42 Games in. Only 14 left. This season has flown by and it’s crazy to think that we aren’t far off from the playoffs. The playoffs have been even more secured in the East Division, and the Penguins are starting to get into their groove. They haven’t had many injuries recently which is probably the most surprising thing about this 7 game stretch. The same 6 Defenceman have played in that time span and that has to be some sort of record for this team. The Pens are 3rd in Division with a 27–13–2 record. The Penguins have by far the easiest schedule compared to the two teams above them and I’d say there’s a solid shot they end up top 2 in the Division.
So, let’s get into the grades. Only people that have played in the last 7 games for the Penguins are going to be on this list. Also, these grades are adjusted for my expectations for these players. For example, if someone on the 1st line has an A+ and someone on the 4th line also has an A+, I don’t think that they’re playing at the same level of hockey. I’m not including Teddy Blueger either, just because he has played 1 game of the Penguins last 14.
Frederik Gaudreau — C
13 Games, 1 Goal and 3 Assists
Grade: A
Frederik Gaudreau has been very good for Pittsburgh. He brings so much energy and that’s not something we have seen from Jankowski in his position. Gaudreau is a great penalty killer and I really hope that he stays in the lineup over Jankowski when some injuries heal up. He has proven his worth to this team and I think the fans and the management have a lot more confidence in the Pens depth recently. Gaudreau is a big reason why.
Radim Zohorna — LW/C
6 Games, 2 Goals and 2 Assists
Grade: A+
Zohorna has been so good for the Penguins. I was hyped for him from watching his highlights from when he played in the Czech league but I certainly didn’t expect this. He has so much speed for a 6'6" player and he’s pretty solid at faceoffs when he needs to take them. He’s a natural centre and I think he will be a solid 3rd liner in the future in his career. You gotta keep an eye on this guy, I think he is going to be really good.
Anthony Angello — RW/LW
19 Games, 2 Goals and 2 Assists
Grade: B
Anthony Angello has been a great 4th liner for this team. I think he has shown some solid chemistry with Gaudreau as well. Angello is a very physical player and he has been solid defensively so far this season. He doesn’t need to put up big numbers for his presence to be felt whenever he plays. Hopefully, his injury isn’t for too long, because you can tell this team isn’t nearly as physical now compared to when they have him and Tanev in the lineup.
Sam Lafferty — RW/LW
31 Games, 6 Assists
Grade: D
Lafferty has improved. He has done a much better job recently of creating chances for himself and his linemates. He is the only healthy physical player on this team right now and it’s fairly noticeable. He has done a solid job of helping hype up the team, shown by his fight in MSG. I still have hope for him as a player, but I don’t think this is his season. Remember, this is only his 2nd NHL season. Sophomore slumps can affect more than one player on the roster.
Colton Sceviour — RW/LW
32 Games, 5 Goals and 3 Assists
Grade: C+
My opinion on Colton Sceviour has massively changed throughout the season. I thought early on that he was good, then he slowly got worse and worse in my mind. But watching him more closely you can tell that he is actually a good thing for the 4th line or as a 13th forward for this team. He has shown that he isn’t fantastic defensively but he is certainly good enough. The main problem I have with his game is his inability to play as well on the PK, but when Blueger and Tanev are in the lineup they don’t really need him there.
Evan Rodrigues — RW/LW
26 Games, 5 Goals and 5 Assists
Grade: B-
He’s starting to make up for his first few games on the 1st line. Rodrigues is a good player. He’s just not good enough to play with Sid or Geno. I like him as a depth guy, but I’m indifferent on if he’s the guy I want on this team's third line when healthy. Rodrigues isn’t good defensively, plain and simple. But he has decent hands and he’s one of the few players on this team with a shoot-first mindset. I think the Penguins need that kind of mindset, but not necessarily with Rodrigues. I’m still not sure where he fits on this team.
Jason Zucker — LW
24 Games, 6 Goals and 4 Assists
Grade: C
I don’t know what to think of Zuckers season. He has been better since coming back from injury but his production hasn’t been there as much as you would want it to be. 2 Goals and 1 Assist in 7 games since being back isn’t very good and you don’t want a below 40 point pace out of a guy who you paid a 1st and a solid defensive prospect for. He is certainly capable of being a 60 point guy, but I just don’t think he has the talent around him right now with the injuries. He isn’t getting 1st line powerplay time which doesn’t help him, but I really want more out of him. He had great chemistry with Sid on the top line last year but it’s hard to separate Jake from Sid when healthy. He needs to find his fit on this roster, and it better be before the playoffs.
Mark Jankowski — C
37 Games, 4 Goals and 7 Assists
Grade: C-
Jankowski, much like Sceviour, has improved in my eyes over the season. His offensive output has been much better recently but I think that’s more because the 4th line seems to have finally developed some chemistry. He has still been solid defensively and I think he has fit in very well into the Penguin's new defensive system. I like him much more as a depth Centre than as a mainstay in the lineup.
Zach-Aston Reese — LW
31 Games, 8 Goals and 3 Assists
Grade: A
ZAR is so important to this team. He is so unbelievably good defensively and his 8 goals this season are only the cherry on top. I still hope that he gathers more assists but playing on a line where your other 2 forwards have 1 goal combined right now doesn’t help. He’s a fantastic player for this team and I can’t wait for the day that more people understand his impact.
Brandon Tanev — RW/LW
32 Games, 7 Goals and 9 Assists
Grade: A
There is not much else to say besides that he has been really, really good. This season he has been good offensively and defensively, which is not something I can say about his performance last season. You can really feel his effect on the PK as it always seems to only struggle when he isn’t on the ice. He puts his all into every shift and a 41 point pace isn’t too shabby either. I’m a big fan of his, and I can’t wait to see this team with him back on it.
Jared McCann — C/LW
29 Games, 11 Goals and 10 Assists
Grade: A+
Jared McCann has blown up out of nowhere. He has been placed on the 1st powerplay unit in Evgeni Malkin and Kasperi Kapanen's absence. McCann has proven he deserves to stay there. He has 5 powerplay goals in his last 9 games. He has been great on both sides of the ice 5-on-5 as well and is a key part of this team's middle six because of it. He’s a treat to watch and I think, unlike Zucker, he has found his fit in this team.
Bryan Rust — RW
42 Games, 16 Goals and 17 Assists
Grade: A
He has been very good. Rust hasn’t been as elite as he was last season, but he has proven himself as a very good NHL player. He is perfect for whoever you put him next to. Sid or Geno, he is great. His defensive game has also improved a lot this season. Rust is a great Penguin and one of the most underappreciated players in the NHL.
Jake Guentzel — LW
42 Games, 20 Goals and 25 Assists
Grade: A+
Bryan Rust may be one of the most underappreciated players, but Jake Guentzel is the most underappreciated player. He is one of the best Left Wingers in the NHL. I understand that he plays with Sidney Crosby but Jake makes Sid look better as much as it is the other way around. He’s great on both of the ice and he has proven that he an elite sniper with a very high hockey IQ.
Sidney Crosby — C
41 Games, 16 Goals and 32 Assists
Grade: A+
There isn’t much to say. You already know. After a poor defensive season last year, Sid has rebounded in his own end and is having one of his best defensive seasons. He has looked slower as of late, but I feel like that’s just the human in him starting to show at 33. I don’t think that it will last very long. Sid is fantastic, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. He has had so many 3 point games recently that he has hit 150 3 points or more games in his career.
Marcus Pettersson — D
33 Games, 1 Goal and 5 Assists
Grade: C-
Pettersson has been slowly getting better still, but man has he been disappointing this season. His offensive ability has disappeared completely. It would be so helpful if the Pens had the Pettersson that he was last season. When you’re watching him you would say that his defensive game has also gotten worse, but when you look at some advanced analytics it’s the complete opposite. I really liked him as a Penguin the past few seasons, but something tells me he may have played his last game as a Penguin. If not, hopefully, he turns things around.
John Marino — D
38 Games, 2 Goals and 6 Assists
Grade: B-
I’m almost 100% sure that his sophomore slump has nearly come to an end. Marino has been MUCH better recently and you can tell. He has been on the third pairing with Pettersson, but they have still been getting more ice time than the Matheson-Ceci pairing. Marinos offensive numbers have been down, and so have his defensive numbers, but if you just look at his last 7 games he has been much close to what he was last season compared to how he has played this year.
Brian Dumoulin — D
27 Games, 2 Goals and 7Assists
Grade: A
Brian Dumoulin has been VERY good since his return from injury this season. His first stretch of games was kind of rough but it isn’t a coincidence that the Penguins have had two 5+ game win streaks since his return. His offence has started to show up again and he has been as good defensively as ever. Him being there makes Letang play at his best, and you deserve a high grade just for doing that when you look at how he played with POJ earlier this season.
Cody Ceci — D
39 Games, 3 Goals and 9 Assists
Grade: A
I still wonder what Ottawa and Toronto were doing with Ceci. He has been great in Pittsburgh. Both in his own end and offensively as he has shown. He already has 2 more goals and 4 more points than he had in Toronto last season. He hasn’t looked out of place in Pittsburgh at all, and I’m still waiting to wake up from whatever kind of wicked dream this is. Whatever it is I’m liking it, and I’m liking Ceci in a Penguins jersey so far.
Mike Matheson — D
34 Games, 4 Goals and 9 Assists
Grade: B-
He has been pretty solid recently. Recently being the keyword. Matheson has used his speed very well as of late, but his extremely poor defensive game hasn’t been worth it. I’ve talked about Pettersson being moved at the deadline for weeks now but I think I would much rather Matheson being the one to go if needed. He doesn't fit the Penguin's current style and I don’t think he ever will. He isn’t good on the powerplay either and that’s something that this team's 2nd PP unit really needs.
Kris Letang — D
41 Games, 7 Goals and 27 Assists
Grade: A
Letang has been pretty fantastic for the Penguins this season. His play was not terrible but not nearly Letang like for the first portion of the season, but since he got Brian Dumoulin back as his partner he has looked much better as of late. I’ve mentioned how Letang has never really been great defensively, and this season has arguably been one of his worst in his own zone. However, offensively he has been great. Nothing too different from usual.
Casey DeSmith — G
17 Games, 10–5–0, 0.912 Save%, 2 Shutouts
Grade: A
DeSmith’s Save% really doesn’t tell the story. A couple of bad games in a row mixed with 2 own goals in the next game doesn’t lead to a good Save%. Despite his numbers, he has been a fantastic backup for this team. You really can’t ask for much more than what he has given this team as a backup netminder.
Tristan Jarry — G
28 Games, 17–8–2, 0.907 Save%
Grade: A-
You could tell his injury had shaken him up a bit. For the majority of this season, Jarry has been great, but a few bad starts has lead to his numbers not looking as good as they should be. I trust him a lot, and I’m not going to say much else about Jarry because I don’t want to jinx him like I did last time. Sorry about that by the way.