With all the changes being made to the Pittsburgh Penguins roster, should the powerplay be next?

This summer has provided the Pittsburgh Penguins an opportunity to shake things up. New management, a new bottom-six, and a new top-pair defenseman will have this team looking very different when training camp begins in September. But with the team heading for a fresh start, why not shake things up on the powerplay?

Special teams were an area of concern for most of last season for the Penguins. The penalty kill spent several months in the bottom five of the league but finished strong at 16th. The powerplay suffered the same inconsistencies, finishing 14th with a 21.7% success rate on the man advantage.

Ten of the 13 teams ahead of them qualified for the postseason, with five of them winning at least one playoff series. 

The Penguins' answer to changing things on that top unit last season was to have a revolving door of wingers play on the left half wall between Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. The coaching staff was adamant about keeping the main personnel together with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Jake Guentzel. Why shouldn't they? Two of those players are future Hall of Famers, with Letang having a solid case to be third. 

But with the Penguins' top players likely tasked with carrying the bulk of the goal-scoring responsibility again, the power play must improve to keep the Penguins in the mix in a tough Eastern Conference.

While they don't have the talent, or the big-bodied net-front presence, to remove any of the four main stars from that unit, repositioning one of them could lead to an immediate spark. 

The Penguins need to utilize Guentzel more as a shooter in powerplay situations. Moving him to the left half wall would give the Penguins a consistent scoring threat from that side of the ice.

With Reilly Smith likely taking over more penalty kill minutes from Bryan Rust, Rust could operate in the net front and bumper role on the powerplay. Rust enters the season with something to prove after barely reaching the 20-goal mark last season and has the stick-handling and finishing ability to thrive in that role.

Regardless of who the Penguins have on that unit, it must be better in 2023. Special teams are always a determining factor late in the season, and the Penguins have not been good enough in those areas the past few seasons.

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