POINT SHOTS
Looking beyond this season, NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton, pictured. is “pretty bullish on the Penguins.” He raved about president of hockey operations Brian Burke, calling him “brilliant” and saying he should prove to be a great fit with new heneral manager Ron Hextall. “I think that accountability and level of responsibility that Burkie brings is exactly what Ron was probably lacking in Philadelphia,” Lawton explained. “Ron’s a stubborn guy. ... I thought he did an awesome job [as the GM] in Philly. But I also thought it was foolish on his part that he got terminated for not maybe moving a little quicker. And I think he’s learned from that experience and is going to be a better GM for it. And I think Burkie is a guy who can bring that out of him.”
The Malkin injury could have been worse for the Penguins, but they will still be challenged to remain in playoff position until he returns. After sleepwalking through the first 20 games of the season, Malkin finally emerged and was far and away their most dangerous offensive player in March, putting up 12 points in an eight-game scoring streak. An extended absence will put pressure on the likes of Jared McCann and Evan Rodrigues to step into bigger roles. But it will largely be up to Sidney Crosby and his linemates to lug this team through this adversity. They will need to score at five-on-five pretty much every night.
The loss of Teddy Blueger, who is out “long term,” is also significant. He was one of the East Division’s most impactful defensive forwards prior to his injury. He has a fan in Lawton, who believes the center would be of great interest to the Kraken if the Penguins left him unprotected in July. “There’s a lot to like about him. He’s a very underrated player,” he said. “He just has the feel of some of the guys that play in Boston’s bottom six. He’s really consistent and hard-working. It’s repetitive what you get from him. That’s the kind of guy that coaches love, quite frankly.”