Pittsburgh Penguins superlatives: Most overrated, underrated, best, and more

Who are the best and worst players on the Pittsburgh Penguins? Here’s a quick look at their superlatives.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the best franchises in the NHL. Along with the Chicago Blackhawks, they’re one of the only two teams with three Stanley Cups in the salary cap era. Sidney Crosby is still one of the best players in the NHL.

Their 2018-19 season had highs and lows. Some players did well. Others didn’t. Which players were their best and worst?

Toronto fans and media are a fun and passionate group of people and have quite the presence on “hockey twitter.” Ian Tulloch of The Athletic Toronto tweeted this out the other day and it caught my eye.

Most Overrated: Bryan Rust

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This was a difficult category to choose a player for. While Rust does a lot of things very well, he did have a frustrating 2018-19 regular season. Rust is a controlled offensive zone-entry machine, has great speed, and has been a good even-strength scorer in his career. This season, Rust was pretty inconsistent, as he scored 8 of his 18 goals in the month of December, and had just 4 points (1 goal) in his final 17 games of the season.

Per Natural Stat Trick, the Penguins saw a significant decrease in possession metrics with Rust on the ice this past season. Shot attempts for (-6%), shots for (-7%), and scoring chances for (-3%) all decreased relative to Rust’s 2017-18 season. Playing nearly 280 even strength minutes alongside Jack Johnson likely contributed to these possession decreases.

Also, compared to two seasons ago, Rust tallied four fewer primary assists and drew six fewer penalties in 2018-19. While it was only a 4 game playoff series against the Islanders, Rust was also the Penguins worst possession player (38%) and lacked his unique burst of speed. I feel that the Penguins should keep Rust on their roster moving forward, but there are some concerning trends to keep an eye heading into next season.

Most Underrated: Dominik Simon

I sense that the Penguins fan base is very divided on their opinions of Simon. He is everyone’s favorite whipping boy. Well, I’m here to inform you that he is a very good player. I certainly value the skill-set that he brings to the table. While his inability to score goals can be aggravating, he is a wonderful playmaker.

Per Quant Hockey, Simon’s 18 even-strength assists ranked sixth on the team. Simon’s 1.78 points per 60 ranked ninth on the team. With Simon on the ice, the Penguins controlled territory at an elite rate. Pittsburgh took a team-leading 55.7% of the shot attempts, 60% of the scoring chances, and was expected to score 59% of the goals with Simon on the ice.

Based on what we have seen thus far, Simon lacks the finishing ability to be a consistent fix amongst the Penguins top 6 forwards. He is a perfect “tweener” that has the ability to move up in the lineup when injuries hit. At a $750,000 cap hit, Simon provides great value.

Best player: Sidney Crosby

Kris Letang deserves an honorable mention here, but his late-season injury led to Crosby having the overall edge. He was a dominant force for the large majority of this season and single-handedly willed the Penguins to a playoff spot.

After posting the sixth 100 point season of his career, Crosby is a Hart Trophy nominee for next month’s NHL Awards. The data proves that the nomination is well deserved. Per Evolving Hockey, Crosby led the league in both goals above replacement (24.9) and wins above replacement (4.4). Crosby’s highlight reel goal in Edmonton this season was so gorgeous that it got basketball reporters tweeting about it.

Key new addition: Nick Bjugstad

After being acquired on February 1st, Nick Bjugstad proved to be a massive upgrade over Derick Brassard as the Penguins third-line center. Bjugstad was above average possession-wise, as the Penguins were usually generating offensive zone time with him on the ice.

It was only a 32 game sample size, but for every 60 minutes of even-strength ice-time, that Bjugstad played, he posted a team-leading 11.26 shots on goal. His lethal wrist shot is a threat from the left wing circle on the second power-play unit. The third line of Simon, Bjugstad, and Patric Hornqvist was dominant down the stretch.

If the Penguins use this line to begin next season (they should), Simon serving as the facilitator and playmaker would be a great compliment to Bjugstad and Hornqvist.

Could surprise: Teddy Blueger

Blueger was fantastic in his 28 game rookie campaign. Blueger matched Matt Cullen’s even-strength goal total (5) while playing in 43 fewer games than Cullen. If Blueger had played the full season, he was on pace for a 17 goal and 28 point season. He has the skating, vision, and playmaking ability to provide secondary scoring from the Penguins bottom six.

At the very least, Blueger treaded water (possession-wise) while centering a line with Phil Kessel throughout March. If the Penguins experiment with Nick Bjugstad on the wing, Blueger would be capable of playing on the third line for a brief time. He will serve as an upgrade over Matt Cullen as the fourth line center next season.

Takes a leap: Marcus Pettersson

It should not take long for Pettersson to literally leapfrog Olli Maatta or Jack Johnson alongside Justin Schultz next season. Combining the 84 games that Pettersson played in Anaheim and Pittsburgh, his 25 points ranked third amongst all rookie defensemen.

Once he arrived in Pittsburgh, Pettersson played a crucial role in helping turn Erik Gudbranson’s season around. Pettersson was above average in terms of helping the Penguins control territory. Pettersson’s 0.75 points per 60 ranked just behind Brian Dumoulin and was good for fourth amongst the Penguins defense core.

As his rookie season indicated, Pettersson has the skill-set and potential to take the leap forward, and solidify himself in the top four on the Pittsburgh blue-line.

Prove it years: Jim Rutherford And Patric Hornqvist

After two straight summers of poor decisions and asset management, Jim Rutherford needs to prove that he still has his fastball in his repertoire. I am not optimistic that he does. Rutherford needs to begin to truly value the analytical aspect of this sport and get back to the recipe that led to the Penguins winning their two most recent championships.

On the ice, Patric Hornqvist needs to prove that his second-half slump was an anomaly. Hornqvist also needs to prove that he can stay healthy for the majority of the season. Considering his reckless style of play, I have some doubts that he can. His 5 concussions in 5 seasons are a concern. If Hornqvist woes continue into next season, then the Penguins will find it difficult to trade his contract. Thanks for reading!