Why David Perron Is the Key to the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2nd Half

It is no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins have not found an abundance of playoff success in recent NHL seasons. The Penguins' lack of depth and compete level has cost them dearly on the grandest stage.

Most recently, the New York Rangers bounced the Pens from the 2013-14 Eastern Conference Semifinals. As a result, the house was cleared. Both head coach Dan Bylsma and general manager Ray Shero lost their jobs.

Whether these firings were warranted is largely up for debate, but one thing was apparent: The Penguins were not deep enough. This is why new acquisitions like David Perron are key to the franchise’s success in the near future.

Perron’s acquisition was largely viewed as a move to bolster the Penguins down the left wing, where they’ve been hampered by injuries thus far. Good for roughly 47 points per season thus far in his career, the 26-year-old fits that bill nicely. 

Perron’s skill complements the top players in the Penguins' lineup nicely. He's currently paired with Sidney Crosby, and opponents have not read the book on the duo just yet.

The results speak for themselves on the scoresheet.

While Perron doesn’t bring grit that critics still insist the Penguins are lacking, secondary scoring has allowed for a checking line to be formed, as noted by Scott Engstrom on Pens Labyrinth.

Chris Kunitz and Bryan Rust are gritty counterparts who wreaked havoc on the forecheck when Pittsburgh hosted the Boston Bruins on Jan. 7. Despite the loss, the third line of Kunitz, Rust and Brandon Sutter caused lots of problems.

Not only that, but the greater depth allows the Pens to be a versatile club—even with their cramped injured reserve.

This goes a long way for the Pens, who are looking to reestablish themselves as contenders.

Playoff losses since the 2009 season to various opponents have brought criticism in the past, mostly for the abundance of defensive mistakes that are made as teams neutralized the Pens offense. Dejan Kovacevic of DK on Pittsburgh Sports suggests Bylsma was too stubborn to make adjustments.

But one of the most prominent problems related to the Pens’ inability to adjust came from the lack of depth, as they could not produce when it mattered.

As The Hockey Writers’ Billy Nauman reported in a Feb. 13, 2013 article, the Pens’ secondary players determine whether the Pens can find success in the playoffs. Looking at the recent history on display in this piece, the Penguins have been unable to do so:

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And looking at this group it would appear again that the Penguins really do have a problem. Of all the teams in the league, only five – the Penguins, Flames, Red Wings, Avalanche and Sabres – do not have a third or fourth liner that is averaging 0.9 G/60 or higher. (Remember that’s not goals per game, that’s goals per 60 minutes of ice time for each individual player). And another troubling fact is that the Penguins only have three total third and fourth forwards that have recorded a goal at all. Only seven teams (Buffalo, Carolina, Calgary, Detroit, Minnesota, Nashville and St. Louis) have fewer.

Looking back historically this isn’t the first time the Penguins have found themselves in this situation. Matt Cooke is the best of the bottom six with 0.85 G/60 and also led the team last year with 0.92 G/60. To find a bottom six Penguin with a G/60 average over 1, you have to go all the way back to 2010 when Pascal Dupuis led the group with 1.14.

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The correlation with playoff exits is too easy to ignore. Bleacher Report’s Carol Schram echoed these sentiments in a piece of her own.

While being concerned with these depth problems, head coach Mike Johnston and the Penguins have a solution to the issue at hand thanks to the Perron trade.

Aside from the points outlined above regarding the versatility of the new roster, the timing of the deal gives the Penguins time to jell as a group before other teams make adjustments.

The Pens currently sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 58 points.

While the Pens may still be in line to make other moves, as suggested today by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Josh Yohe, offensive chemistry cannot come soon enough for a group looking to reaffirm its place as a playoff performer.