SUN SHINING …FOR NOW
With multiple Cups and multiple superstars, all’s well in Pittsburgh. But that will end soon
WHEN YOU’RE
the back-to-back champs, sacrifices must be made. In Pittsburgh’s case, that has come at the expense of the pipeline, which has been plundered (but with good reason and great results). Draft finds such as Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary have kept the Penguins on top recently, but the pickings are getting slim. Pittsburgh does not have a 2018 first-rounder and hasn’t had one since 2014 (Kasperi Kapanen). IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Goaltending depth would soothe some nerves in Steeltown, where Matt Murray is the star attraction but injury-prone. The Pens traded prospect Filip Gustavsson, which puts a lot of pressure on Tristan Jarry. Filling in for Murray, Jarry showed decent promise, but more options wouldn’t hurt. LONG-TERM NEEDS: Someday, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will not be two of the best centers on the planet. The chances of Pittsburgh replacing them are nil, but the team will have to soldier on. Unless the Penguins can uncover a raw gem in the draft, there will eventually be a swoon. That’s not the organization’s fault, it’s just reality. CAP SITUATION: GM Jim Rutherford has pretty much set the table for next year already, with every important veteran locked up until at least 2019, and in many cases, much longer. That’s good, because the team already has $70 million in salary commitments. With that, they need to squeeze in new RFA deals for Rust, Tom Kuhnhackl and Riley Sheahan. IN THE SYSTEM 2018-19: Forwards Daniel Sprong and Zach Aston-Reese have already played for the Pens but would really help the team’s depth if they become full-timers. Sprong’s goal-scoring prowess and Aston-Reese’s power game bring two different looks, and while Sprong needs a new deal, neither will put much of a dent in the team’s cap space. DID YOU KNOW: Should 2017 fifth-rounder Jan Drozg make the NHL, he would be just the third Slovenian-born player to earn that distinction, behind Anze Kopitar and Jan Mursak. The left winger played for Shawinigan in the QMJHL this season.