Hope everybody has had a quality holiday season to this point. As far as the Penguins go there hasn’t been much to talk about due to the COVID induced league-wide stoppage. While not the most exciting part of the year it did give the Penguins some extra time to get healthy as far as their injuries are concerned. Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust are right around the corner from returning while Jake Guentzel is still a little bit away. Eventually, Mike Sullivan might have a full roster.
What are the toughest coaching decisions sully will make with a full roster?
— JJ Johnson (@JJ_Wayne_J) December 27, 2021
I think things will be pretty straight forward if he has everybody available. Evan Rodrigues and how to deploy him is probably the most interesting one. Do they use him in a top six role or do they want to utilize him on the third line to try and give Carter a little juice? There aren’t a lot of wrong answers because Rodrigues has been one the surprise breakout players In the league this year. Regardless of where you put him it will spread talent elsewhere.
The other choices are straight forward. Sam Lafferty and Brian Boyle aren’t going to make the lineup when everybody is healthy and quite frankly shouldn’t be considered. The extra forwards for me are Drew O’Connor and Dominik Simon, but I’ll listen to arguments why Aston-Reese could find himself on the outside looking in given his inability to create offense. It depends on matchups. O’Connor might find himself back in the AHL just due to his waiver status.
What do your lines look like *if* the team is ever 100% healthy ? Thoughts on 71/77 as a potential (but unlikely) line combination?
— Jordan Falkner (@Jordan16Falkner) December 27, 2021
There are quite a bit of things you can do when Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are both in the lineup. The obvious thing is you can run Crosby-Malkin-Carter-Blueger down the middle which looks pretty good on paper. I personally want *at least* three scoring lines so I’m going to try and make the talent work to achieve that goal. There are few ways to do it. Here is one
Guentzel-Crosby-Rust Heinen-Malkin-Kapanen Zucker-Carter-Rodrigues ZAR-Blueger-McGinn
Sid gets what he wants and I am intrigued by Danton Heinen playing alongside Evgeni Malkin. Kapanen has to go somewhere and Malkin is probably best equipped to make him useful rather than Crosby. Zucker has good underlying numbers this year, but can’t finish to save his life. Evan Rodrigues is much needed help for Jeff Carter who doesn’t have to punch above his weight now that he is back on the third line. Another option could be
Guentzel-Crosby-Rust Heinen-Malkin-Rodrigues Zucker-Carter-Kapanen ZAR-Blueger-McGinn
Thank god for Rodrigues because I’m not enamored putting Kapanen anywhere on here. Kapanen’s just very inconsistent with a small scope of very specific skills. Not sure what to do with him to be honest.
If you wanted to flip Rodrigues and Rust here that would be fine, too. If we’re being honest Zucker will probably line up next to Malkin and not Heinen, but you asked for my lines and I want to see what Heinen can do.
Malkin - 13 Goals for the remainder of the season. Over or under?
— quarantodd (@quarantodd) December 27, 2021
I’m definitely hitting the over, here. There are 52 more games left on the schedule. I think he could get to 20.
Are the Penguins a better “team… without Malkin?
— Bob (@XHL_Hockey) December 27, 2021
Yes they 100% are a better team with him. Their power play hasn’t been great and I don’t suppose it is a coincidence with Malkin out that is looks the way it has. At even-strength the Penguins have been really strong as far as driving play, but a lot of times they aren’t cashing in on those xGF’s. Even if Malkin doesn’t drive play his offensive finishing ability (whether it is him shooting or making high-danger passes) has a huge amount of value. I think Malkin makes every single team he plays on a better team
Lastly, today here are some injury updates
The good news: Malkin and Rust are taking huge steps in their respective recoveries.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 27, 2021
The not-so-good news: The Penguins have been hit with a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
Read more team updates from @PensInsideScoop: https://t.co/imnPugr19x pic.twitter.com/2cZwYIzfnV
- Forwards Evgeni Malkin (knee) and Bryan Rust (lower-body) were both full participants, taking huge steps in their respective recoveries
Big news there. Should have both players back for the next game, whenever that may be.
Winger Jason Zucker is now week-to-week with a nagging lower-body injury
He’s having a better year than his offensive stats would show. Unfortunate to lose yet another player for weeks at a time.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry, defensemen John Marino and Mike Matheson, and forwards Teddy Blueger, Evan Rodrigues and Dominik Simon have all been added to the NHL's COVID-19 Protocol List
With Omicron being highly contagious it wasn’t realistic to think the Penguins were going to avoid what other teams were experiencing. Best case scenario the players are asymptomatic and make their returns in the very near future.
Thanks for reading!