Five Penguins’ Storylines to Keep an Eye on in 2024-25

With training camp just around the corner, NHL teams are gearing up for the 2024-25 season.

For the Pittsburgh Penguins – who have missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons – there will be a ton of storylines to keep an eye on throughout the season.

But we’ve chosen five particularly interesting storylines that are worth looking out for in 2024-25.

1. Crosby’s and Pettersson’s contract situations

The Sidney Crosby “will he, won’t he” will, no doubt, be the biggest story until the day Crosby actually signs an extension with the Penguins. All signs point to this being the case, as longtime Penguins’ insider Rob Rossi of The Athletic has reported that Crosby has told close friends he intends to sign but is still contemplating how long he wants to play.

But until then, expect both Penguins’ fans and national media to continue speculating whether or not he will finish his career in Pittsburgh – even if that speculation is largely unfounded and contradictory of what both Crosby and GM and POHO Kyle Dubas have said.

On the other hand, there is some legitimate buzz surrounding defenseman Marcus Pettersson. Rumor has it that the Penguins prefer to hold off on extension talks to see what happens with Crosby first.

But the reality is this: Pettersson has emerged as a good top-four defenseman, and he is also the Penguins’ most tradeable asset. He will be a UFA following the 2024-25 season, so, by all measures, it makes sense for Dubas and company to wait the situation out until the trade deadline approaches. And it will be interesting to see what the Penguins decide to do – even if they are contending at the deadline.

2. Can Rust and Rakell stay healthy and carry the production at wing?

In 2022-23, Bryan Rust finally had a healthy season but struggled through most of it before finishing strong, as he put up 20 goals and 46 points in 81 games. He rebounded strongly last season, registering 28 goals and 56 points in just 62 games.

In nearly an exact inverse of Rust, Rickard Rakell enjoyed a fantastic 2022-23 campaign that featured 28 goals and 60 points. Then, he struggled mightily at the beginning of 2023-24 – it took until December 23 for him to score a goal – and finished strong despite dealing with a shoulder injury almost the entire season. He scored 15 goals and 37 points in 70 games.

Both players provide 200-foot value. Rust has speed and is a force on both special teams units, and Rakell was the Penguins’ best defensive forward last season and is effective on the forecheck and the power play. Without Jake Guentzel, can they carry most of the scoring on the wings?

While Rust will play on Crosby’s right, it remains to be seen where Rakell will fit. Although he can play both wings effectively, he will likely start the season with Michael Bunting and Evgeni Malkin, which proved to be an effective line down the stretch in 2023-24. He’s been successful with 87, but Rakell’s deployment will largely depend on whether the Penguins add to their top-six before the season starts.

Assuming they don’t, it is paramount that Rust and Rakell both stay healthy and produce consistently as the scoring wingers on their respective lines.

3. Will the Penguins give their young guys a shot?

We mentioned adding to the top-six, and while there are still some intriguing options out there on the trade market – including sniper Patrik Laine and a young player with upside in Nicholas Robertson – it is probably safe to assume that the existing roster is likely the one we’ll see at the start of the season.

With that being said, it doesn’t necessarily mean that no help is on the horizon. There are a few younger prospects such as Tristan Broz, Vasily Ponomarev, and Brayden Yager, who could make legitimate pushes for roster spots. There are also some more experienced younger players – namely Valtteri Puustinen and Sam Poulin – who are more likely to assert their place on the roster.

But the question is this: Will these young guns actually have a shot at playing meaningful minutes? The Penguins – and head coach Mike Sullivan – don’t have a great track record in recent seasons of letting youth take bigger roles on the team.

But, again, with Guentzel out of the equation, they may have no choice. There is a hole in the top-six – which, at this point, is presumably going to be filled by Drew O’Connor in the beginning – that could be there for the taking. So it will be interesting to see how the competition between younger players for a top-six role pans out.

4. Will the power play improve enough to make them competitive?

This is, perhaps, the biggest performance-related storyline to follow in 2024-25. Over the past two seasons, the Penguins’ power play has, quite simply, cost them hockey games – and, likely, playoff spots:

Last year’s power play coach, Todd Rierden, was let go this summer, and former New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn was brought on to replace him. Quinn’s history with defenseman Erik Karlsson – the presumed power play quarterback – might pay off in this scenario, as Karlsson scored 101 points and won the Norris Trophy under Quinn in 2022-23.

But personnel aside, it was time for a fresh voice on the power play. It will be interesting to see whether or not Quinn decides to change up the scheme, alter methods of zone entries, and shift around players. Whatever the case, fans should expect to see some changes to a power play that ranked 30th and clicked at a meager 15.3 percent in 2023-24.

With the star power the Penguins have on their power play, there’s no excuse for its poor performance. It will be either fun – or agonizing – to see whether or not Quinn can improve the Penguins’ power play fortunes and help them reclaim playoff qualification.

5. How short is Sullivan’s leash?

This is a topic we’ve already addressed a few times this summer. But it goes without saying that it’s a big talking point for a reason.

Sullivan has been coaching the Penguins since December 2015, and after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 and losing to the Washington Capitals in the second round in 2018, he hasn’t gotten his team over the hump. The Penguins lost four consecutive playoff series in the first round before failing to qualify for the postseason the last two years.

Sullivan’s employment status heavily depends on the direction Dubas and the organization decide to take – if they still hope to compete or if they are selling out for a rebuild. But if it’s a mix of the two, and the former is in the cards, the length of Sullivan’s leash will be a leading story yet again this season.

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