The buzz is growing around several teams that finished behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, whose playoff aspirations now seem like a long shot after a weak start to the offseason and free agency.
The Penguins face a tough situation: even if they improve slightly, they might still fall behind due to the aggressive offseasons by their direct competition in the Metro Division and for an Eastern Conference wild card.
In 2023-24, the Penguins missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year, while their rivals, the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders, managed to stay relevant and secure postseason appearances. Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas called his acquisition of defenseman Erik Karlsson a “jumpstart,” but it wasn’t enough.
The Penguins are done trying to barely make the playoffs, at least from a managerial standpoint. Coach Mike Sullivan and the players will strive for a playoff spot, but Dubas has shifted his focus to the future. At the 2024 NHL Draft, he sidestepped a question from Pittsburgh Hockey Now about his confidence in the team improving for 2024-25, emphasizing a long-term perspective.
“The coaches and the players have to look at it day to day. They’re trying to win every day. I have to look at it with a much broader lens — if Pittsburgh is to be a team that just squeaks in, I understand that would be nice to be in (the playoffs) — but we want to be a contender,” Dubas said at the draft. “And so we have to put the work in and improve the assets that are going to allow us to get there and do that, and that’s going to be our focus.”
Dubas’s words, though a bit vague, indicate a clear direction. The missing word in his statement is “future.” The team and players can aim to win now, but Dubas is focused on long-term success, avoiding trades and signings that could hinder future prospects.
While Dubas made cautious moves at the start of free agency on July 1, the teams chasing the Penguins and their direct rivals made significant strides. The Ottawa Senators acquired former Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Linus Ullmark. Washington made a bold move by trading fading goalie Darcy Kuemper for embattled but talented center Pierre-Luc Dubois, upgraded in goal with Logan Thompson from Vegas, added former 30-goal scorer Andrew Mangiapane from Calgary, and acquired highly sought defenseman Jakob Chychrun from Ottawa.
Washington also strengthened its fourth line by signing Brandon Duhaime and Taylor Raddysh. In just over a week, Washington GM Brian McClellan retooled the roster, transforming a team that was inferior to the Penguins. Washington missed the playoffs in 2022-23 but made it last season due to the Penguins’ struggles.
Like the Penguins, the Capitals haven’t won a playoff series since 2018 and a playoff game since 2022. Despite being built around 38-year-old Alex Ovechkin, Washington has improved by integrating draft picks like Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre into their top nine. They should be considered a favorite for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Ottawa will benefit from a first-rate goalie, the defensively reliable Nick Jensen, and third-line scorers David Perron and Michael Amadio.
The Detroit Red Wings have also significantly improved, not only with another year of growth for young stars Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider but also by retaining Patrick Kane and signing solid middle-six scorer Vladimir Tarasenko. Detroit’s weakness remains in goal, with the acquisition of the inconsistent Cam Talbot.
For the Penguins, notable additions on Day 1 of free agency included Matt Grzelcyk, Blake Lizotte, and Anthony Beauvillier. Kevin Hayes will join the Penguins next season after Dubas took on his contract to acquire the St. Louis Blues’ second-round pick. PHN confirmed the Penguins were interested in Tarasenko but lost that bidding war.
The New Jersey Devils, who had a breakout 2022-23 season, addressed their biggest need by acquiring goalie Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames. They also added depth scoring with Stefan Noesen and top-four defenseman Brett Pesce from Carolina. Additionally, New Jersey signed stay-home defenseman Brenden Dillon and middle-six winger Tomas Tatar. Injuries to center Jack Hughes and lack of goaltending hurt New Jersey last season, but with improved health and these new additions, they are likely to surpass the Penguins.
Even the Philadelphia Flyers had a stroke of good fortune this offseason when Matvei Michkov, the second most talented player in the 2023 draft, left Russia early to join the team. Until a late-season collapse, the Flyers led the Penguins in the standings.
It’s becoming a real possibility that the Penguins could finish seventh in the Metro Division as their rivals have significantly strengthened their rosters. Detroit and Ottawa have also made substantial improvements.
Detroit still has about $20 million in salary cap space remaining, giving them plenty of flexibility.
Of course, the one thing none of the other teams have is Sidney Crosby. The Penguins have struggled with holding leads and their power play has been notably poor. If they can improve these areas, they could remain competitive. However, after a summer of strong moves by their rivals, it remains to be seen if these improvements will be enough to secure a better position.
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