Penguins' Best-Case Scenarios, 20 Years of 18-Year Old Rookies & the NHL's Top 10 Defensemen
Welcome to the THW Pittsburgh Penguins Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Penguins writers.
This time, we take a look at the Penguins’ best-case scenarios for 2023-24, at a brief history of 18-year-old NHL rookies like Sidney Crosby and how Connor Bedard might compare to some of those greats, and finally at the NHL’s Top-10 defensemen going into the 2023-24 season and where Erik Karlsson ranks among them.
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Now on to the good stuff…
Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4 Best-Case Scenarios for 2023-24
October 5, 2023 by George Majchrzak
When the 2022-23 season ended, it turned out to be one of disappointment for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were unable to extend their streak of 16 straight playoff appearances that one more year. They found themselves out of the running by one point in the standings behind the Florida Panthers and tied with the young, up-and-coming Buffalo Sabres.
What followed, of course, was an eventful offseason, which saw former general manager (GM) Ron Hextall fired and then replaced with Kyle Dubas, plenty of roster turnover, like the acquisition of free agent forward Reilly Smith, and finally the much-celebrated trade acquisition of reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson.
Though last season was frustrating for the Penguins and for Dubas in his final year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the pieces seem to be in place now to make some noise in 2023-24. In the spirit of optimism, let’s take a look at what could happen for those pieces in the best-case scenarios for the Penguins in the season ahead.
Connor Bedard & the History of 18-Year-Old NHL Rookies
October 1, 2023 by The Old Prof
There’s no question that Connor Bedard is going to be an immense young talent for the Chicago Blackhawks. He’s already generated excitement and anticipation among hockey fans – even if they aren’t fans of the Blackhawks. He’s young, enthusiastic, skilled, and oh-so likable.
He’s already been compared to some of the greatest names in NHL history – like Wayne Gretzky – and the expectations are sky-high. But can Bedard live up to all this hype? Can he become the highest-scoring 18-year-old NHL player in the past two decades? That’s the question I want to explore in this post.
NHL’s Top 10 Defencemen for 2023-24
October 1, 2023 by Rupert McDonald
Prior to the 2022-23 season, we put lists together on the top 10 players for each position, as well as coaches. It goes without saying that it is a very tough list to do given how subjective it is, but nevertheless we are here to do it once again.
As you will see, there are names on this list that have changed due to some defencemen playing exceptional this past season, while others struggled. With that said, here are the top 10 defensemen in the NHL as we get set to enter the 2023-24 season.