The winds of change will blow them away

Roster overhaul seems inevitable

What the heck happened? How did they go out like this again?

Those might be the first two questions that come to mind after the Penguins lost to the Montreal Canadiens, who won only 31 of 71 games in the shortened NHL regular season, in their five-game qualifying-round series in Toronto.

If you want to read about what went wrong for the Penguins, both in this series and in a once-promising season that ended in more puzzlement, give this piece a read. If you just want to turn the page, you’ve come to the right place.

This is the most important offseason for the Penguins since summer of 2015, when general manager Jim Rutherford’s hot streak at the blackjack table really got going with big bets on trade acquisitions Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino.

It’s clear that after a second consecutive flameout some things need to change. They presumably will not include the general manager and coach, whom both received contract extensions within the past 20 months. They willl oversee this likely overhaul.

What follows are six of the most pressing questions they must face together this fall:

• Which goalie will the Penguins pick?

Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry will be restricted free agents, meaning the Penguins can keep one or both around if they want. So, who’s it going to be? The two-time Stanley Cup winner or the first-time AllStar this season?

Murray hasn’t lived up to expectations after he was the first goalie to win the Cup twice as a rookie. He had some rough moments in these playoffs and he figures to cause more sticker shock than Jarry. The upside that Jarry showed in December and January, when he was the NHL’s hottest goaltender, is enticing.

But just three years ago the Penguins shipped out fan favorite Marc-Andre Fleury to free up the crease for Murray. Can they stomach moving on already? It likely comes down to money. And if Murray’s price is right, both may be back.

• Who else might be on the move?

Justin Schultz, Conor Sheary and Patrick Marleau are unrestricted free agents. Their restricted free agents include forwards Jared McCann, Dominik Simon, Sam Lafferty and Evan Rodrigues and blue-liner Juuso Riikola.

If the Penguins want to clear salary-cap space, Jack Johnson and Nick Bjugstad have fairly hefty salaries. Johnson, of course, will prove difficult to move.

And if the Penguins want to make a significant move to shake up the makeup of the team, they can dangle Kris Letang after the emergence of John Marino. It is unlikely they will look to trade Evgeni Malkin unless he asks them to, and he has given no indications that he wants to finish out his contract elsewhere.

• What will the defensive corps look like?

Probably a lot different than today, but only if they can make the money work.

Marino was a steal and the Penguins believe he is about ready to be a top-pair defenseman. Marcus Pettersson made strides in Year 2 in Pittsburgh. Brian Dumoulin and Letang formed a quality pair again before Dumoulin was forced out for three months. As far as top fours go, that’s a pretty good starting point.

But Johnson and Schultz were problematic for the Penguins all season, so they need to try to find two new defensemen to plug into their top six. That’s going to be a challenge since none of their prospects look ready — Pierre-Olivier Joseph will get a chance — and they might not have much financial wiggle room.

• What do the Penguins need to add?

Beyond a couple of new defensemen, they must figure out whom their third-line center will be if it’s not Bjugstad or steady Teddy Blueger. That key lineup spot has been a revolving door since Bonino left town in 2017.

New options are needed for the bottom six with Marleau and others expected to move on. Preferably, a couple of the new guys swing right-handed sticks.

And that brings us to the power play. It wasn’t right this season, largely because they didn’t have a suitable replacement for Kessel in the left circle. Can they find an affordable right-handed veteran capable of balancing out the top unit?

• Must Mike Sullivan’s approach change?

Sullivan looked like a lock to be a finalist for the Jack Adams Award before the team started its tailspin in late January. Rutherford gave him a new contract a year ago and had just called him the best in the biz. Still, it’s fair to wonder if Sullivan needs to change his approach in terms of tactics and messaging.

The Penguins twice won the Cup under Sullivan because they doubled down on speed and skill and literally pulled away from the competition in 2016 and 2017. The NHL followed suit and some teams have caught up. Look at those Canadiens; they outraced the Penguins to pucks throughout the qualifying-round series.

Can the Penguins still win playing this way? Or is a new identity needed?

As for motivating his players and getting them to play as one, this is the second consecutive year they got steamrolled by a lesser squad. Xs and Os were a factor, no doubt, but the Canadiens and New York Islanders were clearly hungrier, too. It’s insanely difficult to lift that Cup, but the Penguins haven’t come close in three years.

• Has the championship window closed?

For the current core? It surely seems so. It’s hard to envision the Penguins running back essentially the same squad and getting a much different outcome. Tough decisions must be made to pry it back open. You’ve got to figure we see more members of those Cup teams say goodbye. There’s not too many left now.

But as long as Sidney Crosby is here, you can hold out hope they deliver one more magical run. If Rutherford has another hot streak in him, you never know.