Here's why the Pittsburgh Penguins are in decline

They haven't made the playoffs in two years, their defense is full of holes, and their goaltending is even more leaky. Things are not working out well for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the future is looking even bleaker.

follow me

From 2007 to the mid-1900s, the Pittsburgh Penguins were the dominant force in the NHL. Led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, the Pens won three Stan Lee Cup (2009, 2016 and 2017).

Today, all three remain important and quality players in Pittsburgh. Two forwards are still scoring 1 point per game at 38 (Malkin) and 37 (Crosby). But this is not enough. The Penguins have made it past the first round of the playoffs just once since their last championship and have recently missed the playoffs twice in a row.

There are few signs that things will get better this season. Even though Pittsburgh is currently just one point out of a playoff spot, it has played a few more games than most of its competitors. The Penguins' performance can only inspire pessimism. Last night's 7-1 loss to the Dallas Stars was another low point. Head coach Mike Sullivan's team conceded six goals in the first half.

This also illustrates where the big problem lies: in the back. The current version of the Pittsburgh Penguins is deficient in defense and goaltending. In 5-on-5 hockey, the Pens must give their opponents almost exactly three goals every 60 minutes. Only Anaheim, Montreal and San Jose, three teams with previously low expectations, allowed more.

The Penguins can basically make up for that shortcoming to an extent. They also created a lot of chances for themselves, although that could also be because they spent so much time trying to catch up. However, the team's efficiency so far has left a lot to be desired, and the goalkeeping has been poor, causing additional problems behind a porous defence.

The source of these problems: Kyle Dubas. The Canadian takes over as Pittsburgh's president of hockey operations in the summer of 2023. After initially saying he wanted to hire a general manager to directly build the team, he eventually took on the role himself, but the team he assembled was unconvincing.

That summer, Dubas brought guard Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh in a trade with San Jose. He signed defender Ryan Graves and goaltender Tristan Jarry to long-term contracts. The idea is to give the core of Crosby, Malkin and Letang one last hurray at the end of three great careers, with one last shot at the playoffs and maybe even the Cup.

But as we now know, something went wrong with this plan. Erik Karlsson still scores regularly but is an extreme risk in his own zone. Ryan Graves is doing more damage than good on defense. Tristan Jarry had a very poor start to the season this year (5.47 goals conceded per game, 83.6% catch rate), so much so that he was temporarily sent to the AHL. These three players earn approximately 20 million annually and will do so for several years.

Jake Guentzel sold Dubas for his favorite, Michael Bunting. The Penguins are stuck in an athletic no-man's land as commitments from Anthony Beauvillier, Noel Acciari or Matt Grzelcyk don't pan out. The team is aging (ten players are 30 or older and only two are 25 or younger) and doesn't have many draft picks or young talent.

With the competition in their respective conferences (Carolina, New Jersey, New York Rangers and Washington State), playoff qualification also seems unrealistic. Still, Pittsburgh may not be far enough behind to completely destroy the current team.

Although according to media reports, Dubas has stated that he will enter trade negotiations for all players except Crosby, such a reorganization will be a very difficult task. Finding buyers for these contracts, some of which are already very old, is virtually impossible.

Who would be interested in a fading Erik Karlsson, who will continue to make nearly $10 million per season for more than two years?Image: trapezoid

The only players truly willing to give up anything on the trade market are Crosby and Malkin. Dubas just renewed Sid the Kid this summer. He is the face of this team and probably has no interest in playing football elsewhere. But if Malkin receives a lucrative offer, the general manager won't hesitate. This will be the next chapter in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ sporting decline.

Unlike the Swiss national team, our eastern neighbors are in peak form. However, relations between the national team and the Austrian Football Association broke down and the future of the “boys” was jeopardized.

Our national team is in dire straits. Only a win over Serbia on Friday night can we hope to stay at the top level of the Nations League The relevant advantages can be maintained. Due to injuries, coach Murat Yakin can only rely on a skeleton lineup. Still, a first win since the last 16 of the European Cup against Italy must now come.