The Penguins are coming off of a disappointing 2022-23 NHL season. They failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Rather than launching a rebuild, president of hockey operations and GM Kyle Dubas chose to retool.
Although this is very much an aging team, the Penguins are stronger than last season. Will the Penguins return to the playoffs this season? It will be a tough battle in the Eastern Conference, especially in the Metropolitan Division.
Offseason moves made the Penguins more competitive. Erik Karlsson, Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby, Tristan Jarry, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are crucial to the Penguins' success.
Before the 2023-24 NHL season gets underway, here are three bold predictions for the 2023-24 Penguins.
Bold predictions for the Pittsburgh Penguins: 3. Tristan Jarry proves he's worth his new contract
Goaltender Tristan Jarry has a lot to prove, and this could be the season he makes a statement. Over the summer, the Penguins and Jarry agreed to a five–year contract with a $5.375 million cap hit. The lengthy contract extension is a gamble for Pittsburgh. The player-friendly deal came during a poor free-agent goalie market. Jarry is a solid goalie, but he has not proven elite status.
Jarry has good numbers overall with a career .914 SV% in 206 games. His playoff numbers aren't good, though, with a .891 SV% and a 2-6 record. There are some concerns about his durability with a string of injuries in the past few years.
The Penguins will need Jarry to be consistent, but that hinges on being healthy. He struggled last season, missing time due to undisclosed injuries. If Jarry is healthy, the hope is that he will perform like a franchise goalie. That's what he's now being paid to do.
Clearly, the Penguins organization believes in Jarry. Now it's time to make fans believe, too. Jarry will try to bounce back from a tough year individually, and he'll aim to help his team bounce back from the pain of missing the playoffs. With this in mind, Jarry will have a strong year and prove he's worth his contract.
Bold predictions for the Pittsburgh Penguins: 2. Jake Guentzel leads team in goals again despite missing time
Jake Guentzel led the Penguins in goals last season, scoring 36 goals. He has hit 40 goals in a season twice in his career. Unfortunately for Guentzel and the Penguins, he'll be starting the 2023-24 season on the Injured Reserve while recovering from ankle surgery. Considering he isn't expected to miss too much of the season, the next prediction is that he'll lead the team in goals again despite his injury.
What makes this prediction especially bold is that Sidney Crosby is Guentzel's teammate. He had the second-most goals last season (33), and he led the team in points (93). Will age slow Crosby down? He's 36-years-old, but he's still Sidney Crosby. The Penguins can expect another 30-goal season from him.
Once Guentzel is healthy and back on the ice, he'll bring a huge boost to the offense. Even with missing the first few weeks of the season, Guentzel should still have a tremendous impact. He can still have a big year.
It's also a contract year for Guentzel. If he hadn't been injured, he might have been offered an early extension over the summer. Now, he'll be playing with an extra something to prove. Guentzel can once again lead the Penguins in goals.
Bold predictions for the Pittsburgh Penguins: 1. Penguins finish top 3 in the Metropolitan Division
The boldest prediction on this list is that the Penguins will finish third in the Metropolitan Division in 2023-24. It's a tall order considering the Metropolitan Division is stacked. The Carolina Hurricanes were first in the division last year, and the New Jersey Devils were second. Both teams finished in the Top 3 in the NHL overall standings last season, and they're considered Stanley Cup contenders this season. While the Hurricanes are gritty and have a defensive edge, the Devils are fast and have a loaded offense.
The New York Rangers have plenty of offensive power and scary defense. They finished third in the Metro last season. The Rangers are armed with a new coach, Peter Laviolette. The New York Islanders finished fourth in the Metro and clinched an Eastern Conference wild-card spot in the playoffs. They didn't make any notable moves to get stronger in the offseason. The Penguins finished fifth in the division and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Despite having an aging roster, the Penguins will be stronger than last year. Franchise talent Sidney Crosby still has gas left in the tank for another run, and veteran Kris Letang is a mainstay of the blue line. Offseason additions, such as defenseman Ryan Graves and multiple depth forwards, contribute to renewed strength. The Penguins' biggest splash of the summer was acquiring three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, who put up 101 points last season.
With the Hurricanes and Devils expected to battle for first, the Penguins could be fighting against the Rangers for third in the division, which would clinch a division playoff spot without having to battle for a conference wild-card spot. Don't be surprised to see the Pens hanging tough in the Metropolitan Division.
The Penguins open the regular season on Oct. 10 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
