If you ask me which camp I reside in regarding the Penguins immediate future, you can put me into the reloading, or retooling camp. For me, it’s simple: Get a goaltender (or two) and increase your chances to become contenders again.
The Penguins have no shortage of talent when you look at their roster. Yeah, it’s older, and no, Sidney Crosby won’t be in town forever. But with 91 points and 33 goals in what was his age-37 season, and having seen Alex Ovechkin do what he did this year in Washington in his age-39 season, Crosby’s not going anywhere too soon.
And he’s still productive, as is Brian Rust and Evgeni Malkin. I’ll even throw Erik Karlsson in there, as he still finished the season with 11 goals and 53 points. We also can’t forget about Kris Letang, who’s still a bruiser following his age-37 campaign.
I can see the draw for a rebuild, given the brewing prospects pool and how rebuilding now can be beneficial since it would give those prospects much-needed experience with the big club.
And if this team still didn’t maintain a core of star players, albeit aging star players, I’d have said, “Yeah, rebuild.” But they’re still capable of returning to the postseason and contending for a Cup with the guys they got.
For the Penguins, they don’t need to rebuild just yet
It’s not time to rebuild yet. If Sidney Crosby started putting up less than a point per game, something closer to 0.75 per, then yeah, it’s time to start over. But a retool works well for a few reasons. One, it gives the prospects another year, at least, to hone their game. And two, it would let general manager Kyle Dubas acquire productive free agents on smaller deals.
It could be something similar to the Yzerplan in Detroit, except the Penguins could have a decent big club that can punch their way to and make some noise in the postseason. And once some of those veterans start fading out, bring up the prospects and give them more exposure at the NHL level.
This would be a clean rebuild and would return the Penguins to contender status not just for the short, but also the long term. At that point, you just repeat - veterans move on, youngsters come up, and use free agency and trades to fill in the gaps.
Why rebuilding the Penguins would be an awful idea
There are a few reasons why I’d hesitate to rebuild the Penguins. One is that rebuilds can take forever. Look again at the Yzerplan, which is heading into Year 7. Red Wings brass tore the team down and they’ve been, at best, fringe contenders.
The Penguins have grown into one of the NHL’s most recognizable franchises and international brands, much like the Red Wings. Losing relevancy by taking such a risk also puts your team at risk of losing the fanbase it’s built, especially through a prolonged rebuild. You can say the same thing for the Blackhawks, who seem to be stuck in dormancy.
Or, the Buffalo Sabres, who’ve gone 14 seasons without seeing a playoff berth. An intentional tank and subsequent rebuild offer no guarantees. But if you retool? Look at the St. Louis Blues. And if you want an example more pertinent to the Penguins, look at the Washington Capitals. That’s a perfect retooling effort the Penguins can emulate.