The Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping to get more from a handful of their players.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping to get more from a handful of their players.
When Pittsburgh Penguins president and GM Kyle Dubas met with the media for the final time, he covered several topics. One common thread through his 40-plus minutes at the podium was his faith in a group of veteran players who struggled during the 2023-24 season.
The Penguins had several forwards fall short of expectations during the year, but none more than Reilly Smith. Smith was brought in to add to the Penguins transition offense while providing aid on defense.
However, after a short period of success early in the season, Smith finished with his lowest goal total (13) since 2014-15 and ended the year on the Penguins third line.
"He knows he wasn't as good as he was last year," Dubas said. "But if you look at his history, I would expect a big bounce back from him next season."
Dubas later grouped his largest signings from last summer, Tristan Jarry and Ryan Graves, hoping to see a similar bounce back from both.
"It falls in the same bucket as Tristan (Jarry)," Dubas mentioned when discussing Graves' season. "I think the ending of the year particularly is what stands out in everybody's mind, but if the whole year didn't go the way you want, how are you gonna respond?"
The Penguins ranked 26th in expected goals against per 60 minutes this season. With the Penguins' top four defensemen under contract for next season, they'll need significant improvements, specifically from Graves.
Missing the playoffs for the second straight season should have its consequences. While it's not unrealistic that these players improve in 2024, the Penguins cannot go without substantial change and expect better results next season.
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