Letters To THN Santa: Kelsey Answers Your Penguins And Holiday Questions

It is officially Christmas Eve, and the holiday season is already in full swing. 

Normally, we will have a weekly Monday Mailbox segment where I answer fan questions about the Pittsburgh Penguins, about life, etc. But, because of the holidays, we're going to do a special "Letters to Santa" edition instead.

You asked, and I answered to the best of ability.

To: THN - Pittsburgh Penguins Santa
From: @87crosbycareer
Q: What's the vibe in the room like? Is Mario gonna attend any games this season? Is Dubas gonna realize that if this team is in position to make the playoffs, trading Sid'd best winger 2 years in a row probably isn't best for morale?

I'm going to go a bit out of order for this one and answer your second question first. I can't speak for Mario. I've heard the fallout was pretty hard, as I'm sure many have also heard by now. But if the Penguins do make the playoffs, I wouldn't be surprised to see him around. He and Sid have a great relationship, and I have a hard time believing that he wouldn't want to watch Sid on one more good run.

As far as the vibe in the room, it's great right now. That tends to happen when a team is winning games, and it is in stark contrast to the vibe in the room about a month ago. As a member of the media, I appreciate that as well. Guys are more willing to talk openly and have good conversations when things are going well. 

Side note - I'm sure everyone is well-aware of the positive effect the core guys and veterans like Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson have on the locker room. But guys like Kevin Hayes, Owen Pickering, Marcus Pettersson, and Michael Bunting are also great locker room guys that probably fly under the radar a bit for that kind of stuff. Pickering and Bunting have an energy that is hard not to get on board with.

And Hayes and Pettersson provide great leadership and mentorship for the younger guys. They are very well-respected in the room, and every time I talk to a younger or newer guy about how they're feeling in Pittsburgh and with the team so far, these guys are name-dropped.

For the final question? I know there is a lot of chatter about Rust and Rickard Rakell out there, but I wouldn't put too much stock into that, at least not yet. Rakell is a very important player on this team - also well-respected - and Rust isn't going anywhere, which I'll get to momentarily. 

I think the main priority for Dubas is going to be selling off expiring contracts like Pettersson's, Matt Grzelcyk's, Jesse Puljujarvi's, and Drew O'Connor's, as well as, maybe, one of their goaltenders. I would think that any bigger move wouldn't be made until the summer, if one is made. Especially if this team is, indeed, in the thick of a playoff race.

To: THN - Pittsburgh Penguins Santa
From: @tylerb8771
Q: Merry Christmas Kelsey, ultimately who do you think the most underrated Penguin player is this year?

Hi Tyler, same to you. 

I think this is, kind of, a two-parter. I think there is a player who may be underrated by Penguins' fans, and another who is underrated in a more national sense. 

As far as the Penguins' side of things, I'm going to go with Noel Acciari. Yes, I understand that people want to see youth injected into the lineup. But Mike Sullivan has reiterated again and again how Acciari does a lot of the "thankless" jobs on this team, and I couldn't agree more.

He leads all forwards on the team with 44 blocked shots, and no other Penguins' forward has 40 (Rakell is second with 36). He also leads the team in hits with 78 (next closest is Rakell with 64) and has drawn 14 penalties, which is good for sixth on the roster.

Acciari is a good player for the role he is supposed to play on the team - which is killing penalties and garnering generally positive results given all of his defensive zone starts. And there isn't anyone else on this roster willing to do the things he does, aside from maybe Rakell, who you don't want playing the types of minutes Acciari does. 

As far as the national spotlight, it is crazy how underrated Rust still is around the league. This guy has 10 goals and 19 points in his past 13 games, and he's barely being discussed in national circles. Considering the fact that many hockey people - myself included - wondered how the Penguins were going to replace Jake Guentzel's production, Rust and Rakell have combined to do just fine.

He currently has 27 points in 29 games and is on pace for 39 goals despite missing seven games. He's notoriously streaky - and could very well go the next 10 games without any points - but with the way that line is clicking this season, it's hard to see any sort of dry spell lasting all that long.

Also - I realize that Team USA is stacked for the 4 Nations Face-off in February, but if Rust had earned a reserve role on the team, I wouldn't have been surprised. And if he keeps up what he's been doing for the Penguins lately - keep an eye out for USA's Olympic roster in 2026, which Sullivan is also coaching.

To: THN - Pittsburgh Penguins Santa
From: @bondoa6
Q: The Rust question. Thoughts on him going away? Odds? What would we get in return?

I'm just going to go out on a limb and say that - other than the core - Rust is the one player on this roster who I can see retiring a lifelong Penguin. Can the Penguins still get a haul for him? Absolutely. Will his contract age poorly? Possibly.

But it's hard to articulate exactly how much respect this guy has in the locker room and among the coaching staff. Sullivan has said on multiple occasions that Rust "embodies what it means to be a Pittsburgh Penguin" and has referenced his journey from fourth-line grinder to top-line winger. If Sidney Crosby retires within the next couple of years, I'd bet money on Rust being this team's captain.

But if we're playing hypotheticals? If Rust was traded right now - which is highly unlikely given the top line's chemistry, the Penguins' standings position, and his no-movement clause - I think he would fetch at least a first-round pick, a prospect, and an NHL player given his years of control, his status as a top-line winger, and near-point-per-game stature.

To: THN - Pittsburgh Penguins Santa
From: @Jeffs_Penguins
Q: Why am I always right about the hockey decisions the Pens make?

I don't know, Jeff. We don't agree on everything, but I can confidently say you were spot-on right about Rakell. He's a perfect fit here. You definitely deserve a pat on the back for that one.

To: THN - Pittsburgh Penguins Santa
From: @FORtheexp
Q: Is it worth pursuing a career in the BTS of professional hockey? Where would one start?

I will be the first to tell you that breaking into any career in professional hockey is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of patience, and some luck as well.

But it's very rewarding, and I can't say I'd rather be doing anything else. I'm kind of fulfilling a childhood dream of being a sports journalist - and a hockey writer in particular - so if you want to be involved in hockey in any capacity, I'm certainly not going to tell you not to!

In terms of getting started, I have a few suggestions. My first is to kind of figure out a lane. Do you want to be part of hockey operations? Management? Game day operations? Public relations or communications? Or do you simply want a job anywhere in hockey?

If it's the last thing, that's totally okay. Regardless, stay active on social media and remain as objective yet conversational as possible. And - most importantly - network with as many people in the industry as you can. 

I can't speak for everyone, but there are so many people within the industry who are willing to give you advice or have a conversation if you simply take the time to reach out. That's part of what springboarded me into my opportunities, and I am certainly always willing to be the person to help someone else as well.

To: THN - Pittsburgh Penguins Santa
From: @_kevinagustin
Q: Hi, Kelsey. What's your favourite Christmas movie?

Hi, Kevin. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to you and yours as well.

This is a tough question for me because there are so many good ones out there, and they are all very different. I always love watching the classics like Rudolph, I'm never going to complain about watching Elf, and the Star Wars: Holiday Special may be an abomination, but it's still Star Wars, so it's nostalgic for me.

But, I'm going to go way back and say Miracle on 34th Street. Like, the original one. Not the remake. Still gets me a little emotional every time I give it a watch.

The live action "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is up there as well.

Happy Holidays, everyone. Stay safe and merry out there.