3 offseason objectives for the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins are facing a critical offseason. Here are three things they should try to accomplish this summer.

After defeating the Nashville Predators in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, the efficiency of the Pittsburgh Penguins roster decisions has been all over the map. They’ve gone from having a roster full of skill to one that is beginning to lack at.

Here is a list of three things the hockey operations department should do this summer in order to get the Penguins trending in the right direction again.

1. Hire Andrew Thomas

The Penguins currently employ Sam Ventura as their Director of Hockey Research. Prior to getting hired by NHL teams, Ventura and former Minnesota Wild analytics guru Andrew Thomas teamed up to create an innovative hockey analytics website named waronice.com.

The Wild recently relieved Thomas of his services. Thomas has a Ph.D. in statistics from Harvard University. He is a very intelligent man. As a former CMU professor, Thomas has some ties to the Pittsburgh region. Micah Blake McCurdy of Hockey Viz said this of Thomas’s departure.

The reality of the situation is the Penguins management team has had consecutive offseasons in which they have made some very head-scratching acquisitions to the roster. Many of which have not worked out and General Manager Jim Rutherford has had to chase his tail and make up for self-inflicted mistakes. This trend has to stop.

Pittsburgh has a dynamic duo of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the ice. The Penguins should add Thomas to their hockey operations department to reunite the duo of Ventura and Thomas. Minnesota’s loss needs to become Pittsburgh’s gain. If this were to happen, I would reckon that the Penguins will begin to make progressive and analytically-inclined roster decisions as they did prior to — and during — the 2015-16 season.

2. Bring Back Carl Hagelin

The mid-season Carl Hagelin trade is a deal the Penguins would love to have back. He was loved by his Penguin teammates and was one of the key factors in helping the Penguins establish their identity as a fast and up-tempo offensive team.

At times, Hagelin is frustrating to watch because he does not score as frequently as he should. However, he was a fantastic complement to Evgeni Malkin’s left wing. Since the trade, Malkin has struggled in terms of both tangible offense and possession numbers.

Over the last two seasons, here is how the Penguins have faired with Malkin and Hagelin on the ice together in 822 minutes of five-on-five play.

• Shot Attempts For Percentage: 54%
• Scoring Chances For Percentage: 56%
• Goals For Percentage: 59%

Here is a look at Malkin and the Penguins on-ice numbers with a revolving door of wingers on his left side.

• Shot Attempts For Percentage: 49%
• Goals For Percentage: 43%
• Scoring Chances For Percentage: 50%

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Now, it is important to note that Hagelin is not the sole reason for this drop-off. Malkin was inconsistent and shared the ice with human anchor Jack Johnson quite often last season.

However, Hagelin is a speed demon, elite defensively, and can often retrieve pucks in the offensive zone. The return of Hagelin would likely play a significant role in Malkin returning to his normal self. As the numbers show, Hagelin’s presence alone really complemented the Penguins superstar in his time here.

Back in February, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Penguins attempted to re-acquire Hagelin via trade leading up to the 2019 NHL trade deadline. So it shouldn’t be surprising if the Penguins will try it again this summer. With just five goals on the season, I suspect that Hagelin’s price tag will drop from the $4M AAV that it was in his first stint with the Penguins.

3. Find solutions for Patric Hornqvist

The positive and negative aspects of Patric Hornqvist’s style of play have always been relatively obvious. More times than not, the Penguins are generating offensive zone time that leads to quality chances. On the downside, Hornqvist’s inability to make controlled plays and tendency to shoot pucks right into opposing goalie’s chests is infuriating to watch at times.

Last season, there were numerous red flags surrounding his game. The bad outweighed the good. Consider this.

• Hornqvist has now had five concussions in his five seasons as a Penguin
• He scored a total of three goals in his final 42 games.
• His possession and shot metrics were the worst they have been in nearly five years.

Perhaps all of the cross-checks and punches Hornqvist endures from opponents have taken their toll. But the Penguins will unquestionably need more from him moving forward. If I were a betting man, I’d wager Hornqvist’s aging curve will likely be ugly and the Penguins should look into trade possibilities while the value is still there.

The coaching staff needs to figure out a plan here. Hornqvist is much more efficient and productive when playing alongside Crosby or Malkin. But the Penguins have solid depth on the right wing, so that might not be the best option.

The third line of Dom Simon, Nick Bjugstad, and Hornqvist was great down the stretch and could be the best option moving forward. Weighing in at a $5.3 million cap hit, Pittsburgh needs more durability and production from Hornqvist next season. Thanks for reading!