What’s next for the Pittsburgh Penguins?

Another year, another first-round exit for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Since winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, the Penguins have won just one playoff series in four years. This year’s loss to the New York Islanders comes as a major letdown after the Penguins put together the NHL’s second-best record over the final two months of the season.

The challenge for Brian Burke and Ron Hextall, who were hired after Jim Rutherford stepped down mid-season, is to balance a long-term approach while having a pair of key veterans close to free agency. Both @Kris Letang and @Evgeni Malkin will see their contracts expire at the end of the 2021-22 season.

The Penguins operated with a win-now approach under Rutherford nearly every season. The team has only made one selection in the first round over the past six drafts. As a result, Pittsburgh’s farm system is a barren wasteland.

Burke and Hextall’s top priority this off-season will be shoring up the team’s goaltending. There’s a clear objective to go for it while Malkin and Letang are still signed and finding a quality goaltender could be a game-changer for this team. The Penguins outplayed the Islanders in the first round but @Tristan Jarry’s .888 save percentage was key to their demise.

The Penguins are pressed right against the salary cap right now. If Burke and Hextall are going to improve the team, it’ll have to be through a money out, money in type deal. They could also look to free up some wiggle room in the expansion draft. Getting Seattle to take on @Jason Zucker’s $5,500,000 cap hit would be a big help.

If things go south for the Penguins again next season, it’s difficult to say what will happen with Malkin and Letang.