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Penguins Management Reveals Next Steps for Top Prospects Moving Forward
Photo credit: Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins front office has provided some clarity as to what their plan is with the team's top prospects as we approach the end of the season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins do not have a great prospect pool. After years of competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the team's resources have simply been depleted.
Kyle Dubas made that problem worse when he traded for former Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson ahead of the 2023-24 season, sending out another 1st round draft pick in the process.
Now, with the team firmly outside the playoff picture, one of the big questions surrounding the team is what will they do with their current top prospects?
Will we see guys like Rutger McGroarty and Owen Pickering playing consistent minutes in the NHL down the stretch this season?
Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza spoke to reporters about this very issue today, detailing the team's philosophy and strategy with their prospects.
"Ideally, we want to launch players into the NHL when they are ready to establish themselves and then not look back and not have to come back.
We have to have a trust between us about why things are being done because they're well thought-out and because we want them to be the best NHL player when they arrive. We've gotten the buy-in from that younger prospect group."
We have to have a trust between us about why things are being done because they're well thought-out and because we want them to be the best NHL player when they arrive. We've gotten the buy-in from that younger prospect group."
This patient approach may very well pay dividends for the team a couple of years down the line, but fans want some excitement now.
Luckily, Spezza did add that there will likely be some late-season call ups, so we should get a chance to see some of the team's most promising young guns sooner rather than later.
"You may see a few guys [late in the season]. At the end of the day, we're happy with a lot of them. We just have to figure out what the best path is."
Of course, the biggest question mark surrounding the Penguins over these next couple of years has to do with the futures of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Both players seem as though they want to stay with the team, but either of them could net the organization a huge return in a trade, which could help speed up the rebuild.
It certainly does not appear as though either will be moved ahead of next month's trade deadline though.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 23 | 365 ANSWERS Penguins Management Reveals Next Steps for Top Prospects Moving Forward Do you think Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins should embrace a full rebuild and call up all their top prospects? | ||
| Yes | 299 | 81.9 % |
| No | 43 | 11.8 % |
| Unsure | 23 | 6.3 % |
| List of polls | ||