The good news is that the Pittsburgh Penguins have a lot of the season left to get back into the playoff mix, the bad news is things are trending against them. Although the Penguins made the postseason last year, it's clear that their early struggles might be too much to recover from.
Factor in the New Jersey Devils recent trade to acquire star goalie Connor Hellebuyck, and Pittsburgh's playoff chances only sink further.
Following their first 12 games of the campaign, the Penguins only gained 11 points. That is not good enough, and it has them failing to qualify if the playoffs arrived today. The Black and Gold still have a lot of time to turn things around. With 72 games remaining on their schedule, they can easily make up ground if they can locate a perfect blend of youth and experience in their lineup.
It's becoming clear that the Devils are going all-in to try and make an impactful playoff run this year. Adding Hellebuyck helps solve their issues at the goaltender position moving forward. That being said, this is a gamble as the Devils still have holes across their lineup, and the goalie is getting any younger. This trade is a bad sign when it comes to the Penguins' chances of making the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Penguins postseason is at risk after the Devils traded for Connor Hellebuyck
When you look at the Metropolitan division that Pittsburgh calls home, it's going to be a slugfest for the top three spots. It's unlikely that more than three teams from the division will make the playoffs since the Atlantic division appears to have more quality teams who could fill the wildcard vacancies. That means the Penguins and Devils will be battling head-to-head for one or two openings.
Bringing in Connor Hellebuyck will get the needle moving in the right direction for New Jersey.
They have desperately been trying to compete for the past several years, but for many reasons, including at goalie, they have struggled to remain relevant. They have young stars throughout their lineup, and now with Hellebuyck in the mix, it could make them a suitable contender this season.
You can chalk up the Carolina Hurricanes as a playoff lock in the Metropolitan, barring some insane injury setbacks. That means there will only be one or two openings in the division when the season gets to the nitty gritty. Right now, the Rangers and Devils fill the bottom two spots, but with New York missing Igor Shesterkin, they will probably slip up as the campaign pushes onward.
The Penguins have a tough hill to climb if they want to make the postseason.
All of the Devils, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders will be doing their best to compete for the final playoff opening or two in the division standings. It's still an open door for the Penguins to assert themselves into, but it's no guarantee. One thing is for sure; the Devils addition of Connor Hellebuyck makes their life more difficult.
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