THN Penguins Predictions: The place Will The Group End In The Standings?

With a brand new season simply across the nook, the Pittsburgh Penguins are gearing up for yet one more coaching camp.

However this time round – in contrast to in seasons previous – 2024-25 could possibly be filled with surprises.

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As such, we’ll break down some storylines to anticipate this season and offer you some daring – and a few not-so-bold – predictions for the 2024-25 marketing campaign.

Our closing prediction piece: The place will the Penguins stand on the finish of the 2024-25 season?

Kelsey’s Prediction

How the Penguins will end: Lose in first spherical of NHL playoffs to New Jersey Devils

Why the Penguins will make the playoffs: Merely put, I believe there are three fundamental variations with the Penguins this season that already set them aside from the workforce that missed the playoffs over the past two seasons:

– Depth
– Youth on the roster
– The ability play

So far as depth and youth, Pittsburgh really has a youthful, extra promising bottom-six. Rutger McGroarty made the club out of camp and is poised to start the season on a 3rd line with Jesse Puljujarvi, one other youthful participant who had a massively spectacular pre-season,  and Lars Eller, a veteran with some offensive upside and a excessive hockey IQ.

Related: Penguins’ Top Prospect McGroarty Carving Out New Role

They’ve vitality guys in Blake Lizotte in Michael Bunting, that are the varieties of gamers that this workforce has sorely been lacking over the previous a number of years. In addition they added velocity and offensive upside potential with Cody Glass and Anthony Beauvillier, two guys who might profit from a change of surroundings.

Additionally, the Penguins’ prospect pool really has a couple of guys on the point of making an impression – notably forwards Vasily Ponomarev and Tristan Broz in addition to defensemen Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke – and who may even see NHL enjoying time sooner or later this season.

And even their extra veteran guys within the bottom-six – Eller, Kevin Hayes, and Noel Acciari – are being deployed in positions that ought to assist them succeed. Eller is sandwiched between two younger, promising forwards. Hayes and Acciari will begin the yr on Glass’s wings on the fourth line, and each gamers have extra offensive potential enjoying the wing than they do at heart.

All in all, the ahead depth, specifically, on this workforce is healthier – and youthful – than it has been the final two seasons.

This brings us to the facility play. That is a kind of “I am going to consider it after I see it” issues, and rightfully so. However there could also be some extent of cautious optimism on that entrance.

All through coaching camp and the pre-season, puck motion and participant motion appeared to be rather a lot sooner. They’re rolling with two defensemen – Erik Karlsson on the half-wall and Kris Letang on the level – whereas preserving Sidney Crosby in his workplace down low, Evgeni Malkin on the opposite half-wall, and Rickard Rakell because the net-front/bumper.

As dicussed a few days ago, the facility play operated at a 28.6 % clip within the pre-season compared to the abysmal 14 % it did final season.

The ability play has price them the playoffs the previous two seasons. If it might probably function wherever close to the numbers it did within the pre-season, it would push them over the road.

Loads has to go proper this season, and the core has to stay wholesome. However I believe the Penguins get it executed this season and win a spherical or two.

Ryan’s Prediction

Predictions right here

How the Penguins will end: Miss the playoffs for a 3rd straight season

Why the Penguins will not make the playoffs: The satan’s advocate would say the Penguins do the inconceivable through the Crosby period and miss the postseason for the third consecutive season. The final time this occurred was from 2001 to 2004, after which the primary season of the wage cap period in 2005.

At 37, the Pittsburgh fan base would not need to see their captain play on some weaker groups within the twilight of his profession. Though they’re getting some youth injected into the lineup, particularly with McGroarty making the opening night time roster, there isn’t any hiding the very fact the Penguins nonetheless preserve their standing as one of many oldest groups within the NHL.

Whereas the Penguins made some changes within the offseason, a number of groups round them additionally received higher, whether or not it is Ottawa bringing in former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark or Washington restructuring their offense to make sure that Alex Ovechkin will get nearer to breaking the all-time objective file.

Nonetheless, Pittsburgh did not make that massive splash to separate itself from the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Detroit Pink Wings, all groups simply on the cusp of being wild card groups however not ok to be a prime workforce within the division.

As nice as it could be to see the Penguins and Crosby again within the playoffs, they have not gained a sequence in six seasons and only one since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2017.

In fact, the season can be thought-about a hit with a playoff berth, however to finish up as a wildcard workforce bowing out to a dominant prime convention workforce isn’t feeling. Regardless that something can occur within the playoffs, particularly within the wildcard period, nobody can declare they gave the Capitals and Islanders an opportunity of their first-round matchups final season.

Total, there’s optimism within the air, and Crosby believes within the workforce’s path for the following three seasons, however can this rag-tag group of veterans maintain it collectively for a few extra seasons for the final one shot at a championship earlier than this period ends?

Related: Here Is Your Primer For The Penguins’ Roster Situation

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