In possible last dance, Penguins going for broke
With big names like Malkin, Letang, and Rust all free agents, Pens aim for last Cup run with their current core It certainly feels like it was yesterday when Pittsburgh Penguins team captain and superstar Sidney Crosby was first hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head after a hard-fought seven-game series against the veteran-laden Detroit Red Wings. However, it was not yesterday. It was 2009 and Crosby was a 22-year-old kid with the success of the National Hockey League on his shoulders.
It goes without saying that he has absolutely done his job. A Hall of Fame career with two more Stanley Cups, a couple of MVPs and scoring titles, and a myriad of accomplishments later, the Penguins are at a crossroads.
The team has had its success not just with having Crosby as their de facto leader, but with his partner in crime, Evgeni Malkin, doing his split as a member of the Two-Headed monster that has kept the Penguins' over a decade long playoff appearance streak alive. Not to mention top defenseman Kris Letang, who has continued to buoy the Penguins' blueline with his impressive skating skill and offensive prowess. Newer members like wingers Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust have turned into overnight star players.
Though the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions are now a few years old, the team continues to dominate the Metropolitan Division against their rivals such as the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. The unfortunate reality has been multiple playoff disappointments and early exits since.
That may now change. Due to said previously mentioned crossroads.
The Penguins have always operated near the cap. Having two perennial top-five players in the league with Crosby and Malkin, not to mention Letang's monster salary have continuously taken a piece of their salary cap. Not to mention adding pieces that have made the Penguins a constant contender.
This off-season, Malkin, Letang, and Rust are all due for paydays. And though they have previously taken contracts well below market value, as the first two are seemingly looking at their final contract and Rust is looking to finally get his superstar payday, it seems like retention is a fool's errand.
Thus, we look to "The Last Dance" - a moniker adopted from the 1997 Chicago Bulls squad from the NBA, looking at the final run at a championship knowing that the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and coach Phil Jackson would not be seeing the next season. The team operated successfully, fueled by the knowledge that this would be their final chance at a championship. They succeeded, beating the Utah Jazz for their sixth NBA championship in eight seasons, completing their second three-peat.
The Penguins are currently adamant about prolonging their current core, but NHL pundits and analysts are well-aware that an uncertain cap ceiling for next season as the league continues to rebound post-pandemic will lead to the Penguins being even more cash-strapped than they already are.
This could very well be the final season of the Crosby-Malkin era.
Welcome to the Last Dance.