It should go without saying, but the core veterans have not been the reason for the Penguins lack of success.
PITTSBURGH - Over the past summer, the Pittsburgh Penguins and their general manager Ron Hextall made the savvy move or re-signing both Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin to new contracts.
Letang was gifted six more years while Malkin four both at $6.1 million all but securing they will be Penguins until they retire.
There was a subset of fans that didn’t believe that was the right move for the team; they wanted to see a squad that committed to moving forward with a new era and rebuilding with some younger talent.
That same group has been vocal with the Penguins current struggles and have started dumping blame on Letang, Malkin, and even Sidney Crosby.
It’s not a huge percentage of the fanbase that believe this, but there’s enough of a crowd that air suggesting bringing the core back was the wrong move.
Without the core, the Penguins would be in far deeper waters than they are now; Malkin and Crosby are both having outstanding seasons while Letang has dealt with a mountain of personal issues away from the game, yet still looks like the team’s best defenseman.
Even if all three players are over the age of 35, their skill is well under their age and well above their paychecks.
Early in the season there was legitimate discussion that Crosby could be in the running for the Hart Trophy; he’s still well over a point per game with 68 points (25G-43A) in 56 games.
If the NHL handed out a trophy every year for most improved player like the NBA or even a bounce back player of the year, it would have to go to Malkin.
He entered the season not only with the new contract but a clean bill of health for the first time in a couple of seasons; Malkin is also at an even point per game with 56 (21G-35A) in 56.
Neither Crosby or Malkin have missed a game yet this season, too, which most Penguins fans should know is extremely rare.
The real shame of the team, right now is that these numbers are going to waste with the ineffectiveness of the bottom six.
Not just it’s inability to produce, but the hesitation from the front office to make a move.
The Penguins need a shot in the arm and it’s still up to Ron Hextall to give it to them.
Jake Guentzel, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, and especially Jason Zucker are having good seasons in their own right and aren't part of the problem either.
The entire top six has been the main reason for any kind of drive or success for the team and it's time to gift them some reinforcements.
Crosby, Malkin, and Letang can only take this team so far, and without even a little bit of help from the bottom half of the lineup, the Penguins aren’t going anywhere.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!
- Subscribe to Inside the Penguins on YouTube
- Follow Inside the Penguins on Twitter: @InsidePenguins