Penguins Most Unexpected Bounce Back Candidate
Does Pittsburgh Penguins' RW Jeff Carter have one last surge left in him at 38 years old?
The Pittsburgh Penguins, as an organization, enter the 2023 season in hopes of a return to contention for the Stanley Cup.
With the stakes growing as their core continues to close in on the ends of their careers, the Penguins need contributions throughout the lineup to get back to where they once were.
Through all of the offseason trades and signings, veteran forward Jeff Carter has seemingly fallen out of the focus of the Penguins fanbase. Carter is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, scoring 29 points (13G - 16A) in 79 games.
Entering the final year of his contract and potential career, the 38-year-old Ontario native finds himself in a different role. The Penguins brought depth centers Lars Eller and Noel Acciari to fill the middle of the ice.
Eller was brought in specifically to play third-line center, a position that Carter manned for the Penguins since coming to Pittsburgh in 2021.
It's no secret that Carter's most productive days are behind him. What remains is an 18-year veteran with a dangerous shot and nothing to lose. Carter figures to play on the Penguins' bottom forward line to start the season and will see a reduced role to what was expected of him last season by the Penguins coaching staff.
With plenty of defensive-minded forwards added to the bottom six, Carter can focus more on the offensive side of the puck. Don't be surprised to see Carter finish around the 15-16 goal mark this season.
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