Pittsburgh Penguins' 10 Most Important Players for the 2013-14 Season
The Pittsburgh Penguins are aiming to take command of the new Metropolitan Division, and if players like James Neal, Marc-Andre Fleury and Sidney Crosby can step up, theyโll have little trouble doing so.
The Penguins suffered an embarrassing end to their season last year when the Boston Bruins swept them out of the Eastern Conference Finals.ย
Now, theyโll be competing against some familiar foes and some new ones to come out on top in the new division.ย
But if the teamโs top offensive stars and the blue-line defensemen can come together, the Penguins should have no trouble triumphing.
Honorable Mentions: Brandon Sutter and Joe Vitale
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They may go unnoticed at times, but centers Brandon Sutter and Joe Vitale are huge parts of helping the offense thrive.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin get all the attention as the offensive stars at the position, but Sutter and Vitale are essential for the way they anchor the third and fourth lines.
Sutterโs been as good as advertised after coming over from the Carolina Hurricanes.ย
He scored 11 goals and tallied eight assists in the shortened season, and heโs a key part of the second power-play unit.ย
Similarly, Vitale keys the fourth line.ย
He only had five points last year, but his 26 shots on goal prove heโs an offensive agitator.
If both of these centers can keep their respective lines humming, it will take a huge amount of stress off the top two lines and will make the offense truly explosive.
10/9: Tomas Vokoun and Jeff Zatkoff
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Backup goalies are hardly the most exciting players on any hockey team, but theyโre still vital to a squadโs success.
Tomas Vokoun took on a particularly large role in the playoffs last season, as he took over for the struggling Marc-Andre Fleury.
Vokoun was brilliant, allowing just 2.01 goals per game and recording a .933 save percentage.
He buoyed the team in the regular season too, starting 17 games and earning 13 wins.
But now heโs out for three to six months with blood clots, leaving the backup goalie spot in Jeff Zatkoffโs hands.ย
Prior to Vokounโs injury, coaches expected Zatkoff to spend the season in the minor leagues, but now heโll have to spell Fleury until Vokoun returns.
The combination of Vokounโs health and Zatkoffโs performance in his absence will play a huge role in the teamโs longevity.ย
8. Pascal Dupuis
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Many feel that bringing back Pascal Dupuis was Pittsburghโs best offseason move, and itโs hard to disagree.ย
Dupuis has morphed into the teamโs best two-way player.
Heโs excellent on offense, scoring 20 goals a season ago. He is slated to play on the first line this year, but is equally physical in the checking game.
He is 34 years old, so thereโs some concern about how he can hold up with age.
However, heโs already averaging close to 19 minutes of ice time in the young season, showing no sign of slowing down, which should keep the offense explosive.
Thereโs no other offseason move that might be more important.
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7. Rob Scuderi
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After spending the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, defenseman Rob Scuderi is back with the Penguins.ย
He was a crucial part of the blue line in the teamโs 2009 Stanley Cup win, and he should be able to boost this yearโs line in a big way as well.
Heโs on the teamโs second pairing of defenders, so heโll play a big role right away.
He had a sneakily good year for the Kings last year, piling up 12 points in the shortened schedule, and he could be a big boost defensively for the team as well.
With some defenders struggling with injury, and the regression of prospects like Simon Despres, Scuderi will provide a much needed veteran presence.
After spending the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, defenseman Rob Scuderi is back with the Penguins.
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He was a crucial part of the blue line in the teamโs 2009 Stanley Cup win and he should be able to boost this yearโs line in a big way as well.
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Heโs on the teamโs second pairing of defenders, so heโll play a big role right away.
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He had a sneakily good year for the Kings last year, piling up 12 points in the shortened schedule, and he could be a big boost defensively for the team as well.
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With some defenders struggling with injury, and the regression of prospects like Simon Despres, Scuderi will provide a much-needed veteran presence.
6. Evgeni Malkin
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It might seem odd to see a dominant offensive player like Evgeni "Geno" Malkin relatively low on this list.
But Malkinโs best characteristic is his remarkable consistency, which makes him a known quantity for the Penguins.
In his seven seasons in the league, heโs only totaled less than 70 points twice.
The first time was during last yearโs lockout shortened campaign, when he dealt with injuries and still tallied 33 points. The second was in 2010 when he only played 43 games.
Coach Dan Bylsma can pretty much pencil him in as an offensive juggernaut, and while thereโs always some concern about him staying healthy, Geno will be a force when heโs on the ice.
Instead of worrying over Malkin, the team should be concerned with some stars on the blue line.
5. Kris Letang
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Kris Letang can be great at times, but heโs also one of the teamโs more infuriating players.
His abilities on offense, and especially on the power play, are without question.
Heโs scored nine goals and added 43 assists on the power play over the last three seasons alone.
But heโs prone to some serious lapses on defense at times, and his health has been a real issue over the last three years.
He played just 35 games a year ago and only 51 the season before that.
Now, heโs experiencing knee issues once again, and although heโs reportedly close to returning, his health could be an issue all year.
If Letang can stay healthy and focused, the Penguins defense will be serviceable enough to hold up over the course of the year.
If he canโt, the blue line will continue to struggle, particularly come playoff time.
However, itโs the player who will lead the unit in his absence that may be even more significant.
4. Brooks Orpik
7 of 10Brooks Orpik has been a key part of the Penguins for a decade now, but at age 33, he might be slipping a little.ย
He was able to score eight points last season, but he didnโt look like the same player defensively.
Teams were able to get into his head with some physical play at times, such as the Milan Lucic hit in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
This year, heโll be counted on to carry the unit while Letang recovers, and it might prove to be a tall order.
If he can submit a vintage performance, then itโll really boost the defense through the long regular season.
3. James Neal
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James Neal is another Penguin who can elate or disappoint fans at any given time.
Heโs totaled 62 goals in his three seasons in Pittsburgh, but he has a tendency to disappear for long stretches.ย
He played reasonably well in the playoffs this year, tallying a hat trick as part of his 10 points, but his previous two postseason stretches were ugly.ย
Neal only mustered two points in 2010 and six in 2011, which has earned him a lot of ire.ย
It might seem unfair given his regular season production, but given the enormity of the six-year contract he signed last year, itโs not unreasonable to expect consistency.
Heโs dealing with an upper body injury to start the season, but if he can finally put together a stable season, he can vault the offense to new heights.
However, his offensive importance pales in comparison to the gameโs biggest star.
2. Sidney Crosby
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Thereโs no way around it: When heโs on the ice, Sidney Crosby is the best player in the NHL.
Unfortunately for the Penguins, that key phrase โwhen heโs on the iceโ has been quite the qualifier recently.
Heโs only played 99 games in the last three seasons combined, largely thanks to concussion issues and the broken jaw he suffered last year.
But when he does play, he raises the game of everyone on the ice with him.
For the Penguins to go from good to truly great, theyโll need Crosbyโs remarkable talents.
Yet, despite his monumental importance, heโs still not the player the team is counting on the most.
Malkin has proved he can carry the offense in Crosbyโs absence.
Instead, itโs the goalie that will determine the teamโs fortune this season.
1. Marc-Andre Fleury
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For some reason, Marc-Andre Fleury is allergic to the playoffs.
After turning out dominant playoff performances in the teamโs trips to the Stanley Cup Finals in both 2008 and 2009, Fleury has fallen off a cliff in recent years when the postseason rolls around.
In the last two regular seasons, Fleuryโs had goals per game averages of 2.36 and 2.39 respectively.
When he entered the playoffs after both those seasons the averaged jumped up to 4.63 and 3.51.
Vokoun completely took over for Fleury early in last yearโs playoff run, which had to come as a blow to the veteranโs confidence.
Now, without an experienced backup to lean on, the team is counting on him to come back and better than ever this season.ย
Heโs played well in the teamโs first two games, tallying a shutout in one and allowing just one score in the other, but it remains to be seen how heโll hold up over the course of the season.
If he can dominate this season, then this squad will have no trouble winning the division.ย
If he struggles, then things will get much tougher and fans will be forced to count the days until Vokounโs return.
For that reason, all eyes will be on Fleury in 2013.
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