With the recent losing streak the Pittsburgh Penguins have been on, it is no surprise that everyone is looking to GM Ray Shero to make some moves to help the team get out of the midseason slump they are in.
I believe that prior to the trade deadline, Shero will be under a bit of pressure to make all the necessary changes to get the team back on track, similar to what he did by bringing Marian Hossa on board last season.
Although I believe that the team has a wealth of talent to work with, a few changes need to be made for them to become the Stanley Cup contending team they once were that led them to within two games of winning the Cup last season.
With all the new players the Penguins acquired during the offseason, they failed to pick up a replacement to fill the skates of Ryan Malone. I believe this is definitely one area where the Penguins are lacking and it has had a big impact on their success as a whole.
Malone was a huge presence in front of the net which was one of the keys to the team’s achievements last season. They initially were looking to Jordan Staal to move into this role, however, he still needs time to develop such skills.
Another important role they neglected to fill was that of a veteran leader which was eliminated with the departure of Gary Roberts and more recently Daryll Sydor. The majority of this team is made up of younger players who obviously still need the experience of a veteran to guide them through the normal highs and lows of a season.
The coaching staff may be another area that the organization will be forced to look at. The media and a lot of the fans have been quick to point the finger at head coach Michel Therrien and special teams coach Mike Yeo. However, I believe if they choose to go this route it will be Yeo who takes the brunt of the blame.
After all, it is the Penguins' power play that currently seems to be one of the biggest problems for this team.
Regardless of what changes are made, it is abundantly clear that they are necessary for the Penguins to climb their way back up the Eastern Conference standings in order to even make it to the playoffs.
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