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Penguins Listed as Top Contender for 100-Point Scorer by Analysts
Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins could be in for some serious pain in the coming years, as their team appears ready to enter a long rebuilding process.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are all another year older, and this is expected to be the last year in the career of Malkin; however longer Letang decides to continue playing remains to be seen.
Next summer's free agent list includes several major names, including New York Rangers star forward Artemi Panarin.
Why Pittsburgh Could Be the Front-Runner in the Panarin Sweepstakes
The Penguins make sense for Panarin via analyst Nestor Quixan of Sportskeeda, saying it could also entice other big-name players to sign with the Penguins.
Despite the Penguins heading into what looks to be a full-blown rebuild, they will have plenty of cap space next season. The Penguins will likely shed Evgeni Malkin's contract and potentially move Erik Karlsson's $10 million cap hit.
If that's the case, playing with Sidney Crosby could be too much for Artemi Panarin to pass up. A Crosby-Panarin combo could be just enough to entice other big-name free agents to sign in the Steel City.
If that's the case, playing with Sidney Crosby could be too much for Artemi Panarin to pass up. A Crosby-Panarin combo could be just enough to entice other big-name free agents to sign in the Steel City.
How Panarin's Elite Playmaking Fits with Crosby and the Penguins' Core
Panarin has been one of the top playmakers in the NHL since the start of his career 10 years ago in 2015 with the Chicago Blackhawks, during which he was named Rookie of the Year for 2015-16.
At the same time, Crosby has shown no sign of slowing down and could be enticed to stay with the Penguins longer rather than choosing to leave and chase a Stanley Cup for one last time in his career.
Adding Panarin would also instantly elevate the Penguins into possible playoff contention, and once in, anything can happen.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 28 | 28 ANSWERS Penguins Listed as Top Contender for 100-Point Scorer by Analysts Does Kyle Dubas need to go all in for Artemi Panarin next summer? | ||
| Yes | 16 | 57.1 % |
| No | 12 | 42.9 % |
| List of polls | ||