Call up the kids. Just not all at once.
That’s the tension hanging over the Penguins right now, and it’s the heart of the argument for a youth movement that clearly needs to happen. Rutger McGroarty and Avery Hayes look like they’ve outgrown the AHL, and there’s a real case for clearing at least two forward spots for them. On the blue line, the push is just as obvious: Sam Girard hasn’t been a fit, and there’s room to give Jake Livanavage a look or extend the runway for Ilya Solovyov, whose metrics have been excellent.
But there’s a difference between promoting a few kids and ripping the whole thing down.
That’s where the cautionary tale comes in. Go back to 1982-83, when the Penguins followed a strong playoff showing against the Islanders with a collapse that produced only 18 wins. Then-GM Eddie Johnston responded by moving several productive veterans - including Norris Trophy winner Randy Carlyle, rugged defenseman Paul Baxter and forward Greg Malone - and replacing them with fringe veterans like Ted Bulley, Greg Fox and Bryan Maxwell while turning the roster over to the kids.
The result was the 1983-84 “Boys of Winter,” a team that became one of the worst ever assembled. They won just 16 games, scored 254 goals and allowed 390. The losses could get ugly in a hurry, too: 13-4, 11-3 and 10-3.
A few of those young players eventually stuck. Phil Bourque, Bob Errey and Troy Loney became useful role players for the Penguins’ ’90s Cup teams, though not before plenty of growing pains and trips back to the minors.
Marty McSorley also developed into an effective heavyweight defenseman, but that happened later with the Oilers and Kings. Plenty of others never made it, including Steve Gatzos, Tim Hyrnewich, Mitch Lamoureux and Tom Thornbury.
There was a reason Johnston took that route. He knew that if the Penguins were bad enough, the reward could be Mario Lemieux. And that was the point: a franchise-saving prize at the top of the draft.
That’s not how it works now. With the draft lottery in place, the worst teams don’t get a guaranteed shot at the first pick anymore.
At best, they’re looking at a top-three selection. That’s valuable, sure, but it’s not the same thing as landing a generational player like Mario or Sidney Crosby.
Still, the Penguins do have a group of young players pushing upward. Along with McGroarty, Hayes and Livanavage, there are Baby Pens performing well in Atley Calvert, Mikhail Ilyin and first-rounder Bill Zonnon.
Tristan Broz’s numbers are down a bit, but his track record remains strong. Joel Blomqvist fits that same category in goal.
On defense, Finn Harding looks like the best of the rest behind Livanavage, while Harrison Brunicke, who is injured right now, carries the most upside. Chase Pietila could bring needed physicality, and Owen Pickering is still working on the defensive side of his game.
The question is not whether these players deserve attention. It’s whether they’re ready for the jump.
And that jump is a real one. The AHL-to-NHL leap can chew up even talented prospects, and it’s hard to expect instant production from any of them.
Ben Kindel is the exception, not the standard.
Ville Koivunen may be the clearest example of that reality. He has shown flashes and has started to show why Dubas locked him up for eight years, but the production hasn’t fully followed yet: two goals and six points in 15 games.
There’s also the risk that moving too many veterans out, especially the productive ones, would destabilize the room and put too much on the kids too soon. It could also hurt the Baby Pens and the farm system as a whole.
So yes, a youth movement makes sense. It just has to be done with some discipline.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Rough Start Has Pushed One Roster Question To The Front
A rough start has already nudged the Penguins into the kind of early-season conversations that usually wait until much later on the calendar. Dave Pagnotta said on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio that Pittsburgh and Chicago are both open to making trades, with the Penguins signaling a willingness to listen on a broad group of players while the Blackhawks look for wingers who can help support their young core.
For Pittsburgh, the timing matters because the club has been active in trade discussions for a while now, and that has made its roster one to watch around the league. Chicagos search adds another layer to the picture, since both teams are trying to adjust on the fly after difficult starts, and the overlap could create a market where a familiar Penguins forward becomes part of a much bigger conversation. [Read more 🡒]
WBS Penguins Suddenly Face A Familiar Problem After Streak Ends
Wilkes-Barre/Scrantons three-game winning streak came to an abrupt end at Mohegan Arena, where the Penguins were blanked 4-0 by the Utica Comets. Joel Blomqvist did what he could to keep the game within reach, turning aside a season-high 32 shots, but the Penguins never found a way to solve the Comets goaltending and spent much of the night chasing the game.
For a club that had started to build some momentum, the loss was a reminder of how quickly things can tighten up in the AHL. The Penguins were held off the board entirely, and the kind of offensive push that had fueled the recent run never really arrived, leaving them with a familiar challenge to sort out as they look to get back on track. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Get A Tough Early Read Before A Brutal Weekend
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins got an early reminder of how unforgiving the AHL can be, dropping a 4-0 decision to the Utica Comets at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza. Utica goalie David Rittich turned aside 25 shots for the shutout, while the Penguins struggled to generate enough pressure to make the night uncomfortable for the visitors.
Joel Blomqvist did what he could in net, and the loss still leaves Wilkes-Barre/Scranton looking for a sharper response before a difficult stretch ahead. The next two games on the schedule bring the Hershey Bears and the Hamilton Hammers, a weekend that figures to test the Penguins quickly on both ends of the ice. [Read more 🡒]