Friedman Drops a Massive Bombshell on the Future of the Pittsburgh Penguins
For the last couple of years, the mantra for the Pittsburgh Penguins has been win now. Yes, the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are getting older, but the thought process was they are good enough that the rest of the team can be filled in with support players able to get the team on a playoff run. It seems that has changed.
PIttsburgh Penguins Headed For "Soft Rebuild"
With the Penguins not doing nearly as well as management had hoped at the beginning of the year, and the trade deadline nearing, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman says Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas will not be a buyer. It seems the team has recognized that it can't continue to be a contender with the team it has now.
That, of course, begs the question of what's going to happen with lifelong Penguins like Crosby, Malkin, and Letang. Friedman said that will need to be dealt with.
Insider Says Pittsburgh Penguins Need Long-term Fixes
What's interesting is that Brian Burke and Ron Hextall, former President of Hockey Operations and former GM respectively, were fired at the end of last season for failing to build a team around the star players that could make the playoffs. Will Dubas get the same treatment. It's very doubtful at this point. Whatever happens, it will be interesting to see if Crosby, Malking, and Letang finish their hockey careers in Pittsburgh, or whether we'll see them elsewhere.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 30 | 166 ANSWERS Friedman Drops a Massive Bombshell on the Future of the Pittsburgh Penguins Should the Penguins try to get rid of their core? | ||
| Yes, time for a full rebuild | 102 | 61.4 % |
| No, they are still good enough to contend | 38 | 22.9 % |
| I'm not sure | 26 | 15.7 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Zachary Werenski | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| Sean Monahan | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jesper Bratt | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Frederick Gaudreau | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Jack Hughes | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Mackenzie Weegar | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Kent Johnson | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Alexander Wennberg | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Mitchell Chaffee | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matthew Coronato | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Marcus Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Nick Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Conor Geekie | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Stefan Noesen | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Corey Perry | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Igor Sharangovich | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dmitry Voronkov | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Hurricanes | 18 | 14 | 4 | - | 28 | |
Capitals | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 27 | |
Wild | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 27 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Devils | 21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 25 | |
Stars | 18 | 12 | 6 | - | 24 | |
Golden Knights | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 24 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||