When the Penguins let out a final rattle after the owner decided to become the hockey world’s version of the Sunshine Boys, I, as a student of modern history, wonder how long the arena will remain a ghost town, just as it did when the club was at rock bottom. I just wonder if it is. And how long until we hear that adjustments are needed to keep the franchise where it is?
Too cynical? Perhaps, but I’ve seen it all play out before. Twice. In Hamilton, Ontario, there was a story about Mario Lemieux hiding in No. 66, and in Kansas City, there was a story about Lemieux hiding in the owner’s suite. Lemieux’s 1984 tank was there, and after he was stripped of his franchise for parts he was in Sydney’s 2005 Crosby sweepstakes, which the Penguins won despite going into the lottery with a 6.25% chance of winning. Did.
The Penguins faced the Rangers in Pittsburgh on Saturday, but the Penguins needed five to avoid a second straight playoff escape following owner’s decision to sign unrestricted seniors Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang to multi-year deals. It was a 5-point difference that they needed to pass the team. Free agent.
The Penguins haven’t won a playoff series since 2018, following back-to-back Cup titles in 2016 and 2017 that enlivened the Crosby era. Since then, they’ve lost twice to the Islanders, once to Montreal in the bubble and once to the Rangers in a seven-game first-round series in 2022. This organization lacked promising players. They had a chance to reset. they didn’t accept it. They doubled down, with Crosby’s blessing, if not encouragement, and what appeared to be overwhelming public support.
Malkin, who starts next season at age 36, signed a four-year contract worth $24.4 million. Letang, who missed all of 2017’s Cup games and just turned 35, signed a six-year contract for $36.6 million.
When the Penguins missed the playoffs last year, general manager Ron Hextall was taken to the square, humiliated and stoned to death. Oh, and it got fired too. Kyle Dubas, a star player despite his junior hockey background, fled Toronto for the job and was traded for 33-year-old Erik Karlsson, who had three years left on his contract, for a $10 million annual cap. It quickly tripled in growth.
The team is not doing well and now the organization is facing carnage. Crosby is having a great season at age 36, but he only has one year left on his contract. No. 87 sounded unhappy after the trade deadline, when favored winger Jake Guentzel was dealt for futures, much like Henrik Lundqvist was when the Rangers went into rebuild/reset mode in 2018.
Of course, the king chose to remain. People seem to believe it’s automatic for Crosby to sign a contract extension this summer, but we don’t know what will happen with Crosby. It’s not about loyalty, and it’s certainly not a triple-cap business. Joe Sakic played an illustrious 20-season career with one team and never left Colorado, but he would have done so had the Avalanche not matched the Rangers’ 1997 offer sheet. .
As No. 87 winds down after the season, he will have to decide what he loves most: competing for a championship in Pittsburgh or a Stanley Cup. Either way, the franchise is facing a perennial struggle. It will be interesting to see how the league resolves this.
In other words, please fix it.
Now, instead of the GMs usually meeting in Winnipeg, they will be meeting in Florida this week, and the topic of video review will likely come up.
The offside review fixes I would like to add to the agenda are:
If the whistle for a delayed penalty is blown after the attacking team has possession, the same guidelines apply to offside reviews so that there is no challenge if the team scored has possession after the puck enters the zone. What do you think?
The fact that the cap doesn’t apply to the playoffs is a collective bargaining issue, so even if signs of LTI-related shenanigans infuriate everyone, it’s unlikely the NHL can bring about unilateral changes. do not have.
It would be an easy fix if the NHLPA were willing to go along with it, but I can’t imagine why the association would agree to a playoff cap that would theoretically deprive players of a chance to play without something in return. tournament.
The amendment would apply the cap to the 20-man lineup for a given game, rather than the roster.
Sure, there will still be some degree of inequity, but it exists in a league where six teams benefit from being in inequitable spots each year: the Golden Knights, Lightning, Panthers, Stars, Kraken, and Predators. It’s not as unfair as it is. Taxing state.
In honor of Jack Roslovic wearing Blue Shirt No. 96, here is a ranking of the top 10 players who wore the sweater number in the ’90s.
1. Wayne Gretzky, 99th, New York
2. Butch Goring, No. 91, New York
3. John Tavares, No. 91, New York
Four. Mika Zibanejad, No. 93, NYR
Five. Michael Nylander, No. 92, NYR
6. Doug Gilmore, No. 93, New Jersey
7. Petr Nedved, No. 93, NYR
8. Keith Yandle, No. 93, New York
9. Dawson Mercer, No. 91, New Jersey
Ten. Matt Gilroy, No. 97, New York
Honorable mention: Ryan Smith, No. 94, New York. Mentioned: Justin Richards, No. 90, NYR
