USA TODAY International Edition
Filled with talent, youth, Penguins strong contenders for three- peat
The Pittsburgh Penguins have several reasons to believe a threepeat as Stanley Cup champions is possible, but it starts with centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
No other NHL team has the foundational blocks to match the ability and pedigree of Malkin and Crosby.
“These guys are special players,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said after the team beat the Nashville Predators in Game 6 on Sunday to capture the franchise’s fifth Cup. “They’re both elite in their own way.”
Crosby turns 30 this summer, and Malkin turns 31. Neither player is showing signs of diminishing returns. Crosby averaged 1.19 points per game in the regular season and 1.13 in the postseason; Malkin was at 1.16 and 1.12.
Key goal scorer Phil Kessel turns 30 early next season. Cupclinching goal scorer Patric Hornqvist is 30. But playoff hero Jake Guentzel and Olli Maatta are 22, and goalie Matt Murray is 23. Conor Sheary, Brian Dumoulin and Bryan Rust are 25. Justin Schultz is 26.
The Penguins have seven unrestricted free agents, and one, critical role player Matt Cullen, is expected to retire. He’s 40.
Nick Bonino, the team’s No. 3 center and a significant contributor, could get an offer he can’t refuse as a free agent. The Penguins might not have the cap space to give Bonino what he could earn on the open market.
One of the hardest decisions will be what to do with Chris Kunitz, who is 37. He showed his value in the playoffs, scoring in double overtime to beat the Ottawa Senators in Game 7.
He is a popular heart- and- soul player, but would he be willing to take less than the $ 4 million he earned last season to stay with the Penguins?
Defensemen Ron Hainsey and Trevor Daley are also unrestrict- ed free agents. Daley found a place where he is appreciated, and that could weigh in his decision about whether to stay.
Hainsey, 36, was the dependable player the Penguins needed. Now the Penguins must decide whether they need his roster spot for a younger player.
As a general rule, championship- winning teams don’t necessarily want to bring back exactly the same roster. It is desirable to make a few changes to freshen up the roster with players who hunger for a championship.
Top prospect Daniel Sprong, a winger, might challenge for a ros- ter spot next season.
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is arguably the most aggressive trader in the game and would likely be able to find a role player to replace Bonino if he moved on. He has proved adept at trading for defensemen if he doesn’t re- sign Hainsey or Daley. The Penguins have 2012 firstround draft pick Derrick Pouliot in their system, waiting to crack the lineup.
Rutherford is expected to trade goalie Marc- Andre Fleury this offseason, freeing up $ 5.75 million in cap space and giving Fleury a chance to play elsewhere.
According to CapFriendly. com, Rutherford has just less than $ 13 million to sign nine players to complete his roster. There is a chance the salary cap will rise slightly.
But with that $ 13 million, he must re- sign restricted free agents Sheary, Dumoulin and Schultz and then decide what to do with his unrestricted free agents. Regaining the Fleury money could help significantly if the Penguins want to sign Bonino, Kunitz and Daley.
The biggest reason for optimism about a three- peat might come from the fact that the Pen- guins were able to repeat without Kris Letang, who missed the playoffs with an injury and is among the league’s top two- way defenders. He will be back serving as the engine of the Penguins’ offensive attack next season.
Sullivan said the team’s strong bond is one of the team’s competitive advantages. Rutherford will be careful not to disrupt the chemistry.
“You look at our group and everything we’ve been through,” Crosby said. “We have a lot of guys who care about their own games but also for the guys around them.”