The Penguins hope they've given stars Crosby and Malkin the help they need to return to the playoffs

Pittsburgh Penguins

Last season: 38-32-12, missed playoffs for a second straight year.

COACH: Mike Sullivan (375-219-77 over 12 seasons with 2 teams, 2 Stanley Cup titles).

SEASON OPENER: Oct. 9 vs. the New York Rangers.

DEPARTURES: F Jeff Carter, F Reilly Smith, C Jansen Harkins, D Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

ADDITIONS: F Kevin Hayes, D Sebastian Aho.

GOALIES: Tristan Jarry (19-25-5, 2.91 goals-against average, 0.903 save percentage), Alex Nedjkelovic (18-7-7, 2.97,, 0.902).

BetMGM STANLEY CUP ODDS: 50-1.

What to expect

The Penguins were wildly erratic last year as the NHL's oldest team missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season. General manager Kyle Dubas remains intent on trying to thread a delicate needle in which he better positions the team for the future while trying to keep the competitive window open during the twilight years of franchise icons Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

Dubas has stockpiled some picks and the minor-league system appears to be in better shape than it was when he arrived in the spring of 2023, but the on-ice product at the NHL level will likely look a lot like it looked last year, with the 37-year-old Crosby centering the top line, the 38-year-old Malkin anchoring the second line and the 37-year-old Letang as part of the defense's top pair.

Strengths and weaknesses

The good: Crosby remains one of the best players in the game even as he enters his 20th season. He and Wayne Gretzky are the only two players in league history to average a point a game in 19 seasons and as long as he remains healthy, the Penguins have a chance to be in the mix. Letang may be getting better with age, taking fewer risks than he did earlier in his career while still being one of the most fluid skaters in the NHL.

The not-so-good: A power play group littered with talent — and potential Hall fo Famers — fizzled last season, when Pittsburgh finished 30th out of 32 teams, the main reason the team fired assistant coach (and power-play guru) Todd Reirden. Jarry remains a bit of an enigma as he enters the second season of a five-year contract. He has yet to win a playoff series and spent most of last spring watching Nedjkelkovic get the majority of the starts. Jarry may be running out of time to cement himself as a true No. 1.

Players to watch

Crosby remains as driven as ever and recently signed an extension that will carry him to nearly his 40th birthday. Malkin has a couple of significant milestones — including 500 goals — well within reach.

The fate of Pittsburgh's season will likely rely on those around the two franchise cornerstones. Michael Bunting provided a bit of a jolt after arriving in the trade that sent Jake Guentzel to Carolina. Drew O'Connor's skill showed signs of catching up to his size (6-foot-3, 200 pounds).

A bounce back season from three-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson — who saw his point productive nose dive from 101 to 56 after being acquired from San Jose — could go a long way toward taking some of the pressure off Crosby and Malkin to do everything all the time.

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The Associated Press