PITTSBURGH SIDNEY CROSBY DOESN’T Scare easily But the future is bright. Pittsburgh Penguins had him unnerved.
Center Evgeni Malkin The defenseman Kris LetangCrosby’s three Stanley Cup winning teammates were finishing their contracts last year. There was no way to get free agency. It was rare for any team in hockey or in any other sport to keep an aging core together and not advance past the playoffs’ first round in four consecutive seasons.
Crosby said that he was “sweating” when he spoke to ESPN. It’s simple. It will get closer to free agency the longer it continues. The greater chance you have of wanting to test it. You have to find a balance between optimism and realistic acceptance of the fact that it is possible. [they’d leave].”
Mike Sullivan, Penguins coach led all three of his players to Stanley Cup wins in 2016/2017. He couldn’t even imagine Crosby as the captain of a Pittsburgh team without Malkin or Letang.
It would have been difficult for him. Sullivan said that all three of them have been through a lot together. They’ve seen their successes and their failures. He is very proud to keep trying to win and, in particular, to continue winning with those guys.
“I cannot imagine what Sid would have gone through. “I’m glad that we don’t have the opportunity to find out.”
Letang, 35 years old, signed a six year extension to his contract worth $36million on July 7. Malkin, 36 years old, signed a $24.4 million, four-year contract just five days later. After Malkin had announced that he intended to test free agency, tensions with Pittsburgh culminated in Malkin signing a four-year contract worth $24.4 million.
Sullivan remembers feeling hopeful that they would both return to Pittsburgh – until Malkin’s negotiations.
“I had always believed that we’d accomplish it, even up to the last 48-hours before Geno gave us free agency,” he stated. “That was the only moment I had doubts. I knew that we would be able retain these men. They know what that means to me.”
Crosby: What does it mean?
He said, “Just… happy.” “Relieved. Then we thought immediately, “Relieved. These guys will stay. These guys are staying.
BRYAN RUST IS A member of the band as well.
He said, “Yeah. I might be third backup singer.”
Rust (30 years old) was expected to attract significant interest as an unrestricted, free agent. Crosby has found the winger a great complement. Jake Guentzel The Penguins’ top line skater, and he also did well when matched up with Malkin.
Rust was not always convinced that the core would remain together. After losing Game 7 in overtime, Rust recalls sitting in his locker. New York Rangers That dread was present in May last year, which I couldn’t shake.
“I was like, ‘Oh s—… Is this my last opportunity with this team?” He replied. “Because the business works and the cap is the way that it is.”
Rust signed a six-year extension to his contract on May 21 that was worth $30.75million. He didn’t try to find other riches from NHL contenders. He believes that the Penguins’ free agents made it financially fine, and Pittsburgh understood they wouldn’t be able to offer them steep discounts.
“Everyone should do their best for the business and themselves, but [also] He said, “As a team and individually.” “Those guys want win. They want to be here. I’m no different. This was clear. However, we were not going to lose individually.”
Letang was another player that many believed could test the market. Even though he is entering his 17th NHL year, Letang’s effectiveness as a defenceman has not diminished. Last season, he played 78 games and scored 68 points. His average time on the ice per game was 25:47. Letang placed seventh in the Norris Trophy race. This was the fourth consecutive year he has received votes.
He would have raised the blue line for many of his competitors. There was talk of him joining Kent Hughes, his ex-agent, in Montreal. Hughes is currently the president. Canadiens‘ general manager.
Letang wasn’t sure if he would stay with the Penguins. “Otherwise, I would have been signed in the summer before. It would have been much easier, wouldn’t it? He laughed.
Crosby was also present in his conversations.
Sid is my best friend. Letang stated that they talked about the whole summer and the whole year. “We didn’t know if it would happen. We are glad that it is over and can now look forward.
OF THE PENGUINS Crosby, Letang and the holy trinity of Crosby are a proof that they have no doubts about their continuing excellence in their ageing.
Malkin is a completely different story.
He was a Hart Trophy and Conn Smythe Award former winner. His right ACL was also repaired. Although his point production was still strong (he scored 42 points in 41 matches, scoring 20 goals), it seemed that he had lost some ground. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette observed that Malkin’s rush efforts had slowed down significantly. Malkin generated 0.57 rush attempts every 60 minutes two seasons before his 2021 surgery. This is compared to 0.22 rush attempts an average of last season.
“In many instances, Malkin’s skating looked exactly like what you would expect from a 35 year-old who is less than one year away from his second serious knee injury,” Mike DeFabo of the Gazette wrote.
Malkin’s strength at even strength was negatively affected by the transition game. Sullivan called Malkin’s 5-on-5 game “sporadic” in last season’s championship, but last week said that he hasn’t made any adjustments to Malkin’s usage based upon that decline.
Sullivan said that nothing has changed about how he is used. He’s still an offensive powerhouse who can take over any game. There aren’t many of these guys in the league.
Last season, Sullivan made a change that will be permanent in 2022-23. Rust was moved to Malkin’s place. Sullivan claimed that Malkin had his best games with Rust as his winger, due to his ability to forecheck the game and his defensive awareness. Crosby, Guentzel and others spent this preseason with the winger Rickard RakellAlthough he is not a “band member”, he signed a $30 million, six-year contract to remain in Pittsburgh until free agency.
Rust was pleased to see Malkin return. Rust, just like Letang, couldn’t imagine how the Penguins could enhance their impact on ice without losing something off the ice.
“Someone else could be here, but it’s not worth disrupting the chemistry to get more of the same when we know that we have a team capable of doing something.” He said, “[Without Malkin and Letang]There would have been lots of conversations about them not being in the room. They aren’t, thank goodness.
Letang indicated that they felt the same about Rust as Malkin.
“If Geno dies, and Rusty dies, are you able to replace them?” Is it better to have them than having them? “I don’t believe so.”
Letang believes there is another Stanley Cup within this group?
“That’s all I want. For sure.”
MIKE SULLIVAN POWER Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Letang don’t skate together in games. But, he’s also a member. The players weren’t the only ones who signed extensions: Sullivan, who has coached Penguins since 2015-16, signed a three year contract that will pay him through 2026-27.
“We have been through so much together. This hasn’t all been about apple pie or ice cream. “We’ve had difficult conversations over the years,” Sullivan spoke of his core. “I could not be more humbled to continue coaching these guys. They are just amazing. It can be difficult to keep a sports team together. This is what I find so wonderful about this situation.”
The Penguins’ new owners, the Fenway Group, were not reluctant to approve new contracts for Letang or Malkin. Ron Hextall, the general manager of the Penguins, also approved new contracts for Letang and Malkin. He wanted to support the veteran players as they continue their careers in Pittsburgh.
“In a perfect universe, Geno retires as a Penguin. Hextall spoke out before Tanger was granted free agency. “These two are great players for the future. They don’t come along very often.”
Rust believes Hextall’s decision was made easier by the Penguins’ playoff performance.
“There is such a fine line when it comes to the playoffs between winning or losing. There are times when you just know you’re in, he stated. You feel like you are being dominated, and that maybe it is time to make some changes. You could see that not only last year but also the previous year were series we could and should have won. The management also saw this.”
They were opening-round losers: a six-game loss against the New York Islanders After the COVID-shortened 56 game season in 2020-21 and a seven-game loss against the Rangers last playoff season. Yet both series had mitigating circumstances.
The Penguins lost to the Islanders in a series where goalie was involved. Tristan Jarry With backup, implode Casey DeSmith Due to injury, they are not able to rescue them.
The Penguins did not win against the Rangers. DeSmith was injured in a stellar Game 1 performance and had to be ejected from the series due to a core issue. Jarry was injured until Game 7, when he was replaced by the struggling Louis Domingue Only to lose in overtime. Defenseman Brian Dumoulin Rakell, as well as Rakell, were also lost in Game 1.
Pittsburgh led by 3-1 in the series when it was a Jacob Trouba Crosby was injured in Game 5. The Rangers won the series with three consecutive wins.
“We had a great team. It didn’t work out our way. Letang stated that while we played some of the best hockey, we couldn’t win the playoffs. We had the team to win it, but we didn’t get the bounces that we needed. It was the right decision to go back at it.
Penguins culture makes it easy for people to hunger. Defenseman Jeff PetryIt was a Montreal acquisition that prompted a feeling of it in Antoine, who arrived at training camp.
He stated, “What those guys have done together is exceptional.” They’ve clearly reached the top. But that wasn’t enough. They want it to be done again.”
This is why the band is back together again: To push for another Stanley Cup in the Sidney Crosby Era. They know there will always be skepticism. Some will view it as a nostalgia game from a team who refuses to let go of past glory. Others will point out that Father Time is unbeaten and that the Penguins core is 106 years old. The window of opportunity to win must eventually close.
But Sullivan, his players offer the following counterargument. Gaze at the past two postseasons. Tell us that the window isn’t still agape. Please tell us why this band doesn’t have another chart-topper.
Sullivan said, “When we look at those series — and both the opponents went to finals — we felt good regarding our team.” “Our core players played a major part in it. They are showing evidence that elite play is still possible.
“We are aware that we are getting older. We aren’t old. There is a big difference.”