The Top Priorities for Incoming Penguins GM
When the Penguins hire a general manager, they will need to hit the ground running to improve this team.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are moving closer to naming a new general manager, as insiders are reporting the list of candidates has been narrowed down to just a few. After over a month of no activity, it seems the Penguins will have new leadership in place very soon. Once the new hire is in town, they will have to start immediately with draft and free agency preparation. So, what are the top priorities for the new general manager to attend to?
1. Acquire a Goaltender
Well this feels obvious, right? After the tandem of Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith couldn't even get the team to the postseason, the Penguins need to explore new options. Jarry is unlikely to return. The pending free agent will most likely encounter an issue getting a new contract negotiated with the new management team, as they have no allegiance or familiarity with him. Regardless of Jarry's contract talks, the Pens will need a new goaltender to help defend their crease.
What the new general manager must contemplate is whether there is another goalie via free agency or the trade market the Penguins can go after. Some recent names to recently be rumored to be available via trade are John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks and Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets. In free agency, it is expected to be a weaker market, which may also cause Tristan Jarry to price himself out of Pittsburgh.
The new GM will have their hands full figuring out the goaltending position issues in Pittsburgh, but it's paramount to solve this problem first before anything else is improved.
2. Acquire Third Line Center
Besides goaltending, the biggest gap in the Penguins' roster is middle and bottom of the lineup production. Their third and fourth lines were awful this past season, and the previous management's decisions cost their depth severely.
What the new gm must prioritize here is to acquire a third line center. The Penguins have some pieces that could contribute to the bottom six like Drew O'Connor, Ryan Poehling, and Alex Nylander. What is glaringly obvious is the need for a center that can drive play. The Penguins have not had a quality third line center that had the ability to play up in the lineup if need be, since Nick Bonino's first stint in Pittsburgh. It's been the key to the Penguins winning championships, and must be addressed before the start of the 2023-24 season.
3. Decide Jake Guentzel's Future
Entering the final year of his current contract, Jake Guentzel is just one season away from a massive pay raise. He's earned a significant increase from the $6 million he makes per season. He has put up 40 and 36 goals respectively in the past two seasons, and has been a point per game player since the 2018-19 campaign. At only 28, he is still in the prime of his career, but how much is the next gm willing to pay Guentzel over another long-term contract?
The new general manager must decide quickly. If the organization doesn't see a path to an extension, they must find a trade partner and recoup assets as soon as possible. Aside from the goaltending situation and upgrading the middle of the lineup, Guentzel's murky contract status must stay at the top of management's priority list.
The new management team will likely be in place in the next few weeks. Once in place, it will be interesting to see what they prioritize and immediately address, and what becomes a long-term project. What's for certain regardless, is there is lots of work to be done whenever this management team is finally in place.
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