Changes are being made to the Pittsburgh Penguins defensive units thanks to a string of lacking performances.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are coming off of one of their worst losses in the Sidney Crosby era with a 7-0 beat down from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It was a brief practice, but the very next day, the Penguins made some changes to their defensive pairings.

For the first time this season, Marcus Pettersson was elevated from the second pairing to the first and played alongside Kris Letang; Ryan Graves was moved to the second line with Erik Karlsson.

Penguins’ blue liners put together one of their worst outings against the Maple Leafs with Letang leading the way at a minus-4 on the night.

Graves has been under a microscope all season after signing a six-year deal on the opening of free agency.

At six years and $4.5 million annually, Graves’ contract was the biggest one signed by Kyle Dubas in his first summer with the Penguins.

Dubas recently admitted that Graves’ play hasn’t reached its full potential, but head coach Mike Sullivan and the Penguins need quick answers as the team continues to struggle to win at a consistent rate.

“We’re not satisfied with where we’re at there with what we currently have,” Sullivan said. “We’re looking for options to try and create some change.”

This could be a welcomed move for the Penguins’ defensive groups as the top two lines have been the same four names in the same spots since the start of the season.

Pettersson has proven before that he can play well alongside Letang and has quietly emerged as one of the most important members of that group.

Graves hasn’t had a great start to his Penguins tenure, looking more like a turnstile rather than a hockey player on certain nights.

The lines may have changed for the time being, but it’s possible things continue to be shifted.

“We’ll see where the pairs go,” Sullivan said. “Those aren’t etched in stone in any stretch… Performance matters. We’re trying to find solutions here that give us the best chance to win. We just simply haven’t been satisfied with where we’re at.”

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