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Penguins Start Offseason Moves by Re-Signing Valtteri Puustinen
Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Penguins are once again watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs from their living rooms after missing the postseason for the second year in a row. Pittsburgh showed glimpses of potential throughout the season, especially in the last six weeks, but they were never able to put a full team performance together on a consistent basis. A huge contributing factor to the Penguins’ lack of success in the past couple of seasons is depth scoring. Putting together a strong bottom six is at the top of the to-do list this summer, and they have already started working towards that end. 

Valtteri Puustinen

The Penguins re-signed Valtteri Puustinen to a two-year deal worth $775,000 on May 10. He started the season in Wilkes-Barre where he played in 24 games scoring five goals and eight assists. He was easily the best player who came out of Wilkes-Barre this season. In 52 games played with Pittsburgh, he scored five goals and had 15 assists making him the highest producer out of all the rookies. 

Puustinen spent time on the second and third line this season, but he seemed to play better on the third line with Lars Eller. He has the ability to drive possession consistently and has one of the best releases on the team. He also has the ability to create high-danger scoring chances and when given space he has an amazing one-timer. His speed makes him dangerous in his own zone, and he’s good at getting to the net. His high hockey IQ makes him really good at reading the ice and making quick adjustments when necessary. 

Another offseason priority for Pittsburgh should be finding a solid third-line center who can create more offense for Puustinen. He has the potential to score double-digit goals next season if given the right help. He has already proven he can compete at the NHL level, and the Penguins will more than likely give him a full-time spot in the lineup to start the season. The biggest question surrounding him going into next season will be whether or not he can survive an 82-game schedule. 

Can the Penguins Go on a Run Next Season?

There are a few different things to focus on over the offseason but building a strong bottom six has to be a priority. If the last two seasons have taught the Penguins anything it’s that the top two lines simply cannot do it all. 

Puustinen will be a good addition to the depth scoring if he can continue to improve his game over the summer. This season he had little to no expectations on him, but next season he will be held to a higher standard. He has to prove he can perform at the NHL level for a full season, which for a bottom-six winger means at least 10-13 goals. He also needs to show he can be a top-six option in case he is needed to fill in due to injuries. 

General manager Kyle Dubas has been very clear about his intentions to make Pittsburgh a younger, faster team. Puustinen will help with that plan, however, this season Sidney Crosby and the rest of the core proved they can still compete at a high level. Last summer, Dubas put together a defensive bottom-six thinking that the top two lines could carry the offensive load. Hopefully, he has learned from this mistake and will be making some much-needed adjustments this time. There is no question that Pittsburgh could squeeze one more run out of the aging core, but they must put in the work this summer.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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Chicago Blackhawks’ rookie hid plans to stay away from team before draft: Report
NHL

Chicago Blackhawks’ rookie hid plans to stay away from team before draft: Report

Anton Frondell threw the Chicago Blackhawks a curveball after they selected him with the No. 3 pick in June’s draft. Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, Chicago learned about Frondell’s plan to return to the SHL after they drafted him. “The Blackhawks learned more about Frondell’s plan after drafting him. Originally, they hadn’t ruled out his coming to training camp and seeing how he stacked up against NHL competition in preseason games,” Powers wrote. “But as the Blackhawks negotiated Frondell’s entry-level contract and discussed what he sought for the upcoming season, he expressed his desire to return to Djurgården for another year.” Anton Frondell declined an invitation to Chicago Blackhawks camp Chicago offered Frondell an invite to training camp, but the forward declined. The decision is at odds with what he told reporters following his selection on draft night. “If I get the chance to take a spot on the team, I will do everything I can to do that, to play,” Frondell said on June 27. “And if I’m not good enough, if I don’t make it, I’m going back to Djurgårdens.” Per Powers, the decision for Frondell to return to Djurgarden was made last fall. “Actually, we already talked about it in October, November (of 2024) that it doesn’t matter if we’re going to play SHL or HockeyAllsvenskan, in the second league in Sweden,” said Djurgarden general manager Niklas Wikegård. “So it would be good for him to play at least one more year in Sweden and just mature physically as a player. “So we had a mutual agreement with the agents and him and his father that he’s gonna stay for one more year in Sweden and play.” The Blackhawks are okay with the plan The Blackhawks are “understanding” of the plan, as the SHL is superior to the play Frondell would see if he played on the Rockford IceHogs. Still, there was a possibility that Chicago would give Frondell a spot on the Blackhawks after training camp, allowing him to build chemistry with young players like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar as their young core develops. That won’t happen until at least next year. One wonders why Frondell wasn’t honest with the Blackhawks before the draft. It’s a curious way to start a relationship.

Seattle Mariners Send Right-Handed Reliever Outright to Triple-A Tacoma
MLB

Seattle Mariners Send Right-Handed Reliever Outright to Triple-A Tacoma

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Napheesa Collier Injury Update Adds Drama to Lynx’s Historic Victory
WNBA

Napheesa Collier Injury Update Adds Drama to Lynx’s Historic Victory

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Lakers insider updates LeBron James' immediate future
NBA

Lakers insider updates LeBron James' immediate future

LeBron James wasn't present at Luka Doncic's contract extension news conference. That doesn't necessarily mean anything, and he's more than entitled to some time off the clock just like everybody else. However, given all that has been said about his future with the Los Angeles Lakers, it didn't take long before people speculated whether there was something else going on. The Athletic's Dan Woike reports that there's nothing to it. "James has not asked for a trade or a contract buyout, team and league sources have said. He’ll turn 41 on Dec. 30," wrote Woike. James' agent and friend, Rich Paul, also made it loud and clear that he hasn't even talked about potentially leaving the Lakers, and while he still doesn't know if he'll re-sign with them or will continue to play beyond this season, that's a bridge they'll cross when they get there. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka also shut down rumors by pointing out that he's been in constant talks with James and his camp. “Yeah, so all the interactions we’ve had with LeBron and his camp, Rich (Paul) in particular, have been positive and supportive. So very professional and Rich has been great,” Pelinka said. “The dialogue with him has been open and constant.” The Lakers are doing the right thing by pivoting towards their younger star. Whether this will be the end of the line for James in Southern California remains to be seen.

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