No Rebuild For The Pittsburgh Penguins At This Point

2 years ago  /  Kuklas Korner

from Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,


Detroit won its last Stanley Cup in 2008, kept its core together too long and aged out. Los Angeles won its last Stanley Cup in 2014, kept its core together too long and aged out. Chicago won its last Stanley Cup in 2015, kept its core together too long and aged out.

Detroit has missed the playoffs since 2016 and hasn’t won a playoff series since 2013. Los Angeles has missed the playoffs in five of the last seven seasons and hasn’t won a playoff series since 2014. Chicago has missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons and has won one playoff series since 2015.

Of those teams, only the Kings are currently in a playoff spot. (By a measly three points.)

I keep waiting for the Pittsburgh Penguins to hit a wall, too. But they’re a lock to make the playoffs for an incredible 16th straight season.

Full disclosure: The Penguins haven’t won a playoff series since 2018.

But the Penguins won their division last season and would have won their first-round playoff series had goaltender Tristan Jarry not soiled the bed.

The Penguins’ long-time core won the Stanley Cup in 2009, again in 2016 and ’17 and might be getting a third wind.

What makes the Penguins different than Detroit, Los Angeles and Chicago? Why haven’t they aged out?

That’s simple: The Penguins’ core is a lot better than the core for any of those teams and clearly has more staying power.


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