When the Penguins decided to capitalize on goaltender Tristan Jarry's hot start to the year and decision to get something in return for him, it netted them goaltender Stuart Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak in return. But both Skinner and Kulak have been very hard to watch in Penguins uniforms as both players are not performing well so far.
Especially in the Penguins recent road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kulak let Max Domi dance right through him as he put home a puck that Skinner could have stopped. It was another thing in the downfall that has been the Penguins that have lost 9 of their last 10 games.
Skinner has not been good ever since becoming the new starter for the Penguins since taking over after Jarry was sent to Edmonton in the deal. Kulak had started out on the Penguins bottom defensive pairing with Jack St Ivany and then moved up with Kris Letang.
It is rumored that Kulak and Letang are better suited as defensive partners, but so far, that really has not been the case. Both are almost always out of position and looking for the perfect pass or constantly turning the puck over.
Getting this kind of play out of Skinner and Kulak should not be what general manager Kyle Dubas envisioned when acquiring them. Both players definitely need to be better and show Dubas why he acquired them when he dealt Jarry.
Both have not been in Pittsburgh that long yet, but both have not shown much at all. They both look unplayable at the moment and that is what is frustrating. They are not franchise cornerstones or anything, but Penguins fans are expecting more out of the veterans that have Stanley Cup Finals experience.
They both need to pick up their play and start helping the team win games again. The game against the Maple Leafs was winnable, but both players were a huge reason why the Penguins lost.