Team Preview - Pittsburgh Penguins

09/10 stats
47-28-7(101 points)
Regular season: Eastern Conference: 4th Overall: 8th
Playoffs: 7-6-1 (Eliminated by the Canadiens in the Second Round)

  The defending Stanley Cup Champions came into 2009-2010 with full intentions and promise for a repeat appearance, but would fall short in 7 games at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the Playoffs.

  The Penguins improved their regular season finish to 47-28-7 for 4th in the Eastern Conference and 8th in the NHL. The Penguins finish 5th in goals (249) and 6th in the shootout. Their crutch was their below average powerplay percentage (19th), and goals against (20th).

  It was the final year in the Mellon Arena after 42 years played there. Crosby sent it out with a bang as he tied Tampa’s Steven Stamkos for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy with 51 goals while leading his team in points, and finishing 2nd in the league.

  Mellon Arena served the city proudly since being the home of the Penguins in the 1967 expansion through game 7 of the first round last year.  Ironically the first game played at Mellon Arena was a loss to the Montreal Canadiens, and so was the last. The Penguins won three Stanley Cups (1991, 1992, 2009) while playing in the arena although the only Cup to actually be presented in the arena was in 2008 when they lost to the Detroit Red Wings on home ice.

  The new home for the Penguins is the Consol Energy Center with a raised capacity from 12,508 to 18,087. The building is beautiful and pays homage to franchise NHL great Mario Lemieux with 66 suites, and also has 2,000 box seats.

“It felt great to be able to skate for the first time with Sid,” Lemieux said after his first skate with Crosby on the new rink. “I think it was pretty special for all of us. It was a long time coming. We worked hard to get this accomplished. I’m glad we were able to do this today.”

“That was pretty special,” Crosby said. “There are going to be a ton of things that will happen here, so to go out there and be the first ones on the ice, that was pretty special. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to skate with Mario.”

  Ray Shero, general manager of the Penguins, was signed to a 5 year contract extension in September after the Pens eclipsed 100 points in each of the four years with Shero at the helm, and made playoff appearances in every year.

"This was an easy decision," said Penguins co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle in a joint statement. "Ray has done a tremendous job with our hockey operation -- not only leading us to the Stanley Cup in 2009, but also building a team that can continue to compete for the Cup year after year."

"In addition to his work with our on-ice product, Ray has also created a family atmosphere in our organization, where players know they will be treated very well," added Penguins CEO David Morehouse. "He is committed to having our players and coaches involved in the community and our charitable efforts, and helping make the Penguins a positive asset to the Pittsburgh region."

  Ray made some tough decisions this off-season by letting go of some big names, but did his homework to acquire two top-tier defensemen for the 2010-2011 push.

  Among the names on their way out this year are; Sergei Gonchar, Ruslan Fedotenko, Bill Guerin, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Jordan Leopold, Mark Eaton, Jay McKee, and Aaron Boogaard, Luca Caputi, Nate Guenin, Chris Peluso, Martin Skoula.

  The list of players coming in is much smaller than the ones going out, but still yields some good names. Free-agents Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek were signed for five years each while Arron Asham and Mike Comrie were signed for one year. Matt Cooke and Ben Lovejoy were extended three years, and Brent Johnson was extended two years while Deryk Engelland was re-signed for one year. Ryan Craig, Brett Sterling, and Andrew Hutchinson, Nick Johnson, Steve Wagner, and Corey Potter were signed to one-year, two way contracts.  After acquiring goalie Mattias Modig, he was signed to a two year entry-level contract and Nick Petersen, Carl Sneep, and Patrick Killeen were signed to entry- level contracts.

  Sidney Crosby heads up this deadly offense as team captain and NHL super-star. The 23 year-old five year pro led his team for the third time last season, and tied Alexander Ovechkin for 2nd in the league in overall points with 109. He split the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy with Steven Stamkos with a career high 51 goals, won the Mark Messier Leader of the Year Award, was nominated (and lost) for the Hart Memorial and Ted Lindsay Award, and won the gold medal for Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics by scoring the overtime goal against the United States.

"Messier is the guy that you think of when you think of leadership on and off the ice with the type of person that he is," Crosby said. "It's a real honor for him to select me for that award. I really appreciate that. It's an area where you're never going to stop learning. Being a young captain, that's encouraging."

"It's a pretty unbelievable thing. You know what? Every kid dreams of that opportunity," Crosby said after scoring the gold medal goal on his home front. "Being in Canada, that's the opportunity of a lifetime. You dream of that a thousand times growing up. For it to come true is amazing. Our team worked so unbelievably hard," Crosby said. "Today was really tough, especially when they got a goal late in regulation. But we came back and got it in overtime. ... To win it in overtime, here in Canada, it doesn't get any better than that."

  Crosby solidified himself once again as one of the NHL’s elite. Crosby was 2nd on his team in average ice-time, tied in goals with Malkin (13) on the powerplay and led in PP points with 34, and led his team and was in a four-way tie in the NHL in shootout goals (8). Crosby dominated the faceoff circle in a major improvement in his ability to win draws. He took the most faceoffs in the NHL this past season (1,791) and was 4th in win percentage in players with 1,000 + attempts at %55.9. He led his team in goals (6) and points (19) in 13 games in the post-season. In short, Crosby was one of the best and most dominant players on the ice in 2009-2010. Centering the second line for the Pens’ is the 24 year-old four-year pro Evgeni Malkin. Malkin’s point totals dropped from last year from 113 to 77. He was second for his team in points, goals, and powerplay goals notching 28 goals and 49 assists for 77 points and 100 penalty minutes. Malkin’s defensive game slouched a bit, too, and needs to rebound ahead of next season. Malkin is devastating on the powerplay and has one of the sneakier releases in the NHL. The Russian born center/winger also appeared in the 2010 Winter Olympics for his country tallying 3 goals and 3 assists in only 4 games, and went on the set a 5-2-7 record in only 5 games in the 2010 World Championships. In his fourth season for the Penguins Jordan Staal matched his junior year in points notching 21 goals and 28 assists for 49 points with a team leading +19 rating. Staal is one of the best checking line centers the league has to offer and he’s become that in a very short time. Staal plays a big game at 6’4 220lbs. and is not only dominant in the faceoff circle (2nd on the team in win percentage and total faceoffs taken %48.3), but is a force on the penalty kill. Staal will unfortunately be out for the season opener with a foot injury and is set to be back some time in October.

“The fact that Jordan came back and played with this injury during the playoffs is a testament to his toughness and competitiveness,” general manager Ray Shero said. “He has experienced some setbacks due to infection, but is now on the road to recovery. We believe he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season in October.”

  He will be dearly missed at the start, but the adage of ice-time for his teammates may bring them one step closer to being viable resources for Staal to pair up with on the third line. All three of these centers were drafted in the top 2 overall between 2004 and 2006, and make the Penguins dangerously strong down the middle.

  The cast around these three franchise centers has changed from last year with the loss of Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Alexei Ponikarovsky. Wingers’ Chris Kunitz, Matt Cooke, Pascal Dupuis, and centers’ Maxim Talbot and Mike Comrie all will be vying for chances to play with the three aforementioned elite centers.

  The offense overall has taken a hit in the off-season, but a player like Chris Kunitz could make up for the loss for this club. He tallied 13 goals and 32 points in 50 games for the Penguins last year but struggled with injury. He hasn’t consistently been able to elevate his game alongside either Crosby or Malkin in his 70 games played for the Pen’s since he was acquired from Anaheim in February, 2009 notching just 50 points. Kunitz can play a solid defensive game, and is a good tool to have on special teams. His two Stanley Cups (Anaheim - 2007, Pitssburgh - 2009) and his two years (remaining) contract is what he has going for him at the moment, and could turn it around this coming year. Tough guy Matt Cooke will see some ice-time as his ability to hit and muck it up in the corners will free up some ice-time for the skill players. Cooke was 2nd on the team in PIMs with 107, and notched 15 goals and 15 assists. He can be an effective player on the PK when he’s not in the box, but despite his tenacity and aggression he’s not likely the answer for restoring offense.

  Pascal Dupuis is another winger yet to have caught fire on the top lines. Dupuis had his 2nd best points total since 03’-04’ with Minnesota as he tallied 18 goals and 20 assists. Dupuis must find another level as well and be a more effective offensive player. He, and eight (of 13) other roster forwards are heading into a contract year and must battle it out to be the best of the rest for a contract extension. Battling him heavily will be Tyler Kennedy. His junior year with the Penguins was ten points less productive as he tallied 13 goals and 12 assists in 64 games. His missed time was due to lower body and leg injury, but his goals were timely as he netted 4 game winners (tied for 4th on the team). The 24 year-old is the only free-agent of the bunch that is an RFA come the end of the year, and will be trying to use his speed and offensive creativity to make a real name for himself this year. Newcomer Mike Comrie signed a one-year $500,00 contract with the Penguins on the off-season. Comrie, 30, heads into his 10th year in the National Hockey League after bouncing between Ottawa, the Islanders, and the Oiler’s since 2006. Comrie played 43 games for the Oilers last year recording just 13 goals and 8 assists. Comrie suffered from mononucleosis last year costing him 30 games  and is hopeful to play well with Crosby. Despite his small frame Comrie has been an effect passer at times over his career, and can take faceoffs. I don’t anticipate this combo lasting as Comrie is more likely to get shuffled down the depth charts, but after going through as many wingers as he has you must wonder about Crosby’s ability to make players better around him. There hasn’t been a great fit yet, and the choice of the team is rightfully to split Malkin and Crosby between the top two lines. Arron Asham is another off-season signing by Ray Sherro on a one-year deal worth $700,000. Asham went to the Stanley Cup Finals last year with the Flyers and was a big part of their success. Asham uses his large frame to dominate on checking lines and open up ice for his teammates. He scored 10 goals and 14 points in 72 regular season games followed by 4 goals and 7 points in 23 post season games. Asham is great on special teams, and is a great addition to the Penguins’ roster this year.

  "My time in Philly was great but it’s in the past now,” Asham said. “It is a great rivalry and fun to be a part of. I’m just switching sides. I’m still going out there and playing my hardest. I’m doing what it takes to win and playing good hockey. All friendships are put on hold until the game is over. It’s a great rivalry and I’m looking forward to it.”

  Maxime Talbot played fourth line minutes last year, a year after scoring twice in Game 7 against the Red Wings to hoist the Stanley Cup. Talbot should see his ice-time rise with players making their respective exits, and needs to better himself offensively. Talbot plays a good forechecking style and is strongest down the middle. Talbot’s shoulder surgery and other various injury problems only saw him in 45 games last year, and could have played part in his point total hitting just 2 goals and 7 points. Craig Adams is the better of the bottom line players as he will most likely center line four, and be a major piece to the penalty kill once again this season. The 33 year-old heads into the last of his two-year contract with the Penguins and although he isn’t a major point producer, his special teams and defensive play make him a threat to the other bottom liners trying to get ice-time.  Eric Godard and Mike Rupp follow in line as the fourth line tough guys as they both possess huge frames (6’4, and 6’5) and the ability to hit hard and drop the gloves. Rupp led the team in PIMs with 120 and major penalties with 12. The two 30 year-olds will be trying out outmuscle each other for a contract renewal.

  The minor league players most likely to fight for a spot on the roster this year will be Mark Letestu, Chris Conner, Brett Sterling, Ryan Craig, and Eric Tangradi. Acquired via trade from Anaheim in early 2009, 21 year-old Eric Tangradi is highest up on the Penguins prospects list. Tangradi posted 168 points in 176 OHL games for Belleville, and played 65 games with the Penguin’s AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre Scranton posting 17 goals and 39 points. Tangradi uses his large 6’4 221lbs. frame to power to the net and bury the puck home. Brett Sterling, 26, also posted up big numbers in the AHL netting 34 goals and 56 points with a +20 rating in just 55 games. Sterling is just 5’7 175lbs. and has not been able to find his place in the NHL since being drafted by Anaheim in 2003. Sterling was signed in the off-season to a one-year contract by the Penguins in what could be a last ditch effort to be an NHL player. Mark Letestu, Chris Conner, and Ryan Craig have NHL experience and will be in and out of the lineup for the Penguins throughout the season. Conner tied Sterling in points last year in the AHL with 56, and played 8 games for the Penguins with 2 goals and 1 assist. Mark Letestu (25) was one shy with 55 points in the AHL while playing his first 10 NHL games scoring 1 goal. Ryan Craig scored 45 points in the AHL for Norfolk, and made just 3 NHL appearances after playing in 54 games the year before with Tampa Bay. Craig signed as a free-agent for one year at $500,000.

  Pittsburgh management has taken notice of the offensive emergence within their division over the last couple of years with the likes of Carter/Richards in Philadelphia, Kovalchuk/Parise in New Jersey, and Gaborik/Frolov in New York (Rangers) and has built their defense accordingly. The loss in offense from long time Penguin defenseman Sergei Gonchar has been replaced with defensively sound veteran players that make the Pen’s ‘D’ one to be reckoned with. Unlike their forward pairings, all of the roster defensemen have contracts for 2 more years, plus.

  General manager Ray Shero made a splash with the free-agent signings of Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek, each signing for 5 years. Paul Martin’s deal is worth $5 million per-year as he heads into his 7th NHL season at the age of 29. Martin was drafted by the New Jersey Devils, the team that he has spent his entire career playing for. Martin missed 59 regular season games for the Devils last year with a broken arm suffered in March, but came back strong as ever ahead of the post season. In 22 games Martin scored 2 goals and 9 assists with a +10 rating. Martin can make great passes out of the zone and plays a solid defensive game night in and night out. Zbynek Michalek has spent his past five years with the Phoenix Coyotes and in 72 games last season the 27 year-old Czech posted 3 goals and 14 assists with a +5 rating. Michalek plays a great medium of offensive and defensive reliability with the ability to play either end of special teams. Zbynek uses his 6’2 210lbs. frame to deliver will timed hits, and has the foot speed to join the rush at any time. Michalek and Martin both were highly sought after in the free-agent market and Pittsburgh has locked up their defensive structure long term with these signings.

“It’s a little different feeling being in one spot for so long and playing against Pittsburgh in the same division,” Martin said. “That said people switch teams like that all the time. It’s the nature of the business. I’m looking forward to it. It should be fun. Every time we came in there I thought the fans were great, they always have a lot of passion and energy. I’m sure that atmosphere will only improve when we open (CONSOL Energy Center).”

“They already have a solid group of guys here. To add Michalek and myself, hopefully we will come in and improve the defense.”

  Brooks Orpik heads up this Penguins defense it terms of hitting ability. The 2000 1st round (18th overall) draft selection of the Penguins has never shied away from delivering bone crunching hits while maintaining good position and sound defensive awareness. Orpik had a career year in points, as in 73 games he scored 2 goals and 25 points with a +6 rating and 64 PIMs.  The San Francisco, CA. native also played for his country in the 2010 Winter Olympics taking home the silver medal. His remaining four years on his contract coincides perfectly with Kris Letang. Letang had a great 4th year with 3 goals and 27 points in 73 games and was second on his team (on defense) in time on ice (21:33). He followed up his regular season with 5 goals and 2 assists in 13 games. Letang has great foot speed and incredible vision that makes him a foundation on defense. He has a canny ability to score on the shootout with his quick hands and quicker release. Letang was 2nd on the team in shooutout goals with 4. His downside is his consistent defensive responsibility, but he has improved every year with the Pens and at just 23 years of age has time and room to improve greatly.

  25 year-old Alex Goligoski steps forward into his fourth season in the NHL and replaces Sergei Gonchar. Goligoski was second to Gonachar in points for defensemen last year in the regular, and post season. He had a career year in points and plus/minus recording 8 goals and 29 assists for 37 points in 69 regular season games with a +7 rating, and went 2-7-9 in the playoffs in 13 games. Goligoski improved his powerplay points from 8 to 17 this past season, and has proven very effective from the blue-line. With added ice-time and heavier powerplay duties Goligoski should blossom this year. 26 year-old Ben Lovejoy has been another pleasant surprise for the Pens when he has played. He spent the majority of his time in the AHL where he scored 9 goals for 29 points with a -1 rating and 92 penalty minutes in 65 games. He played 12 times for the Pens last year recording 3 assists with an impressive +8 rating. Lovejoy is a two-way defenseman that is strong on position and can handle the puck. He skates well, and can lead the rush or make a crisp pass from the zone. He was re-signed in June for three more years at a $525,000 per-season steal.

  Along with Lovejoy players like Deryk Engelland will see more ice time this year with the departures of Mark Eaton, Sergei Gonach, Jordan Leopold, and Jay McKee. Engelland played his first 9 NHL games last year scoring 2 assists with a -2 record. 21 year-old Alex Grant has come along nicely in the AHL and 2009 1st round draft pick Simon Despres is looking sharp for the minors this season with little chance of getting called up.

  Goaltending hasn’t changed at all for the Penguins this year as Marc-Andre Fleury will take the bulk of the starts with Brent Johnson behind him. Fleury stumbled up a little bit after his Stanley Cup Championship in 2009, but overall he played quite well. In 67 regular season games Fleury went 37-21-6 with a 2.65 GAA and .905 save percentage with 1 shutout. His post season dipped a bit too as he went 7-6 with a 2.78 GAA and .891 save percentage with 1 shutout. Fleury had a strange mix of timely saves and bad timed goals against throughout the regular and post season. At just 25 the 2003 1st overall draft pick heads into his 7th NHL season looking for his 2nd Stanley Cup. Despite not playing, Fleury won the gold medal as a part of Team Canada this past year in Vancouver.

“I think consistency is a big part of the game now,” Fleury said at training camp. “I felt there were too many times last year when I wasn’t able to put enough consistent games in a row together. That’s something I want to change heading into this year.”

  Brent Johnson backs up Fleury with 10 NHL seasons under his belt. The 33 year-old played 23 games recording a 10-6-1 record with a 2.76 GAA and .906 save percentage last season and came up big in Fleury’s absence. Johnson re-signed for two years in April, 2010 for just $600,000 per-year. He is content with playing backup to a consistent Cup challenger at a cost effective price. The only likely replacement for this duo should there be an injury is four (NHL) games experienced John Curry.

  The Penguins have definitely thinned out from last year, and it will be a testing year for the 2008-2009 Stanley Cup Champions. It will be a year where many questions are answered, but it will surely be another Cup contentious year for the Penguins. They head into next year just $1.682 million under the salary cap and could still use some re-tooling on the forward lines. The Penguins have $42.65 million (per-year) committed cap dollars over the next three years, but will free up significantly ($8.26 million) come the end of the season when eight of their forwards become free agents.

  Crosby and his Penguins should never be counted out, but this year should be a more defensively focused team than in years’ past.  The decision to opt out on Bill Guerin is a head scratcher for me, and I can’t help but think there is another veteran forward that could come in and be productive offensively for the Pens. Shero is being responsible heading into the year with cap space available, but it’s likely someone will have to get moved at least toward the deadline for some added depth to get this team back to raising the Cup in their new arena. In overall points finish I think the Penguins will slide down a bit as the Atlantic Division continues to get stronger.

  The Penguins head into next season under Dan Bylsma who took over as head coach from Michel Therrien in 2008 and won the Stanley Cup in his NHL debut as head coach. Bylsma has the ability to get the most out of his players and next season should be no different.

  The Penguins will also host the 2011 Winter Classic against the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field on January 1st for the NHL’s dream matchup outdoors. It is the second time the Penguins will play in the Winter Classic, the first was against Buffalo in the year they lost the Cup to the Detroit Red Wings. In the history of the Winter Classic, one of the participants have gone on to the Stanley Cup Finals in every year of its existence. The Penguins are hoping that trend carries on in their favor.

- Kendall Grubbs

Transactions to Date:
In:
Todd Reirden  (assistant coach)
John Hynes (head coach of Wilkes-Barre Scranton)
Paul Martin
Zbynek Michalek
Arron Asham
Mike Comrie
Ryan Craig
Brett Sterling
Andrew Hutchinson
Nick Johnson
Steve Wagner
Corey Potter
Mattias Modig
Nick Petersen
Carl Sneep
Patrick Killeen


Out:
Sergei Gonchar
Ruslan Fedotenko
Bill Guerin
Alexei Ponikarovsky
Jordan Leopold
Mark Eaton
Jay McKee
Aaron Boogaard
Luca Caputi
Nate Guenin
Chris Peluso
Martin Skoula