5 Burning Questions for Pittsburgh Penguins After the 2015 Trade Deadline

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the NHL's most interesting teams over the last half-decade because of their ability to dominate the regular season and fold like a house of cards once the playoffs roll around.

General manager Jim Rutherford was one of the NHL's most active executives at the deadline, but did he make the right moves? There are still some questions to be answered. Here are the five burning questions for Pittsburgh after the deadline.

Will the Pittsburgh Penguins Make It out of the First Round?

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins made some moves at the deadline to bolster their defense and bottom six, but is the team good enough to make it out of the first round?

The Penguins have four amazing forwards in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, David Perron and Patric Hornqvist, but that's about it. Chris Kunitz has regressed significantly, Daniel Winnik is a good bottom-six guy and Brandon Sutter is a serviceable third-line center.

There are no other talented forwards worth mentioning, and on defense, Kris Letang is the only true standout. Paul Martin and Rob Scuderi both haven't been great this season, Ian Cole and Ben Lovejoy were just added to the roster and Derrick Pouliot is still learning the ropes.

The Penguins have squandered many opportunities over the past few years, and it remains to be seen if they are good enough to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. 

Will Mike Johnston Have a Job After This Season?

Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images

Mike Johnston has done an excellent job this season in his first year as bench boss of the Penguins, but will this be a one-and-done season?

Although there's a good chance that Mike Babcock will be signing a new deal with the Detroit Red Wings, there's always the chance that he hits the market. If he were to become a free agent, Pittsburgh would have to have an opening to add him to the organization.

There's no secret about Babcock's relationship with captain Sidney Crosby, and you would have to think the two would love to work with each other more often than every four years for Team Canada.

With that said, did general manager Jim Rutherford hire Johnston to be a place holder, or does he have a future beyond this season with the Penguins?

Why Did the Penguins Give Up on Simon Despres?

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

One of the more confusing deals of the trade deadline was the Penguins' decision to send Simon Despres to Anaheim for Ben Lovejoy. The Penguins have slowly brought along Despres since he made his NHL debut at age 20, and this was the first season he was put in a role to succeed.

The 23-year-old, 6'4" defender had 17 points in 59 games and was averaging 16:23 a game. He only cost $900k against the salary cap and was a perfect, cost-effective roster player.

Did the Penguins feel that Despres wasn't progressing as quickly as they would like? Did the emergence of Derrick Pouliot make him expendable? It is a question that needs to be answered, because Despres could still turn into a quality, offensive top-four defender with the Ducks as he enters his prime.

Should Jim Rutherford Have Pushed to Re-Acquire Jordan Staal?

Gregg Forwerck/Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins dealt Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2012 NHL Draft. One of the returns in that deal, center Brandon Sutter, hasn't been an adequate replacement for Staal on the third line.

General manager Jim Rutherford was the man in charge of the Hurricanes who brought Staal to Raleigh. Rutherford also was the one who felt he deserved an extension that paid him $6 million a season. There were rumors before the deadline from Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review that Pittsburgh wanted to re-acquire Staal, but nothing every came to fruition.

Pittsburgh would have had to make the dollars work because of its salary cap situation, but it would have been a move that made sense. Had Staal rejoined the Penguins, the team's bottom six would have been bolstered in a big way. There would be no question about the team's depth and ability to contribute offensively. 

There's a chance talks can be resumed this summer, but will the Penguins regret not making a bigger move at the deadline come playoff time?

Why Didn't Penguins Add an Experienced Backup Goaltender?

Steve Babineau/Getty Images

Goaltending has usually been the downfall of the Pittsburgh Penguins. In recent years, the Penguins have had veteran netminders who could step in when Marc-Andre Fleury had a meltdown. This season, Thomas Greiss is the Penguins' backup, but he only has one game of playoff experience.

Jeff Zatkoff—Fleury's backup last year—had no playoff experience. He's appeared in one game this season. It may seem like a minor thing, but not having a "Plan B" is something that the Penguins should have considered at the trade deadline.

The last time Pittsburgh made a serious playoff run, Tomas Vokoun was the team's backup. He was able to stabilize the situation when Fleury faltered. During 11 playoff games, the 36-year-old netminder went 6-5 with a 2.01 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. 

This year there will be no safety net. If Fleury flounders, the Penguins could be in a situation of blowing another playoff run because of shoddy goaltending.

Stats via Hockey-Reference and The Hockey News unless otherwise noted.