The 2019-20 NHL season was like many that preceded it in recent memory for the Pittsburgh Penguins. As of March, they were jockeying for position near the top of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The 2020 NHL postseason was largely unlike much of what we'd seen in recent postseasons, and the Penguins were a quick out for the Montreal Canadiens in the No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchup.
What should fans expect out of this top-heavy group in 2020-21? Here's everything you need to know about the Penguins ahead of opening night:
Big question: Have the Penguins surrounded Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin with enough talent?
That's been the existential question for the Penguins in recent seasons, as GM Jim Rutherford has been on a years-long quest to tweak the roster and strike the right chemistry. Time is ticking for the Pens to win another cup with this duo. Crosby is 33 and Malkin is now 34, with a contract expiring after the 2021-22 season.
Did realignment hurt or help?
The Penguins keep almost all of their key rivalries (Philly, the New York teams, Washington) in the new East Division, but -- like the rest of the Metropolitan Division teams -- now must contend with Boston clawing for one of four playoff spots.
Offseason comings and goings, plus the cap situation
The Penguins have $1,318,158 in cap space, according to Cap Friendly. It was a big offseason of turnover in Pittsburgh. Gone are Matt Murray and Patric Hornqvist (trades), Justin Schultz (free agency) and Jack Johnson (buyout). In are forwards Kasperi Kapanen, Evan Rodrigues and Mark Jankowski, as well as a pair of wild cards on defense: Mike Matheson and Cody Ceci.
Bold prediction: Matheson revives his career in Pittsburgh
This is what Rutherford is banking on, and it's why he traded for the 26-year-old whose contract doesn't expire until 2026 (while giving up on long-time Penguin Hornqvist). Fans were reasonably skeptical, since Matheson has had some ugly underlying numbers in Florida. However, how many times have we seen veterans come to Pittsburgh and revive their career? (Just forget about Jack Johnson for the moment.)
Breakout candidate: Kasperi Kapanen
Rutherford is a GM with conviction; he knows what he likes, and that sometimes means re-acquiring former draft picks. Enter Kapanen. He was a late first-round pick of the Penguins in 2014, did most of his development in Toronto, and could see a big surge of offensive production if he plays on the top line with Jake Guentzel and Crosby.
Biggest strength: Guentzel and Crosby reunited
The Penguins had horrific injury luck last season, and one of the biggest losses was Guentzel, who had 20 goals in his first 39 games before shoulder surgery on New Years Eve ended his season. Now recovered, the 26-year-old gets to reunite with Crosby, and together the two can create some magic.
Biggest weakness: The back end
Rutherford did some shuffling to his blue line, but it's unclear if he did enough to fix the Penguins' underlying defensive woes (to wit, is Cody Ceci really the answer on the third pairing?). And while goaltending was once an area of strength, it's now a bit of a question mark as Tristan Jarry (57 career NHL starts) inherits the No. 1 full time role and there is barely any NHL experience behind him.
Penguins in NHL Rank
No. 8: Sidney Crosby, C
No. 24: Evgeni Malkin, C
No. 58: Kris Letang, D
No. 89: Jake Guentzel, LW
Prospect perspective
Pipeline ranking: 31
Prospects in the top 100: No. 63 Samuel Poulin (RW)
Fantasy facts to know
Jake Guentzel is now the top member of the Penguins on fantasy draft boards, and rightly so. He's explosively dangerous with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.
Jason Zucker and Kasperi Kapanen are very intriguing in the middle rounds, based on Zucker's brief tenure with the Pens last season and Kapanen's results as mostly a third-liner with the Leafs. Furthermore, there will be a massive amount of power-play minutes freed up by the departure of Patric Hornqvist.
You know the score with Kris Letang: If he's healthy all season, he might be the top defenseman -- but that's a significant "if."
I'm less gung-ho for Tristan Jarry than the Penguins clearly are, but it's hard to argue with the statistics he put up last season. He should be a borderline top-10 goalie.