The Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t had the busiest offseason and it’s leaving them low on one of the latest preseason power rankings.
The most exciting news for the Penguins this offseason was the re-signing of captain Sidney Crosby, who agreed to a two-year contract extension on Monday. Pittsburgh did make additions, however. They went out and acquired Rutger McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets for Brayden Yager while also adding veterans Kevin Hayes, Matt Grzelcyk, and Anthony Beauvillier.
Pittsburgh’s moves were made with the goal of making it back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season. Unfortunately for the Pens, this season is looking like one where they will have to prove a lot of people wrong.
Sportsnet released its first power rankings following a busy offseason around the National Hockey League, and the Penguins landed down at No. 30 on their list.
“Snagging Rutger McGroarty from Winnipeg was a nice move this summer, but this team is just at the outset of a long decline,”
Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon wrote. “Given the age and injury history of some key players, it feels like there’s real crumble potential here — which may be best-case scenario for Pens fans.”
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Pittsburgh kicks off its season on Oct. 9 against the New York Rangers.
More NHL: Sidney Crosby, Penguins Agree To Two-Year Contract Extension
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