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Pittsburgh Penguins Threepeat Hinges on Change

By Rich Newpol

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 28: (L-R) Coach Mike Sullivan and General Manager Jim Rutherford of the Pittsburgh Penguins answer questions in a press conference during Media Day for the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final at PPG PAINTS Arena on May 28, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 28: (L-R) Coach Mike Sullivan and General Manager Jim Rutherford of the Pittsburgh Penguins answer questions in a press conference during Media Day for the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final at PPG PAINTS Arena on May 28, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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In the modern NHL, it’s rare for a championship team to remain intact for two seasons. The Pittsburgh Penguins just did it, but change is coming.

Can the Pittsburgh Penguins still contend for another Cup? They can if they properly manage change. I think they are just the team to do it, with a legitimate shot at a three-peat. Here’s why.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins /

Pittsburgh Penguins

Changes

I have said before that to win a Championship takes more than just a collection of great players. Even to assemble those players takes a great organization, and great coaching is gets the best out of those players.

Coming into the 2017-2018 season, the defending champs face a new challenge to win another Stanley Cup – how to do it without the same players. Obviously, with a set of core players like Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Matt Murray, they already are in a better position than many teams. Since a lot of the supporting cast is returning, the Penguins do not have to change playing styles, or coaching philosophy.

Penguins Hockey

A lot has been written about the free agent departures, but let’s keep something in mind. Almost every one of those departures was some other team’s virtual cast-off when they came to the Penguins. Great teams have a way of making players over-achieve. The Pens have a long list of players who came without fanfare, made a splash, left for bigger money, and faded away.

No need to call out examples (ok, Jordan Staal, I can’t resist). My point is simply that the Pens know how to find players that can play Penguins Hockey. Those players in turn seem to get extra motivation from playing alongside future legends, on a team owned by a legend, with a legitimate chance at a Cup every year.

It’s one of the reasons the Pens callups excel, and one of the reasons veterans like coming to the Pens. I’ll take a sidetrack here and say Trevor Daley’s departure was a tad puzzling to me. Sure, he got a little more money In Detroit, but Cups are everything to most players, and Daley can’t possibly have disliked his two Cups. Did he have some problem with our city? Guess we’ll never know – but in this guy’s opinion, he should have stayed in ‘da Burgh. Oh well, c’est la Vie.

So where was I? Oh yeah, my message is basically, “don’t worry fans, for every departing Chris Kunitz, there is an up-and-coming Jake Guentzel.” The front office stayed mostly intact (except for the significant loss of Jason Botterell). The addition Sam Ventura from War-On-Ice.com is an under-the-radar improvement. The Pens are embracing the MoneyPuck approach and they will stay ahead of curve for now.

Now if you told me the Coach Mike Sullivan was heading for the door – then I would panic. His guiding hand has been almost the perfect blend of discipline and positive messaging, stirred in with X’s and O’s awareness. He was a rare find and I hope he enjoys a long tenure with the Penguins. #Sully2017.

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