The Pittsburgh Penguins have one goal going into the 2024-25 NHL season: get back to the playoffs. After a 16-year streak of playoff hockey to start Sidney Crosby's career, it's been two seasons since Pittsburgh made it to the postseason. There are various reasons for their failures in recent years, which haven't been fixed for the upcoming campaign. How do Tristan Jarry, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson hold the keys to a successful Penguins season?
Penguins need improved goaltending
When Matt Murray led the Penguins to a championship in 2017, it appeared that they had replaced Marc-Andre Fleury with the goalie of the future. Now, Murray is fighting for a roster spot on the Toronto Maple Leafs after hip injuries derailed his career. Since his departure, Tristan Jarry has not been good enough to lift an aging Penguins core.
Jarry's best season was in 2021-22 when he posted a .919 save percentage in the regular season. He got hurt in the playoffs, leading to their first-round loss to the Rangers. He has not posted a save percentage over .910 in the past two years. The Penguins must have star-level goaltending to make the playoffs again.
The front office has not brought anyone in to challenge Jarry for the starting role. Alex Nedeljkovic continues as the backup in Pittsburgh. While he picked up 18 wins in 33 starts a year ago, he has proven he is not a starting goalie in the NHL. The pressure lies on Jarry to get back to his 2021-22 levels.
Veteran defenders must step up
The Penguins have two future Hall of Famers on their blue line. Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson each averaged over 24 minutes a night in the regular season and scored over 50 points last year. Despite that, the defensive core did not hold up well enough. One off-season addition will help those players out on defense.
Former Bruins defender Matt Grzelyck signed in Pittsburgh this off-season. He spent the first eight years of his career for his hometown Bruins and signed on for one season with the Penguins. Grzeleyck will not only help take pressure off of Letang and Karlsson but help the goaltending as well.
Marcus Pettersson is the final member of the top four defenders in Pittsburgh. He is also a pending unrestricted free agent but may be signing a new contract soon. Each of these players needs to step up to ensure the Penguins get back to the playoffs.
Career years from offseason additions
The Penguins traded away center Jake Guentzel at the NHL trade deadline last season. Guentzel has been a premier goal scorer since his debut in 2017 and is now with the Tampa Bay Lightning. While they got a solid return, they did need to replace his output this off-season.
Kevin Hayes and Anthony Beauvillier are the two main additions to the forward core. Hayes came by way of St. Louis, who traded him for future considerations. He has not scored 20 goals since 2020 when he was with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins have a myriad of veteran leadership, so they need Hayes to score goals in their bottom six.
Anthony Beauvillier spent last season with the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators before hitting free agency. He has made his way back to the Metropolitan Division on a one-year deal with Pittsburgh. They need him to return to the form he showed when he was on the New York Islanders.
He has scored 15 goals in five of his eight seasons, all of which include games with the Islanders. Beauvillier has also shined in the playoffs, with 16 goals in 55 games including a Game Six overtime goal in the 2021 semi-finals. If they can get to the playoffs, expect the Penguins to be led by Beuavillier in their bottom six.
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