NHL Futures: Is the Stanley Cup window closed for Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins?
Sports Interaction’s David Bastl sat down with Mitts Off podcast host and former NHL player Luke Gazdic to talk hockey. Bastl and Gazdic went over the future of Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins and debate the question, is the Stanley Cup window closed for Crosby and the Pens?
You can check out the full interview below and on Sports Interaction’s YouTube page. Bastl and Gazdic also get into the futures of the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes, before discussing realistic goal total expectations for Taylor Hall and Auston Matthews next season.
Mitts Off with Luke Gazdic
Mitts off with Luke Gazdic premiered in June and is quickly becoming one of the top podcasts not just in hockey, but in Canada as a whole. Mitts Off is about real hockey talk with stories and insights into the game through player-to-player interviews.
Gazdic, whose professional hockey career saw him suit up for the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils, has already interviewed current NHLers such as Connor Brown, Jared McCann, Jordan Binnington and Darnell Nurse. With more interviews scheduled, make sure to listen to Mitts off with Luke Gazdic for some great stories and honest hockey talk.
Pittsburgh’s veteran core
Last season the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since Crosby’s rookie year, breaking a streak of 16 straight postseason appearances. So, is the Stanley Cup window finally closed for Crosby and the Pens? Gazdic doesn’t think so and there’s two reasons why.
“Sidney Crosby and Kyle Dubas,” Gazdic said. “I think you’re going to see a motivated Sidney Crosby and veteran core in Pittsburgh that missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years last year and I just don’t think we see a world where Sidney Crosby doesn’t make another healthy run at a Stanley Cup.”
That veteran core Gazdic talks about is the three-headed monster of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Together, the trio has led Pittsburgh to Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016 and 2017 and they are each under contract for at least two more seasons.
The three future Hall of Famers have combined for a staggering stats list. They have combined for 1,990 career regular season points, four Art Ross trophies, four Ted Lindsay awards, three Hart trophies, three Conn Smythe’s and two Rocket Richards.
Help is on the way
Pittsburgh has one of the best basic cores in hockey between Crosby, Malkin and Letang, but they can’t do it alone. Pittsburgh president and general manager Kyle Dubas has already been hard at work and made some great additions, according to Gazdic.
“I think they surrounded that veteran cast with a really good couple additions and I like them, man,” said Gazdic. “I’ve just always liked Sid and I think the Pens are coming back full swing this year.”
Some of those additions include trading for Reilly Smith and signing Noel Acciari, Lars Eller, Ryan Graves and Alex Nedeljkovic in free agency.
Smith was a key piece in the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup championship and he provides more veteran leadership. He has hit the 20-goal mark five times in his career and he is coming off a 56-point, 26-goal regular season.
Eller is another Stanley Cup winner, doing so with Washington in 2018. He slots in as a dependable and versatile third-line centre option. Eller split last season between Washington and Colorado, recording 10 goals and 23 points.
Acciari is another reliable depth piece at forward, who fits snugly into a bottom-six role. He had 14 goals and 23 points with St. Louis and Toronto in 2023-23.
Defenceman Ryan Graves is a big body with the ability to log significant minutes. A veteran of 302 career NHL regular season games, last year Graves helped New Jersey reach the playoffs for the first time since 2018. He finished the season plus-34, the second-best plus/minus on the team.
And finally, Nedeljkovic was brought in to back-up Tristan Jarry in net. Nedeljkovic had a 5-7-2 record with Detroit last season, posting a 3.53 goals-against average and .895 save percentage. He also spent time in the AHL with Grand Rapids, going 13-9-3 with a 2.71 GAA and .912 SV.
How much gas is left in the tank?
The main knock against Pittsburgh’s core is age. By the time the season starts, Crosby and Letang will be 36-years-old and Malkin with be 37-years-old. In an increasingly younger NHL, this will be one of the oldest cores in the league. All three players have missed significant time in their careers due to injury and/or illness.
Between the three core members of the Penguins, Letang is probably the most likely to take a step back. Serious health issues limited him to 64 games last year and he’s played more than 60 games in a season just twice over the last six years.
On the flip side, Crosby and Malkin each played all 82 regular season games in 2022-23. It was actually the first time ever both players hit 82 games in the same season. It was only the second time Crosby has played every game and the third time Malkin has done it.
At this stage in Crosby, Malkin and Letang’s careers, Gazdic thinks missing the playoffs last year might actually be beneficial. It allows players to have more free time, get healthy and reevaluate.
“I’ve watched that kind of three-headed monster there with Letang and Crosby and Malkin for a long time and like I said, I just think they’re going to be healthy and motivated and it’s time for the Pens to head back up,” said Gazdic.
When you’re looking at it in August, it’s tough to say if the Stanley Cup window is closed for the Penguins. Health will likely dictate Pittsburgh’s success next season. One thing is clear, however. If the Pens’ window isn’t closed yeat, next year could be their last crack at the Stanley Cup.
