Pittsburgh Penguins: Big Roster Changes Coming In The Offseason?
By Drew Shetler
Feb 7, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) talks to center Evgeni Malkin (71) during a time-out against the New York Rangers in the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Rangers won 4-3 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
It was a slow trade deadline for the Pittsburgh Penguins last Wednesday, as they were linked to many of the big names available like Ryan Kesler, but instead pulled off two small trades, acquiring centerman Marcel Goc from the Florida Panthers and winger Lee Stempniak from the Calgary Flames.
However, if the Penguins don’t win the Stanley Cup or at least make it to the Final, then you can surely bet that the Penguins will be making some roster changes.
The Penguins reportedly aren’t giving up on Kesler, as a trade between the two teams can be made in the offseason. What makes Kesler so attractive to the Penguins, besides being a a former winner of the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward and a previous 40-goal scorer, is his contract. The 29-year-old still has two years left at $5 million apiece.
The Penguins might want to get back to the three-center system that was so effective for them from 2007 to 2012, when they had Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal up the middle.
Going back to their Stanley Cup playoff runs of 2007, ’08 and ’09, there was perhaps no better team than the Penguins, as they won seven of nine postseason series with Crosby, Malkin and Staal combining for 35 percent of the team;s goals.
Perhaps what makes the best case for going back to the “Big Three” are Games 6 and 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final.
Neither Crosby or Malkin scored in either of those games, but Staal scored in Game 6 and was able to move up to the first line following Crosby’s injury in Game 7 without the team missing a beat.
While the window isn’t shut on Crosby and Malkin as great players, it is starting to close. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux never won a Cup after the age of 28. Crosby is 26 and Malkin is 27.
In my opinion, trading for Kesler would not be the only move the Penguins should make if they’re eliminated from the playoffs early again. Crosby would be the only one guaranteed a spot on the team.
It would be hard to move some players as Malkin has a full no-trade clause in his contract and James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis, Kris Letang and Rob Scuderi all enjoy modified no-movement clauses.
Obviously, you are not going to trade the whole roster but Malkin would be on my list to go. You would move Neal up to Crosby’s line and have a solid No. 1 unit with Chris Kunitz-Crosby-Neal.
Trade Malkin out west to a team like San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings or St. Louis Blues. Get a star player or two in return like Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski or Anze Kopitar.
Granted you might not get the same amount of production out these guys as you would with Malkin, but you are not winning with Malkin anyway, so what does it matter?
You can raise regular-season banners to the rafters all you want but it doesn’t mean anything. The only things that matter are Stanley Cups and with this group of talent the Penguins should have more than one by now.