The Pittsburgh Penguins are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games heading into their contest on Black Friday. Despite their run of success and despite the fact the Penguins are battling for the top spot in the Metropolitan, changes may still be coming. GM Jim Rutherford indicates change will be coming and that may involve the forward lines.
As seen on Trib Live, Rutherford commented on the areas the Penguins may need to address:
“We’ll still make some changes with the team. We need to get more balance in our forward lines. And I say that with all due respect to the players we have. The guys have worked hard. At the same time, there’s a lot of good teams in this league, and I recognize that we’ll have to get more depth up front.”
The Penguins have been able to get by on their star power of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as well as some nice contributions from Patric Hornqvist and Chris Kunitz. However, as Rutherford correctly mentions, the NHL is loaded with high-quality teams who may have more depth than the Penguins on the third and fourth lines.
Realistically, the needs of the Penguins aren’t as severe or urgent compared to other teams around the league. However, come playoff time, the Penguins’ questionable depth up front may be exposed. By then, the damage would be done and Rutherford would be ridiculed for remaining idle during the year. Rutherford knows that the Penguins will need to be proactive especially considering the trade market may not have much to offer.
