Penguins Excited to Find Where Mikael Granlund Fits
The Pittsburgh Penguins are going to have to find a fit for their newest acquisition.
There is no turning back now, the Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired Mikael Granlund and he will be in the lineup against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
At Granlund’s first skate with the Penguins, head coach Mike Sullivan slotted him into the third line alongside Jeff Carter and Danton Heinen.
The immediate excitement might not be there from the fans, but the locker room is excited to see the change in the lineup.
“It’ll be a little bit of a work in progress,” Sullivan said. “He’s a real mobile guy that has versatility to his game. He can play all three forward positions. Our intent is to get him involved in the penalty kill right away.”
The penalty kill is an interesting choice for Granlund, but it likely pushes Bryan Rust off of the unit and back to just a power play specialist.
Sullivan also said that Granlund will be utilized on the power play as well, which shoot give a shot in the arm to a PP group that has needed massive help.
“We’re excited to have him,” Sullivan said. “We’re looking forward to finding combinations that make us better and give us a chance to win.”
Before playing a couple of seasons with the Nashville Predators, Granlund shared a locker room with Jason Zucker with the Minnesota Wild.
Granlund and Zucker were drafted by the Wild in 2010 just 50 spots separated; Granlund was picked ninth overall in the first round, while Zucker was taken 59th overall in the second round.
“We were drafted the same year and came up together,” Zucker said. “I think he’ll be great. He’s an unbelievably skilled player and can play all positions.”
Having the ability to play all three forward positions is what drew Ron Hextall to Granlund; it doesn’t matter where on the ice he is slotted, he should be able to help.
Granlund’s goal scoring touch has taken a dip in recent years, but his playmaking ability is still there.
Zucker has seen the benefits of that playmaking ability firsthand for quite a while.
The two shared a line in Minnesota for six seasons with a rotating cast of centers.
“We played with Mikko Koivu, Eric Staal,” Zucker said. “Him and I were together for a lot of that time. I always joke that I have him to thank for my contract.”
For what it’s worth, Zucker is in the final year of a contract that earned him $5.5 million per season.
Regardless of contracts and other outside factors, the Penguins are excited to have a fresh face in the lineup and are intrigued to see where he fits best.
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