With free agency seemingly winding down and training camps getting closer, the Pittsburgh Penguins saw general manager Kyle Dubas make plenty of moves. Whether via free agency or trade, several new players have been added to the team. With that being said, what could the opening night lineup look like for the Penguins?
Penguins’ Projected Opening Night Lineup
| LW | C | RW |
| Drew O’Connor | Sidney Crosby | Bryan Rust |
| Michael Bunting | Evgeni Malkin | Rickard Rakell |
| Anthony Beauvillier | Kevin Hayes | Valtteri Puustinen |
| Blake Lizotte | Lars Eller | Noel Acciari |
| LD | RD | G |
| Marcus Pettersson | Erik Karlsson | Tristan Jarry |
| Ryan Graves | Kris Letang | Alex Nedeljkovic |
| Matt Grzelyck | Jack St. Ivany |
Offense Led By Familiar Faces
There may not be much change in the Penguins’ top six heading into the 2024-25 season, but that is not necessarily bad. The chemistry that Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust have displayed together in the past hopefully will be on display once again if Rust can stay healthy. In only 62 games last season, he totaled 56 points and looked strong with Crosby again. After a breakout season from Drew O’Connor, the 24-year-old will look to continue his rise for the team and create a strong top line for the Penguins.
Chemistry will be a common theme with the Penguins’ top two lines, as having a full offseason and training camp together should do wonders for the trio of Michael Bunting, Evgeni Malkin, and Rickard Rakell. After being acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade, Bunting slotted into the second line for the majority of the 21 games he spent with the Penguins and helped give it some added offensive output and should be able to do more of the same this upcoming season.
The bottom six of the forward group is where things could get interesting. Kevin Hayes will look to have a rebound season after having a career low in goals last season with the St. Louis Blues. If the newly acquired 32-year-old can get back to his normal self, he will be a valuable asset to the lineup. Beauvillier could easily be pushed out of his spot on the third line by someone like Emil Bemstrom or Jesse Puljujarvi depending on how training camp and the preseason plays out, or even a prospect that the Penguins have. But for now, he will likely slot in on the third line.
The fourth line is spearheaded by the energizer players of both Eller and Lizotte. Eller had a strong season offensively last season and Lizotte brings some excitement to the bottom six with the way he plays.
Defensive Core Will Need Stronger Seasons
Defensively, if the Penguins can get a replication of Marcus Pettersson’s 2023-24 season, it will be a huge shot in the arm for the 2024-25 season. They will also be hoping for a bounce back from one of last offseason’s acquisitions, Ryan Graves. He struggled in his first season with the Penguins and is a player who will be looked to for a stronger season.
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Offensively, the defensive group did not have an overall bad season, but they will need to tighten things up in their own zone of the ice. Where things get interesting is likely on the third pairing. With Grzelyck being a veteran, pairing him with a youngster like St. Ivany could end up helping the 25-year-old in a big way. But like the offensive grouping, there is always a chance that a prospect like Owen Pickering makes a push for the opening night lineup.
Intrigue in Between the Pipes
After a finish to last season that saw Nedeljkovic play the majority of the games in the crease for the Penguins, Jarry will likely be watched with a careful eye once again this season. After signing the long-term extension he did last offseason, much has been expected of him and he has not necessarily lived up to that so far. This season could be a make-or-break type of season for Jarry and fans could see more of Ned in the net if head coach Mike Sullivan feels it is what is best for the team.
Not Much Change, But There’s Still Optimism
While the lineup may not see a bunch of changes throughout, there is still some reason to feel optimistic for the 2024-25 season as a Penguins fan (albeit, not a ton of optimism can be found it seems). With an aging lineup and the chance that a few prospects could push veterans for spots on the roster, it will make for an interesting training camp and start to the season for the Penguins.
