Penguins Talk with Jordan DeFigio
For the second year in a row, the Pittsburgh Penguins have missed the playoffs. While the team tried to make a good, late season push, it wasn’t enough.
General manager Kyle Dubas will be entering perhaps the most interesting offseason of the Crosby-Malkin-Letang Era. To break down all things Penguins’ offseason, I recently spoke with my former Burgh Sports United buddy, Jordan DeFigio, who does the Fly Penguins Fly podcast.
Shetler: Sidney Crosby produced an excellent season at age 36, with 42 goals. Where would you rank The Captain’s 2023-24 campaign in regards to his best?
DeFigio: It is really tough to compare his seasons against each other head-to-head (which I think is a testament to how talented he is and how illustrious his career has been). I think we’d all agree his 2009-10 campaign in which he tallied 51 goals and 58 assists for 109 points is up at the top, along with the 2006-07 season (36 goals, 84 assists, 120 points) and 2016-17 season (44 goals, 45 assists, 89 points). I mean, how can you properly rank campaigns when the guy has six 100+ point seasons? That being said, what he was able to accomplish this season, at an age most hockey analysts mark as synonymous with AARP benefits and wheelchair ramps, is just next-level. 42 goals, 52 assists, all while working with an ass trash powerplay and an ever-revolving door of linemates; he shouldn’t have been nearly as good as he was this year, but age – while it has maybe slowed him down JUST a hair – doesn’t seem to be negatively impacting his game in the least. In fact, his experience has matured him so much so that he sees the game in a way that more than makes up for any pep his step has lost. He is perhaps the most brilliant hockey mind the league has ever seen (hot take, maybe. But not by much) and this season was just another bit of bronze in Sidney statue that will inevitably stand outside PPG someday.
Shetler: How would you assess Erik Karlsson’s first season in Pittsburgh?
DeFigio: If I’m being quite honest, I’d say EK65’s first season in the black and gold is exactly what we all should have been expecting. Not to harp on age, but he’s 33 and in my mind he was only getting his feet wet. In general, his style of defense leans high-risk (which is what’s helped him thrive as one of the most gifted offensive-defensemen in the game). 11 goals on the season is far from his best (25 goals in 2022-2023), but also hardly his worst (only 3 goals in 2018-2019). But his greatest strength has always been in getting the puck exactly where it needs to be for other people to score – and he did that 45 times this season. And that’s just standard analytics. He boasted pretty strong advanced analytics too, with a 99% EV Offence WAR at even strength, and a 57% xGoal share/62% actual goal share (per JFreshHockey). I can hardly heap blame on him for the total breakdown in finishing, OR how god-awful the powerplay strategy and execution were. Which leads into…
Shetler: The Penguins’ powerplay this season was historically the worst in their franchise history. What would be your suggestions to improve it for next season?
DeFigio: Let Karlsson quarterback the top powerplay unit. After firing Todd Reirden into orbit, of course. They simply cannot run it back with him next year, because their inability to score on the powerplay quite literally cost them games. It’s inexcusable. Too much passing, too many turnovers, too much thinking about what SHOULD be happening instead of working in the moment with what IS happening. Get Michael Bunting on that top unit too, immediately. Someone needs to live in front of the net for all 2:00 and I think he’s that guy. He has no qualms about crashing the net and being aggressive. We saw hints of this towards the end of the season, with the PP1 being comprised of Bunting, Crosby, Rust, Karlsson, and Malkin. But I think Malkin should slide to PP2 and DOC should slide up to the first unit. Just a little bit more speed and grit. Dubas is also going to need to bring in some reliable depth players this offseason, because you can’t ride the top unit the whole time. But jeez, at least take Reirden’s blank whiteboard away from him and give it to someone who can use a marker.
Shetler: What are the chances the Penguins bring back Jake Guentzel in the offseason?
DeFigio: The chances? Slim. My expectations they bring him back? Through the ROOF. There’s just something about the whole situation that makes me feel in my gut Jake will be back for the first game of the 2024-25 season. It’s probably just the hopeful Yinzmantic in me that’s talking right now, but I don’t know. I just think Dubas is going to work some magic and re-sign Guentzel.
Shetler: What were your impressions of Michael Bunting after the Pens acquired him in the Guentzel trade?
DeFigio: Despite being in a very intense period of mourning, I was sold on Michael Bunting from the jump. He’s the type of player this team has been missing since Patric Hornqvist left and, while it sucks they acquired that type of player in a move that cost them one of their best players, they needed him. He is the Robin to Malkin’s Batman (something I’m not quite sure Geno has ever truly had), and I’m excited to watch him play a full season in the Burgh.
Shetler: Which young prospects would you like to see get a legitimate opportunity to make the Penguins’ roster next season?
DeFigio: Give me some Ville Koivunen, Brayden Yager, and Joel Blomqvist. Heck, I’d love to see Tristan Broz too. Their prospect pool is currently ranked 27th in the league, so might as well start giving some of these guys who are doing well at the AHL/WHL level a fair shot so Dubas can see what he’s actually working with and start planning for the day when the Big Three era is officially over. But those are four guys I’d love to see get a chance to round out the bottom 6 and maybe provide a spark in the depth.
Shetler: Do you believe Brayden Yager, Pittsburgh’s 2023 first round pick, has the potential to be a perennial All-Star type forward for them in the future?
DeFigio: I really do. In 57 games played in 2023-24, he tallied 35 goals, 60 assists, and was a +19. He may not ever be the face of the franchise, but if given a fair shake and proper coaching, I think he’ll be an NHL All-Star.
Shetler: Will Kyle Dubas trade Tristan Jarry this offseason?
DeFigio: If Jarry is on the roster come October, I will be SHOCKED. The only reason they might keep him is if no one else is willing to take on his contract. Which, honestly, I could see happening. But at the very least I think Dubas is going to *try* to move Jarry. The fact that Ned was the hand they rode until the bitter end was very telling – because Ned had very evident flaws. But for a plethora of reasons, the team played far better with Ned in net than they did with Jarry in net. I just don’t think anyone in the organization believes he’s the guy moving forward – including Jarry himself. Time will tell, but…I think he’ll be gone some time this summer.