Penguins Top Priorities Entering the Offseason

Which areas are the most important for the Pittsburgh Penguins to address this summer?

The Pittsburgh Penguins' search for their next general manager is underway. Over a dozen names have been rumored or speculated about, but a decision is likely a few weeks away. Whoever takes over that position will be tasked with retooling this team to get them back into the playoffs in 2024.

Next season's Penguins team still has several holes to fill, but there isn't much debate as to which position will be the headline of the offseason, goaltending. 

Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith have been the Penguins tandem for the past three seasons. One could argue that their performances are one of the primary reasons the Penguins failed to make it past the first round of the playoffs. With Jarry's contract expiring this summer, a decision will need to be made about the future of that position in Pittsburgh.

In a league where true number one goaltenders are becoming harder to find, do the Penguins see Jarry as their guy? The current goaltending tandem cannot return for a fourth consecutive season.

While the Penguins could use better depth wingers and a restructured defense, they should prioritize finding a new depth center next. It's no secret that Jeff Carter's performance fell off this season, and Mikael Granlund offered little hope that he could become a better option. 

Ryan Poehling's game came along at the end of the season, but he is best suited to be a fourth-line center. The Penguins' prospect pool is shallow, but at center, it doesn't go beyond Sam Poulin and Filip Hallander, two players with a combined six games of NHL experience. 

Due to the lack of viable options, the Penguins must prioritize goaltending and centers this summer. 

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