30 in 30: Pittsburgh Penguns

Last season, the Pittsburgh Penguins did a huge amount at the trade deadline in a bid to lift the Stanley Cup. They signed some big names including Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow. Despite the great depth to their squad, the Penguins were eliminated inside four games against the Bruins in the Conference finals.

It has been a pretty busy off-season for general manager Ray Shero. Similarly to the Blackhawks, Pittsburgh has ensured the services of their core key players for the upcoming season. Despite some speculated competition from the Dallas Stars, Evegni Malkin put pen to paper in a massive eight-year deal. Defenseman Kris Letang also renewed his deal.

If you think about it, it is actually quite scary the amount of talent that is on the Pittsburgh roster. Not only do they have the big names of Crosby, Malkin and Letang, but they have the likes of James Neal, Pascal Dupuis and Kris Kunitz. These three would be legitimate big scorers wherever they played.

Regardless of the talent you have going forward, you need to have a solid defensive unit to be a successful team. The defensive side of the puck was certainly a question mark last season. However, the signing of Rob Scuderi from the Kings will add some much-needed experience and stability to the unit, allowing Letang some more freedom to push forward.

Goaltending is another area of concern for the Pens. After a shoddy start to the playoffs, Marc-Andre Fleury was benched which meant Tomas Vokoun took over the duties. However, GM Shero insists that Fleury will start the season as the number one goaltender.

With the amount of talent at Dan Bylsma’s disposal, you have to think that it all has to click at some point. I am predicting a big 2013/14 campaign for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Prediction: Second in Metropolitan Division, Stanley Cup Winners.