The last time the Penguins came close to having this much fire power, they made a run at the Stanley Cup before falling to the Detroit Red Wings. That was the spring of 2008. The Penguins boasted a top six that spring of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa, Petr Sykora, Ryan Malone and Pascal Dupuis. The Pens came close, but couldn't bring it home.
The following season, the Penguins beat Detroit, but I don't feel the top six in 2009 was superior to the that of 2008. Sykora lost a step, Hossa and Malone were gone and Chris Kunitz, Bill Guerin and Miroslav Satan were added to the mix. Solid, but not better than 2008.
To carry on with the point, the upcoming Pittsburgh Penguins have probably the best top six since that 2008 Cup run team. They boast two league MVPs, a serial sniper, two bulldogs in front of the net and a wild card rookie that could be a revelation.
This piece will take a look at the top six for the upcoming 2015-16 season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I will look at the players involved, where I see them in line combinations and why. I hope it is thought provoking for you all, enjoy!
The Candidates
Sidney Crosby: A no brainer here. The Captain will anchor the top line center position once again. Despite having a "down year" by Crosby standards, Sid's 84 points in 2014-15 were good enough to finish in third in the scoring race and he also placed third in assists (56). Sid suffered not only from a bout of the mumps in December, but injuries to his top winger, Patric Hornqvist, and a season-long slump from long-time linemate Chris Kunitz. With the revamped roster, I expect Sid to eclipse the 100-point plateau again this season if he remains healthy.
Evgeni Malkin: Again, a no brainer here. Geno will man the Penguins second line center position. Malkin suffered more than his fellow superstar in 2014-15, playing with a revolving door of wingers throughout the season. Even with a revolving door of severely less talented wingers, Malkin was able to post 28 goals and 70 points. With the offseason additions, Malkin stands to benefit greatly this upcoming season.
Patric Horqvist: One of the few guaranteed top six wingers from last season, Patric Hornqvist will serve in that role once again this season. The big dog in front of the net posted 25 goals and 51 points in only 64 games for the Penguins last season. He showed great chemistry with Crosby and was building some with Malkin down the stretch as well. He could put up 70 points easily if he plays in all 82 games and is the only holdover from the 2014-15 season that is a lock for this seasons top six.
Phil Kessel: No doubt that the Pens biggest offseason acquisition will find his way in the top six. "Phil the Thrill," acquired on July 1st from Toronto for multiple pieces was GM Jim Rutherford's big splash for the Penguins this offseason. Kessel played in all 82 games for the second consecutive season, posting 25 goals and 61 points on an absolutely atrocious Toronto team in 2014-15. Kessel should rebound to post 40 goals easily, becoming the first Penguins winger to do that since James Neal in 2011-12. Despite the "dad bod," Kessel has the speed and hands to flourish alongside either Malkin or Crosby.
Sergei Plotnikov: The Russian rookie is the "X-Factor" for the Penguins top six as I see it. Plotnikov, 25, was brought in on a fairly team-friendly deal with the expectation of skating in the top six this season. In the KHL last season, he posted 15 goals and 36 points for Locomotiv Yaroslavl. He has good hands and plays a physical style game. He doesn't have the skating ability of a Kessel or Crosby, but he has enough speed to keep up with guys in the top six. If Plotnikov sticks, it could be huge going forward for the Pens.
Chris Kunitz: There is no questioning that Kunitz was not good last season. After a quick October and November, the veteran winger lost his hands, his speed and his game. He fanned shots, missed passes; it was ugly. Now, we know that Kunitz missed time in last November, early December with a broken bone in the foot, and it later came out down the stretch that he was suffering from an iron deficiency. Can last season be chalked up as a fluke, bad year or the start of the decline of Chris Kunitz? I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially considering the past season he posted over 35 goals and 60 points. Kunitz has great chemistry with Sid, but he will need to have a quick start to help place him in the top six permanently.
David Perron: When this guy came over in the early January deal, I was pumped. Perron had been known to have good hands, great speed and play with a little edge. He did all that in the first month here, posting several goals in his first month of service. Then, well, he disappeared into a hole and never surfaced again. Perron is streaky, but you hope for more consistency than we saw. 12 goals in 43 games with the Penguins last season, if he could post 20 in that span, I'd take it.
Nick Bonino: The newest member of the Penguins, acquired a week ago for Brandon Sutter, is a dark-horse for the top six this season. Bonino who can play wing, but is more comfortable at center, has some scoring talent and the skating ability to keep up with the likes of Sidney Crosby. I think it is unlikely that he cracks the top six, unless injury or severe underperforming necessitates it.
Notable players left out of the conversation:
Pascal Dupuis: Duper has always produced when skating alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, but coming off blood clots and at 36-years-old, it is unlikely that he can keep up with them all season. It would be in both the Pens and Duper's interest to have him man the right wing on the third line.
Beau Bennett: Injuries and misuse have kept him from succeeding in Pittsburgh, but the 23-year-old still has talent. He would have to have a huge camp to make the top six, but he won't succeed playing on the left wing, and won't be able to beat out a healthy Kessel or Hornqvist.
The 1st LIne
There are no doubts that Crosby mans the top line for the Penguins this season. He is the franchise player and the best player in the world. Even in a down year, he is better than the rest of the world. This upcoming season, with a right handed shot on the right wing and a clean bill of health on the left wing, Crosby should break the 100-point plateau easily.
Phil Kessel goes with Crosby as well, to start the season. I personally feel that Kessel would be a better fit for Evgeni Malkin, a relationship that could blossom into something similar to Geno and James Neal in 2011-12. But, to start the season, Kessel begins the season with Crosby.
Kessel has the speed to keep up with Sid, and for the first time since 2008 with Marian Hossa on his wing, Sid has a legit sniper to put away his passes. I see no reason, if both remain healthy, why Sid cannot eclipse 60 assists and Kessel post over 40 goals.
My only complaint about Kessel is he is not a physical presence, meaning he is not going to go to the dirty areas and grind down for the puck. For that reason, I believe the Penguins should begin the 2015-16 season with Chris Kunitz on the left wing.
Kunitz had a down year, no question, but Kunitz has a lot more going in his favor than David Perron. First, and most importantly, he has great chemistry with Crosby. The two have skated together every year since Kunitz came over in 2009, minus the 2011-12 season when Sid was injured. Secondly, if healthy, he still has the speed and skill to play alongside Crosby. Is he the 35 goal scorer of 2013-14 still? Probably not, but I don't think he is the washed-up player we saw last season either. He at least deserves the benefit of the doubt. Finally, he will go to the dirty areas and fight for the puck. Kessel won't do that, nor should the Pens try to change his game to suit. Let Kunitz go to the dirty areas, let him work the boards with Sid and let Kessel fire their passes on net.
All of this, of course, is predicated on health and performance. Crosby, Kessel and Kunitz go into the season healthy, so if Kunitz gets off to a solid start, he should remain on that line. However, if he gets off to a slow start, David Perron should be given a look.
Perron doesn't play the same game as Kunitz, he doesn't go to the dirty areas as much and he has never posted more than 30 goals a season. That being said, he has the shot and speed to skate with Sid, which could give the Pens a fast top line.
I personally like Kunitz on the left, but if he struggles early, the Penguins need to look at other options, mainly Perron.
The 2nd Line
Like Crosby, there is no question that Malkin mans the Pens second line. Malkin should benefit from having two legitimate wingers for the first time since 2011-12, when he flourished with James Neal and Kunitz. As I said earlier, don't be surprised if Malkin has a huge year.
Now, with the addition of Kessel, Patric Hornqvist falls to the second line. I am completely alright with this. Malkin plays well with a guy of the Hornqvist mold, look at Kunitz in 2011-12 and Ryan Malone in 2007-08. Hornqvist has speed, but more importantly he works the front of the net. This allows Malkin to skate and create chances and for Hornqvist to clean up from the blue paint; playing to both player's strengths.
On the left wing, Sergei Plotnikov should get the first shot and an extended look. Plotnikov plays a physical style, similar to Kunitz, but also sees the ice well, which meshes well with a player of Malkin's talent. Plotnikov has skated with big named players at World Championships, mainly Pavel Datsyuk or Alex Ovechkin, but he produces alongside the big dogs. I expect no different with him skating alongside Malkin.
Now, if Plotnikov struggles, then I think the Penguins should turn not to David Perron, but to Nick Bonino. Bonino has great feet and scoring touch. He would benefit from playing alongside Malkin, even if he were playing out of position. What I see in Bonino is the scoring talent, which is great for Geno, who likes to make plays and take advantage of open ice when he gets it. Bonino's feet and touch play into Malkin's game, but I still see Plotnikov starting there.
Conclusions
My lines are not set in stone. Believe me, Mike Johnston won't be calling me for my advice. That being said, this top six makes the most sense to me.
I love Crosby manning the top line with a pure sniper in Phil Kessel. The two should benefit from each other's talents and have huge years. I, again, feel Chris Kunitz is the best fit for the left wing. Though he may be a tad slower, he plays the style that benefits Crosby and doesn't force the organization to change Kessel's game. David Perron doesn't do that, but if Kunitz struggles, he deserves a shot.
As for the second line, the left wing is the question area too. Malkin centers the line, flanked by Hornqvist on the right. Those two should build on their chemistry quick and flourish. Now, the "X-Factor" is Sergei Plotnikov. He will need to adjust to the smaller rink, but he has the pedigree to succeed alongside big name players. If Plotnikov struggles however, I think the Pens should give Nick Bonino the chance to skate alongside Malkin. Now that will depend on two things, one being if he can adjust to the switch to wing from center, the second if Oskar Sundqvist emerges as a force on the bottom six. If Sundqvist forces the Penguins hand and Plotnikov struggles, the Penguins could move Bonino up to the 2nd line wing, Fehr to third line center and Sundqvist to the center on the fourth line.
A lot will be said over the next few weeks about the Pens lines. For now, I like what I am proposing. Let the talent come together, mesh and dominate. They're certainly capable of it.