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3 Burning Questions for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2023-24
September 7, 2023 by George Majchrzak
As the summer of 2023 winds down, NHL training camps will start soon, which means the 2023-24 regular season will soon be upon us. For the Pittsburgh Penguins, it has been an eventful offseason, following the team’s first absence from the playoffs in 17 years.
New general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas came aboard in June, he hired Jason Spezza soon thereafter, and the two of them set about reshaping the team. Their biggest get, of course, was defenseman Erik Karlsson, but other moves, like acquiring right wing Reilly Smith fresh off a Stanley Cup win with the Vegas Golden Knights, give the sense that the Penguins are headed in the right direction.
Still, there are no guarantees, and ice is slippery and unforgiving. Going into this season, I have many questions regarding things that could make or break any success for this team. Here are three of my biggest burning questions.
Pittsburgh Penguins Scouting Report: What to Watch for This Year
September 2, 2023 by Mike Cranwell
So here we are mid-summer, not much was happening in hockey, and I was missing the game. Since there wasn’t enough time to watch Canada Cup 1972 or 1987, I figured it would be smart to prepare for this year by putting the scouting hat back on, watch some nine-minute edits of several (10) of last season’s games while riding the assault bike. Watching as a scout versus as a fan means having a specific focus, as I want to learn and pass along as much as possible about what happened last season, and how it informs us about this coming season.
Penguins Power Play Gets an Upgrade with Karlsson Addition
September 1, 2023 by Sylvie McCarthy
The Pittsburgh Penguins have spent the offseason trying to improve on some key problems such as goaltending, the bottom six and special teams. Despite being stacked with talent, the Penguins’ power play has not been good for a while. Pittsburgh ranked 19th in the NHL with the man advantage in 2021-22 and 14th last season with a conversion rate of 21.7 percent. However, the team may have finally added the missing piece to that puzzle with defenseman Erik Karlsson.