the ‘core’ of the Penguins.
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