Pittsburgh Penguins: Player grades for the first half of the 2019-20 season

It’s report card time for the Pittsburgh Penguins, as we’re grading each player at the halfway point of the 2019-20 season.

It is the halfway point of the 2019-20 season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Through 40 games, both the process and results have been very encouraging. Their forward depth has returned. Per Natural Stat Trick, Pittsburgh’s 110 even-strength goals are the fourth-most in the league.

The Penguins have a + 31 goal differential, which is the second-best mark in the NHL. Considering all the injuries, that is very impressive. Since the season is halfway over, it’s time to start grading the players based on expectations and results.

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Here are my grades for the Penguins forwards through the first half of the season.

Forwards

Evgeni Malkin: A+

Evgeni Malkin has been tremendous this season. He has spent the last month and a half skating alongside the Penguins best winger (Jake Guentzel) and defenseman (Kris Letang) on a consistent basis. As a result, he has posted MVP numbers when healthy.

Malkin has backchecked and been more responsible defensively. There has been a greater commitment to playing the right way from Malkin, and a greater commitment to consistently putting Malkin in a position to succeed from the coaching staff. The results have been excellent.

Jake Guentzel: A+

Losing = Guentzel for the next 4 to 6 months is a brutal blow for the Penguins. For the first time since the 2004-05 season, the Penguins could have had a leading point-getter not named Crosby or Malkin. Guentzel has developed into a consistent 40 goal threat, regardless of who his center is.

Corsica Hockey has Guentzel as the seventh-best left-winger in the league. He is an elite even-strength goal scorer and is a bargain at a cap hit of only $6 million for the next four years. Here’s to hoping he can make his return during the playoffs this spring.

Bryan Rust: A+

Following the departure of Phil Kessel, Bryan Rust has had a career year in an elevated role as a top-six forward. He has thrived alongside both Crosby and Malkin. He remains a controlled zone-entry machine, and that complements both Crosby and Malkin in a great way. Rust is on a 50 goal, 104 point pace. He’s had an All-Star caliber first half.

Sidney Crosby: A

The Penguins have done a great job since Sidney Crosby aggravated his sports hernia back on November 9th. The Penguins captain has 17 points in 17 games he has played to this point. Crosby has skated with the team twice over the last week and is expected to return to the lineup in early January.

Jared McCann: B+

Jared McCann has hit a bit of a rough patch in December (1 goal in his last 16 games), but that should not cloud the overall picture. He has filled in admirably when Crosby and Malkin have missed time with injuries.

McCann is on pace for 50 points and I feel that he has one of the best wrist shots on the team. His versatility will provide the Penguins with some options on what to do at the third-line center position if and when Nick Bjugstad gets and remains healthy.

Zach Aston-Reese: B+

Zach Aston-Reese has become one of, if not the best, defensive forwards on this roster. Based on their data, Evolving Hockey has deemed Aston-Reese’s first-half as Selke Trophy caliber. As you will see below, the Penguins have suppressed shots against at an absurd rate with him on the ice. Offensively, his expected goals total is seven, and Aston-Reese has just four goals on the campaign. If he gets some more time in the top-six, I suspect he’d convert on more of his opportunities.

Dominik Kahun: B

After a slow start to the season, Dominik Kahun has developed into the forward the Penguins have lacked over the last few years. He is young, productive, and in the final year of an entry-level contract.

In order to win a Stanley Cup, you need a few players like that. Kahun’s 20 even strength points rank fourth on the Penguins. It appears Jim Rutherford robbed Stan Bowman and the Chicago Blackhawks (again) by trading Olli Maatta to acquire Kahun last June.

Teddy Blueger: B

Teddy Blueger has been an upgrade over Matt Cullen as the fourth-line center. Blueger is on pace for 10 goals and 24 points, which is acceptable for a fourth-liner. His underlying numbers are up by at least 3 percent across the board.

He is one of six Penguins to have appeared in all 41 games this season. Blueger has started a team-high 120 of his shifts in the defensive zone and taken a team-high 202 defensive zone faceoffs. The Penguins coaches trust him on the penalty kill and to help protect leads.

Brandon Tanev: B

The Penguins set out to become harder to play against this past summer. They correctly identified signing Brandon Tanev as a part of accomplishing that. Tanev is a Carl Hagelin lite, with slightly better hands. He does not drive possession as well, but he is still a pest nonetheless.

Per Natural Stat Trick, Tanev has drawn 12 penalties, which is tied for seventh in the league. Tanev’s 143 hits rank fourth in the league. He has been a positive possession player and is kind of a jack-of-all-trades kind of player. He is not a great passer but is an effective bottom-six forward.

Patric Hornqvist: B

Patric Hornqvist has missed 17 games due to injuries. In 23 games, he has produced 15 points. Between the concussions, last season and his style of play, Hornqvist’s durability is starting to become a significant concern. His possession numbers have been above-average his entire career. They have been amongst the worst on the team this season. The Penguins need a little more from him.

Dominik Simon: C

Dominik Simon has continued to help the Penguins control territory at an above-average rate, but he has not done it at the same rate as he did last season. He is a nice complementary piece and is one of the best passers on the team. The lack of finishing ability is frustrating to many Penguins fans, and understandably so. Simon scored 25 goals in the AHL back in 2015-16. The skillset and ability are there. The results are inconsistent.

Sam Lafferty: C-

Sam Lafferty burst onto the scene back in October. He has played in 32 games and tallied 10 points. His underlying numbers are slightly below average, but he has been a serviceable player in the bottom six. I can see Lafferty being the Penguins 13th forward if and when this roster is healthy.

Alex Galchenyuk: D-

This experiment has not worked. Alex Galchenyuk has yet to reach his potential in Pittsburgh. For the majority of his tenure here, he has looked lost and confused. Since the home-and-home series with Nashville, Galchenyuk has looked better. He has played more of a north/south brand of hockey. He has crashed the net on much more of a consistent basis. As a result, he has 4 points in 4 games since the Christmas break.

By all accounts, his struggles are not for a lack of effort. Perhaps he has finally gotten going. There is untapped potential here, and Galchenyuk needs to reach it soon if he wants to remain in the Penguins lineup this spring.

Nick Bjugstad: F

Injuries have been a problem dating back to Nick Bjugstad’s days with the Florida Panthers. He has only played in 10 games this season. The Penguins have gotten back to a speed and skill approach this season, and neither of those is a particular strength of Bjugstad’s. If he can stay healthy, perhaps he can turn things around. It was a lost first-half of the season for Bjugstad, and he is a trade candidate as we move closer to the February 24th deadline.

The Penguins forward depth is amongst the best in the NHL. The injuries have provided the opportunity for the Penguins to prove that. With Jake Guentzel sidelined long-term, Pittsburgh needs to acquire a top-six forward prior to the February 24th trade deadline.