Penguins Perspectives: Shake it off, but don't hesitate to shake it up
Welcome to Penguins Perspectives, a weekly column by KDKA-TV Digital Producer Patrick Damp. Each Friday, Patrick will talk about the week that was, the week to come, what to watch for, and more.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Sports, by its nature, is a place where time is limited. Not just literally - hockey games are sixty minutes with a five-minute overtime in the regular season and sixty minutes plus however long it takes to find a winner in the postseason - but figuratively, as well.
We certainly know that here in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, along with their new pal Erik Karlsson, don't have a ton of time left in the National Hockey League, and with a young, hungry, and talented crop of new players itching to make their mark, the window to win a championship is quickly closing.
Which is why, while watching this team sleepwalk their way through the second period of a Wednesday night matchup with the Detroit Red Wings, I was heartened by the words of the new President of Hockey Operations, Kyle Dubas.
"When we set off through the offseason we wanted to get back to that [team toughness] and address that in the bottom six, I don't know that we're quite there yet, and that falls on me," he told the NHL on TNT crew between the first and second period.
Kyle Dubas stopped by to chat with the crew about how things are going for him after his move to Pittsburgh ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/yXoXUpXGlp
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) October 19, 2023
Couple that with the move to put newly acquired forward Jansen Harkins on waivers yesterday, and it shows that inaction is not an option for this new front office.
Everyone here is keenly aware of what happened last season, away from just missing the postseason for the first time since 2005. A lot of players were given long leashes, change was scarce and a team that was often fast and dynamic became stale.
Through four games, it's been a mixed bag.
The team looked solid against the rival Capitals and the Calgary Flames and looked somewhere between listless and disinterested against the Chicago Blackhawks and Red Wings.
Throughout the first four matchups, what had been a concern last season continued to be one early on - the bottom-six forward group.
Of the six players who have played in that unit through four games, Lars Eller, Matt Nieto, Jeff Carter, Jansen Harkins, Drew O'Connor, and Noel Acciari, there is one point between the six of them and they're a combined minus-five.
For a team in a competitive division and conference looking to not only return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs but go on a potential championship run, that's simply not good enough.
Now, with Harkins on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre and an injury to Noel Acciari, the Penguins and Kyle Dubas have shown that the leashes for these complimentary players are no longer long.
However, this is just one part of the puzzle. Radim Zohorna was arguably the Penguins' best player throughout the preseason and training camp. It's time for him to get a look in the Penguins' bottom six. Add in the fact that each time he's had a chance to play with the big club over the past couple of seasons he's been effective, it's on Mike Sullivan to let the kid play. In 25 games played with the big club, he's scored 4 goals and 10 points. Not earth-shattering, but certainly more than what we've seen so far from that group.
He also plays a style that fits Sullivan's system: fast, physical, and willing to "push the pace."
It would also be high time for someone like Alex Nylander to get a real shot. While he wasn't overly impressive in the preseason, he's at a point in his career to show that he's a full-time NHL contributor.
Essentially, it's put up or shut up time for him.
With the clock ticking on this era of Penguins hockey, it's clear they have the person necessary in the front office who has said he will not hesitate to use waivers, the trade market, and whatever else is required to get this team back to the postseason, and hopefully the mountain top.
Yes, we're just four games into the season, and while championships are not won in October, they certainly can be lost.