The Pittsburgh Penguins didn't have a great 2022-23, but there is hope for the near and far future.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before; for the first time since 2006, the Pittsburgh Penguins missed out on the NHL Playoffs.

The Penguins didn’t put up a good season; a 40-31-11 record is far from anyone’s expectations of the team and missing the postseason was a conclusion many were jumping to well before the All-Star break.

Before the season was even a month old, fans were down on their team; the longest losing streak since Sidney Crosby’s rookie season will bring that kind of negativity.

Matters weren’t helped when the Penguins would go on three more losing streaks that hit or went beyond four games.

Everyone knows the issues that plagued the Penguins this year; the bottom-six disappeared after the first five games, the goaltending was never reliable, the defense needed work, the power play wasn’t good enough, the list goes on.

Despite all of the pitfalls faced by the Penguins, there are still reasons to be optimistic heading into a new season.

New General Manager

Fenway Sports Group heard the pleas from fans and fired Ron Hextall and Brian Burke and general manager and president of hockey operations.

The Penguins are on the hunt for a new front office staff and new faces in charge should be able to have positive change on the organization.

The timing of the Toronto Maple Leafs departure from the postseason may have also given the Penguins a wide open door to snag someone who would appear at the top of any NHL team’s list for GM in Kyle Dubas.

The First Round Pick

Hextall had his setbacks, but there is turning out to be a silver lining in his patience; the Penguins still hold their first round pick, and the options are wide open in it’s utilization.

If the Penguins keep it and take a prospect, good, it’s a deep draft and they should snatch a solid piece for the future.

If it’s dealt for a roster player, good, a new addition to the lineup that should give a solid boost.

If it’s strapped to a bad contract to deal in a trade, good, that would likely give the Penguins some extra cap space to work with in free agency.

The Core Can Still Play

The Penguins did not have a great season, yet they missed the playoffs by a single point; that’s thanks in large part to the core of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang still being able to perform at the top of their game.

Despite their ages, those three did everything they could to keep the Penguins competitive.

Crosby and Malkin played all 82 games together for the first time ever and Letang is likely going to win the Masterton Trophy.

They will be around next year and a decline in play might be around the corner, but it should show it’s face during 2023-24.

New Look Lineup

A new general manager should bring along some big adjustments to the lineup; from a possible goaltending change to edits to the bottom six, the new face should build the team in their vision.

That might include making tough moves or letting fan favorites walk, but it will be better for the Penguins in the short, and possibly long term.

The Penguins can still be a good team; they were held back in 2022-23 by a frightened GM and a few pieces not performing to expectations.

Hire the right person to make the proper moves, let head coach Mike Sullivan find himself again, and the Penguins will be right back in the playoff conversation.

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