2023 Fantasy Hockey Team Previews: Pittsburgh Penguins
The 2023 DailyFaceoff Fantasy Hockey Projections has projected stats for over 650 skaters and goalies.
The Fantasy Hockey Team Previews have all the projections for that team and mini-bios for all the Re-Draft and Dynasty relevant skaters and goalies. We will release the previews from September 5th through September 14th.
| Anaheim Ducks | Columbus Blue Jackets | Nashville Predators | Seattle Kraken (Sept.13) |
| Arizona Coyotes | Dallas Stars | New Jersey Devils | St. Louis Blues (Sept.13) |
| Boston Bruins | Detroit Red Wings | New York Islanders | Tampa Bay Lightning (Sept.13) |
| Buffalo Sabres | Edmonton Oilers | New York Rangers | Toronto Maple Leafs (Sept.13) |
| Calgary Flames | Florida Panthers | Ottawa Senators | Vancouver Canucks (Sept.14) |
| Carolina Hurricanes | Los Angeles Kings | Philadelphia Flyers | Vegas Golden Knights (Sept.14) |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Minnesota Wild | Pittsburgh Penguins | Washington Capitals (Sept.14) |
| Colorado Avalanche | Montreal Canadiens | San Jose Sharks (Sept.13) | Winnipeg Jets (Sept.14) |
In addition to the Fantasy Hockey Previews, Daily Faceoff is previewing all 32 NHL teams for 2022-23, with a new in-depth breakdown dropping every weekday! Click here to find every preview in one place.
Skaters
Sidney Crosby
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 76.5 | 32.7 | 56.3 | 89.1 | 10.8 | 35.2 | 8.7 | 32.8 | 221.6 | 14.8% | 20.2 | 880.8 | 37.9 | 56.3 |
After years of being extremely durable, Crosby has started missing games again. Crosby has missed 42 combined games (20.3 percent) in the last three seasons. In the lineup, he’s averaged 35 goals and 61 assists (96 points) per 82 games. His 1.17 points-per-game is tied for 12th in the NHL over that span. Crosby remains an elite centre option and has top-10 potential in the mid-to-late second round.
Jake Guentzel
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 79.3 | 38.3 | 45.9 | 84.2 | 10.8 | 41.9 | 9.0 | 19.0 | 247.9 | 15.5% | 20.2 | 14.1 | 40.8 | 72.4 |
Guentzel has become one of the NHL’s elite goal-scorers, averaging 40 goals per 82 games over the last four seasons. The 2021-22 season was his best yet, posting 84 points (40G / 44A) in 76 games while firing a career-best 264 shots (15th best in the NHL). Guentzel is tied to Crosby’s hip (87% of his 5v5 ice time), and the duo is among the best in the NHL. As long as Crosby is in Pittsburgh, Guentzel has 40-goal and point-per-game upside.
Kris Letang
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 77.7 | 11.8 | 51.7 | 63.5 | 13.5 | 48.1 | 3.5 | 21.7 | 207.3 | 5.7% | 25.6 | 0.0 | 110.1 | 146.1 |
Letang has been remarkably consistent over the years. In the last three seasons, he’s seventh among defensemen in assists (125) and points (157), 10th in goals (32) and power-play points (52). In total, he’s averaged 14 goals and 50 assists (64 points) per 82 games but has only played all 82 games once in 15 years. Durability is the only concern with Letang; however, he’s only missed 13 games in the last three seasons. He has an extremely safe floor and top-5 upside at the position, with added value in banger leagues.
Evgeni Malkin
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 68.9 | 27.6 | 44.3 | 71.9 | -4.7 | 49.0 | 10.6 | 27.4 | 196.2 | 14.1% | 18.6 | 351.3 | 27.9 | 39.7 |
A few things won’t surprise you about Malkin over the last three seasons. First, he’s top-20 in points-per-game (1.12). Second, he’s missed 78 games (37.7 percent). Malkin has the upside to be a 90-point player but has only played 70-plus games once in the last ten seasons. If he goes late enough, Malkin has the potential to be one of the biggest steals in the draft, but you’re going to need an insurance policy.
Bryan Rust
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 72.9 | 29.7 | 35.2 | 64.9 | 8.3 | 22.9 | 9.9 | 21.4 | 205.7 | 14.4% | 19.1 | 2.1 | 34.6 | 67.5 |
In 2021-22, Rust scored 20-plus goals for the third consecutive season. The numbers don’t seem as impressive because of the shortened seasons and injury issues, but Rust is a legitimate 30-goal, 40-assist player when healthy. With Rust, you know he’s probably going to play with either Crosby/Guentzel or Malkin, so he’s always in good hands. The injury concerns will make him tumble down draft boards, making him a great draft day value.
Jeff Petry
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 77.3 | 9.7 | 27.7 | 37.4 | 7.7 | 32.7 | 2.3 | 9.3 | 145.4 | 6.7% | 21.1 | 0.0 | 100.1 | 142.1 |
Petry was traded to the Penguins this offseason, essentially zapping his fantasy value. He should still be utilized in the top-4 at 5v5 but likely won’t see any power-play time with Letang and Ty Smith ahead of him. As a result, he’s a No.4 fantasy option with limited upside.
Jeff Carter
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 77.0 | 20.9 | 22.5 | 43.5 | -0.6 | 33.1 | 3.2 | 6.0 | 197.7 | 10.6% | 17.3 | 610.4 | 46.7 | 85.2 |
Carter has played just over a full season’s worth of games with the Penguins, scoring 28 goals with 28 assists (56 points) in 90 games. In 2021-22, most of his production came in the first three months of the season while he was filling in for Malkin in the top 6. Once Malkin debuted in mid-January, Carter’s points-per-game went from 0.643 in his first 28 games to 0.563 in his final 48 games. Unfortunately, the Penguins don’t have enough bottom-6 talent to make Carter a viable fantasy asset when he’s centring the third line.
Rickard Rakell
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 75.1 | 17.1 | 23.7 | 40.9 | 4.9 | 14.5 | 3.1 | 8.1 | 188.3 | 9.1% | 16.9 | 26.7 | 35.1 | 92.3 |
Last season, Rakell was traded to the Penguins at the deadline and tallied 13 points (4G / 9A) in 19 games. Rakell played roughly 35 percent of his 5v5 ice time with Crosby, and the two had outstanding numbers together (3.81 xGF/60) in a small sample size (98:04 TOI). As a result, he’s likely the front-runner to start with Crosby and Guentzel this season, giving him plenty of sleeper potential. He’s a two-time 30-plus goal-scorer, so the potential for a 30-40 season is there.
Goalies
Tristan Jarry
| GS | W | L | T/O | SV% | GAA | SO |
| 52.0 | 29.4 | 16.6 | 6.1 | 0.914 | 2.67 | 3.5 |
The Penguins have an outstanding goaltending duo, which is led by Jarry. In the last three seasons combined, Jarry is sixth in the NHL in wins (79), eighth in SV% (.917) and ninth in GAA (2.52). Playing behind a strong defensive team and producing very good splits, Jarry is a legitimate No.1 fantasy option. He likely won’t start 60-plus games like the studs drafted ahead of him, but he’s been on the larger side of a 60-40 split for the last three seasons.
Casey DeSmith
| GS | W | L | T/O | SV% | GAA | SO |
| 30.0 | 16.5 | 10.0 | 3.6 | 0.911 | 2.73 | 2.6 |
In the last two years, DeSmith is tied for 17th in SV% (.913) and 21st in GAA (2.68), solidifying himself as one of the best backup options in the NHL. He’s been very consistent during his career, never finishing a season with a SV% below .912 or a GAA above 2.79. He’s a fine No.3 fantasy option that will likely start 30-to-35 games.
Remaining Penguins Projections
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| Kasperi Kapanen | RW | 75.4 | 13.3 | 22.7 | 36.0 | 5.4 | 17.1 | 0.7 | 4.4 | 122.9 | 10.8% | 14.5 | 3.2 | 17.8 | 91.3 |
| Jason Zucker | LW | 72.3 | 16.1 | 17.1 | 33.1 | -4.5 | 29.2 | 3.4 | 6.0 | 154.4 | 10.4% | 15.1 | 6.8 | 30.3 | 111.2 |
| Teddy Blueger | C | 73.2 | 10.5 | 19.9 | 30.4 | 8.8 | 17.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 98.1 | 10.7% | 14.8 | 383.5 | 36.7 | 91.2 |
| Ty Smith | D | 67.7 | 4.4 | 20.2 | 24.5 | -9.1 | 21.1 | 0.6 | 6.2 | 85.2 | 5.2% | 18.4 | 0.0 | 66.4 | 45.8 |
| Brock McGinn | LW | 75.7 | 12.8 | 11.5 | 24.3 | 1.0 | 16.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 113.4 | 11.3% | 14.6 | 15.8 | 43.8 | 100.1 |
| Ryan Poehling | C/LW | 64.0 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 21.4 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 84.7 | 12.6% | 10.8 | 177.9 | 27.1 | 51.6 |
| Marcus Pettersson | D | 75.4 | 2.5 | 17.8 | 20.3 | 7.7 | 39.5 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 87.9 | 2.9% | 17.3 | 0.0 | 79.9 | 114.1 |
| Brian Dumoulin | D | 75.1 | 4.0 | 16.1 | 20.1 | 20.1 | 24.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 91.7 | 4.4% | 21.9 | 0.0 | 121.5 | 96.5 |
| Josh Archibald | RW | 66.0 | 10.8 | 8.7 | 19.5 | -1.6 | 28.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 77.3 | 14.0% | 13.4 | 4.7 | 43.9 | 202.0 |
| Jan Rutta | D | 74.7 | 2.2 | 14.6 | 16.8 | -2.3 | 43.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 88.5 | 2.5% | 16.3 | 0.0 | 67.5 | 80.3 |