We’ve finally arrived at the start of the 2024-25 NHL season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Expectations are appropriately tempered heading into the season. I don’t think anybody, including the fans, consider them a post season lock. This is more about enjoying the presence of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. I think the playoffs are feasible. I also think they’ll need a lot to go their way to make it happen.

Here are some quick predictions for the season:

Sidney Crosby will be a point per game player

I think Sidney Crosby will break Wayne Gretzky’s record for most consecutive point per game seasons in NHL history. Last year when the Penguins were limping to the finish line the one thing that kept me going was tracking Crosby’s race to 82 points to lock in the point per game rate. I think we will see another great year from the captain and he will get his 20th consecutive season at a point per game or better.

The power play percentage will begin with a 2

Last year was a disgrace as far as the power play was concerned. It was insulting as an entertainment product and as a means to score goals to win games. A complete and utter embarrassment. They converted 15.3% of their chances last season and it was one of the driving forces of them missing the playoffs by a few standings points. So far this preseason and training camp I have seen more puck movement and player movement which is imperative to running a successful modern power play.

Evgeni Malkin will have more points than he did last year

Aging is a concern here. So is the fact he played in all 82 games last year and is unlikely to do so again. I’m still setting the over on 67.5 points because I feel as though the addition of Michael Bunting is going to help him out a lot at 5v5. Malkin hasn’t always had consistency with linemates and I feel like the Bunting/Rakell setup has been consistent throughout camp while Crosby is likely to have Bryan Rust and Drew O’Connor. Things can change, of course, but I feel like Malkin will have some help on the wings this year and he is still a great facilitator of the puck. The likely improved power play will also play a role in him having more points. He had a career low 18 power play points last year if you don’t count lockout seasons or seasons in which he had a major injury.

Rickard Rakell will score 25 goals

This doesn’t seem like a bold prediction, but he has only hit this number once (2022-23) since his 34 goal season in 2017-18. I think he is entering the season healthier than he was for the majority of last year and he is going to be solidly in the top six as far as deployment. As always, if he can stay healthy he has the ability to score goals.

Erik Karlsson will have more points than his jersey number

Last year I thought Erik Karlsson was one of the Penguins better players, but ultimately came up short of the preconceived expectations. I think we will see a more aggressive offensive player this upcoming season. As has been the theme here I think an improved power play will play into the ability to register more points. You’ll still get some sequences that make you scratch your head, but I think he played like he was in a shell at times last year. My prediction is the shell won’t be there, hopefully. As a result, I think there will be more 5v5 points to be had.

Jesse Puljujarvi will set a career high in goals

The former fourth overall pick has come into camp a lot healthier than he’s been in a while. He appears to finally be moving past his double hip surgery which derailed his career path. His career high in goals is 15 so it isn’t the craziest total to eclipse. As of now Puljujarvi has absolutely earned his role on the third line and if he gets steady minutes in that role I think it is very reasonable for him to surpass his previous output. He appears healthy and is in his age 26 season, very doable.

Marcus Pettersson will be traded

I think he’s a great sidekick to an upper-level defenseman and is the kind of player who is definitely good enough to be part of a championship caliber top four. Unfortunately, for the Penguins they are not of that caliber anymore and Pettersson will be 29 when the 2025-26 season begins. If the Penguins were to somehow be locked into a playoff position near the trade deadline I could understand keeping him around. I do not believe it will be the case and I think where the franchise is at the moment it would benefit them to gather some more futures instead of locking in Pettersson to a contract that will be predominately in his 30’s. He is an upper end complementary piece and I don’t think the Penguins should invest in his 30’s for that style of role. I really like him as a player. If the Penguins were a contender I’d keep him. They aren’t.

Lars Eller will be traded

For similar reasons as Pettersson I think the Penguins won’t be secure in a playoff spot and considering Eller is a pending UFA they will move him for futures and it would be the prudent thing to do. Eller as a fourth line center on a contender would be a formidable force. Eller as a third line center on a middling team, not so much.

The Penguins will be better than last year and still miss playoffs

Last year was a huge missed opportunity for the Penguins as far as making the playoffs. The Eastern Conference had some openings and opportunities for the Penguins to slip into the playoffs. I don’t see the same path forward this year. One of the biggest roadblocks will be the New Jersey Devils. The Devils had a lot of injuries to significant players, namely Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton as well as bad goaltending. Those players are healthy right now and the team traded for Jaacb Markstrom which makes for a tougher path in the Metro Division. There are a lot of things that will have to go right, including Crosby, Malkin, Letang, and Karlsson playing as many games as possible well into their mid-thirties. While it is plausible for the Penguins to make the playoffs, I am not predicting it. I think the team is set up in a way to sell off pending free agent contracts.

Bookmark this and let me know how wrong these are later in the season.

Thanks for reading!

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