What is next for Malkin, Letang, Sullivan and the Pittsburgh Penguins?

Last Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins suffered yet another disappointing end to a season. Up three games to one over the New York Rangers, the Pens collapsed starting in game five and couldn’t close out the series. They lost in game seven in overtime. This has been the fourth consecutive first-round loss for the team since they got eliminated in the second round to the Capitals in 2018.

Since the team has had a number of playoff disappointments in recent times, I think it’s fair to ask an honest and genuine question? What is the franchise going to do this upcoming offseason? Now there are tons of different scenarios that can happen with the team. Everyone has their own views on the team and I wouldn’t disagree with any opinion that anybody has on the team.

I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the possibilities that I mention actually happen. Now there has been a gluttony of reports and rumors that two of the biggest names on the roster might have played their last hockey in the black and gold. If you haven’t figured out who’s getting mentioned, it’s Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin.

Both Letang and Malkin has just wrapped up the final year of the pricy contracts. Like I said, both are expected to leave for unrestricted free agency, which is a valid argument. When you look at the roster, a majority of the core pieces are over 30 years old. Malkin and Letang are both 35 years old at the moment. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if only one of them leaves the Steel City.

If I was to pick to player that leaves, it’s Malkin. For the last three seasons the legendary Russian has missed significant time due to injuries, as has been the case throughout his career. This season alone saw Malkin miss half of the year. In the 41 games he did play, he was still productive, scoring 20 goals and 22 assists for 42 points. In the playoffs against the Rangers he did perform well, scoring three goals and three assists for 6 points in the seven game series. But like I said, I think he will be gone.

It all stems from the fact that he might still ask for somewhat of a luscious sum of money during contract negotiations and that Pittsburgh still has solid depth down the middle without Malkin. When examining the center position, you’ll find that Jeff Carter will be entering his two-year, $3.1 million contract extension next year. Although he is 37 at the moment, he is still a healthy player as evidenced by his 76 appearances in the regular season. He nearly had 20 goals and played well in the playoffs.

Carter can still be a major contributor to a playoff team and I can see him being able to anchor a third line for the next two years. Now you may ask, what are they going to trot out at the second line center spot if Malkin leaves. It’s an easy solution. Slot in Jake Guentzel. Guentzel has mostly played on the wing because of Malkin but his natural position is at center. Guentzel is coming off the second 40 goal season of his career. He was dynamite in the playoffs scoring 8 goals.

He currently has two years left on his contract, If he continues at this rapid offensive pace, his current AAV of $6 million would be extremally team friendly in terms of the current contract. However, then that would also raise up his value when he becomes a UFA in 2024. If Pittsburgh were to let go of Malkin, that would save them a good amount of money that can be used to sign Guentzel to a longer term extension. Heck, I could see him and general manager Ron Hextall coming to terms on an extension before his current deal is up.

If Pittsburgh would come to terms in letting Malkin go, than it would be a great move. It would offer them the flexibility to continue staying a contender. Since Guentzel is so much younger I’m sure the franchise would be comfortable having he be the air apparent to what Malkin offered the team as the second line center. They would not be up against the salary cap and they really wouldn’t have to tear down the roster by getting rid of core pieces that they would normally keep, to try and fit under the cap. It would just make sense all around.

Now, if Malkin leaves, than they could also use some of the saved money to resign defenseman Kris Letang to a contract extension. Just like Malkin, Kris Letang is a pending UFA this upcoming offseason. Out of the two, I think Letang is the commodity that should stay in Pittsburgh. The native of Montreal is still the Penguins’ most productive and all-around defenseman. Even at 34,  he is still one of the Penguins best scorers.

This year saw Letang post the best numbers of his long career. He scored ten goals and piled up 58 assists for 68 points. As far as injuries are concerned, the organization and fans of the team don’t have to be worried. He played in 78 games during his age 34 campaign. Other than still being able to score points off the backend, he still provides tons of physicality.

He ranked second overall on the team in total hits with 171. However, that total was good enough to lead all defenseman. He also ranked second on the team with blocked shots with 122. Needless to say he is still extremely effective towards the teams’ success. He is still by far their best defenseman because of the multiple skills he brings to the team. If he isn’t  brought back the defensive core will take a huge hit. Many of the other defenseman don’t provide the contributions the Letang brings to the table.

Moving past the two biggest pending free agents, the team also has to deal with a few more players who have an essential role in keeping the franchise in a playoff position. There is winger Bryan Rust, as he might ask for a high sum of money in the offseason. He posted the best season of his career points-wise and has risen from a role player to a competent goal scorer for the team.

He just finished a deal which saw him earn $3.5 million a year. He has expressed interest in returning but at a price he deems as fair. It’s challenging to imagine him playing on another cheap contract, considering he has been one of the most consistent players in the league for over the past three or four years. There are also a few more players that are looking for new deals as well. This includes Nathan Beaulieu, Rickard Rakell, Evan Rodrigues, Casey DeSmith and Louis Domingue. The team also has decisions with a few RFA’s like Kasperi Kapanen and Danton Heinen.

There is also a question that some might ask about head coach Mike Sullivan. Sullivan has led the Penguins to their two most recent Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, but since he has endured some frustrating playoff exits as mentioned earlier. The franchise has never been afraid to fire coaches who have been successful. For a team that will most likely strive to be competitive as long as Sidney Crosby is still in town, one can wonder if they will look for a new bench boss to shake things up.

There have already been some quality head coaches that have stepped down with their teams. Barry Trotz and Rick Bowness have hit the open market, even after leading their respective franchises to great success. It won’t shock me if the Penguins decide to let go of Sullivan pretty soon. According the Spotrac.com, the Pens look to have just under $30 million in available cap space in the offseason. It will be intriguing to see what direction the franchise goes from here.