On Sunday, the hockey world got to witness Alexander Ovechkin - The Great “8” - surpass The Great “One” for the most goals in NHL history.
Regardless of when it happened or how it happened, it was always going to be a special moment. But the Washington Capitals have not only revelled in the anticipation and excitement of the “Gr8 Chase,” they’ve also earned their opportunity to enjoy the experience along the way as one of the best teams in the National Hockey League.
Whether or not Ovechkin’s pursuit of hockey history elevated this Capitals team - that, just one year ago, was one of the worst teams in the modern era to make the playoffs - may never actually be known to the fullest extent.
However, it has been in stark contrast to the season-long sequence of events just four hours north of Washington, where another all-time great player - for most of the season - was in pursuit of besting The Great One for a record of his own.
Sidney Crosby Breaks Wayne Gretzky's Point-Per-Game Seasons RecordAfter 20 years in the making, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has made NHL history.
Woven within a 7-3 whimper of a loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Mar. 27 was Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time point-per-game seasons record, and - although not quite as sexy and mainstream a record as Ovechkin’s - it’s equally as impressive and speaks to Crosby’s greatest attribute, which is his longevity.
But Crosby - dejected in his locker stall after the brutal loss - didn’t even get the chance to enjoy the record in that moment, in a third consecutive lost season marred by far too many forgettable team performances like the Buffalo one.
It’s hard to watch Crosby turn back the clock like he’s 27 and, simultaneously, witness the team around him crumbling. Ovechkin’s goal chase had so much more meaning because his team has been playing meaningful games along with it.
For better or for worse, Crosby deserves the same thing. And he should be granted his best shot at it by GM/POHO Kyle Dubas and his staff.
With Alex Ovechkin's Chase Over, Capitals Ready To Turn Page & Lock In For PlayoffsARLINGTON, V.A. — As much as coach Spencer Carbery didn't want to admit it, the Washington Capitals' focus hasn't been entirely there over the last handful of games as Alex Ovechkin has chased the record.
Following in the Caps’ footsteps?
Now, it’s worth pointing out a few key areas of difference between Washington’s retool situation and the Penguins’ scenario.
The Capitals got ahead of their efforts starting back in 2019, when they selected forward Connor McMichael - who is now making an impact - in the first round (25th overall). They were savvy as far as largely retaining higher-value capital for several years, and it turned out well for them.
But it’s also true that the Capitals never actually bottomed out. None of their higher-value selections - other than Ryan Leonard (eighth overall) in 2023 - were top-10 picks. They simply selected well, and it got them to where they are now - marrying that younger talent with veteran talent, adding on in some necessary areas via the trade market, and witnessing the combined group thrive, even with two big-name players in TJ Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom on long-term injured reserve.
BREAKING: Capitals Sign Ryan Leonard To Entry-Level Contract, NHL Debut Likely vs. BostonIt's official: Ryan Leonard is a Washington Capital.
The Capitals have begun to prove that - although a generational talent like Gavin McKenna certainly helps a rebuild effort - it’s not always necessary to rebuild from high draft selections. They have gone full-force with their scouting and development to add value finds, and it’s paying dividends.
The Penguins also have some talent in their system dating back to 2020, with the selection of goaltender Joel Blomqvist in the second round (52nd overall), and 2021 with Tristan Broz (58th overall). But 2022 is when things really started to pick up for them.
They drafted defenseman Owen Pickering (21st overall) and goaltender Sergei Murashov (118th overall) that season, along with Brayden Yager (later traded for Rutger McGroarty), defenseman Emil Pieniniemi, and forward Mikhail Ilyin in 2023. And last season - despite having no actual first-round selection - they arguably got first-round value out of blueliner Harrison Brunicke (44th overall), added high-upside forward prospect Tanner Howe, and defensemen Chase Pietila and Finn Harding.
The Penguins may be a few years behind the Capitals in terms of timeline, but - like the Capitals - they are finding more and more non-top-10 value because of their strong scouting and development staff.
Crosby’s still got it - and the kids do, too
So, back to Crosby.
It’d be one thing if he was clearly in decline and aging out along with the team. But he’s not. In fact, Crosby is doing quite the opposite with no signs of slowing down, as he is - at age 37 - scoring at a higher point-per-game clip (1.13) than he did a decade ago at age 27 (1.09).
So it’s not like Dubas would be retooling a roster around a guy who is declining. He’d be retooling a roster around a guy who seems to be outpacing Father Time, which is something very few at his age have managed to do across all major sports.
Yes, it’s true that Crosby is deserving of the effort from management to build a better roster as quickly as possible. But it’s also true that he’s still capable of being the guy, which is something that could, honestly, still be the case two or three years from now.
And given the Penguins’ situation, it certainly isn’t impossible for them to go big as soon as this summer to reap the rewards quicker than initially thought.
With The Salary Cap Spiking, The Penguins Have A Huge - And Unique - OpportunityPittsburgh will be in a unique position to accelerate their retool this summer - and they need to take advantage if they can
For one, Pittsburgh is already seeing some of the fruits of Dubas’s labor unfold, as top forward prospects Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen - both acquired via trade - are showing that they can be difference-makers next to Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at the NHL level. There is also the rest of the near-NHL-ready prospect pool in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), as players like defensemen Pickering and Brunicke as well as forwards Avery Hayes, Vasily Ponomarev, and Broz - adding onto three solid goaltending prospects - makes for a decent outlook in the immediate future, even without anyone else added to the NHL roster.
Then, there’s the overstocked draft cupboard, which may include two first-round picks this season. They could very well use both picks to draft impact players, but they could also leverage what will probably be the first-round pick from the New York Rangers to acquire a young center or defenseman who can help the team both short-term and long-term.
And, finally, there’s free agency - both restricted and unrestricted - that can help the team in both the immediacy and the long-term, too. The Penguins are in a very unique position over the next couple of seasons where they’ll have a ton of free cap space, but they won’t have to allocate any of that free cap to extending players on their current roster. This means they can afford higher offer sheets and bigger-name free agents if they so choose.
And they should choose.
Is a free agent splash worth it?
Think about it this way: Hypothetically, the Penguins could dabble in unrestricted free agency - which is only going to get more and more expensive with each passing season and the salary cap going up more and more each year - to sign a bigger-name player this offseason and still have plenty of cap space to spare. Again, they do not have major extension obligations on their roster.
Even if they wanted to be in the mix for McKenna next season - which, don’t be surprised if they decide against that - adding one big-name player wouldn’t “fix” the roster enough to make them much better, if at all. With UFAs like Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Mitch Marner and Vancouver Canucks scoring winger Brock Boeser - who said he is "unlikely to return" to the Canucks this summer - potentially out there, this is the offseason to get the goods while they’re still a reasonable price.
Where Could Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner Sign In The Summer? Five Potential FitsFollowing last week’s NHL trade deadline, a major storyline has been the future of Toronto Maple Leafs star right winger Mitch Marner.
Unrestricted free agency actually isn’t a bad scenario for the Penguins because they wouldn’t need to sacrifice any draft capital, prospect talent, or NHL talent in order to bring in an impact player. They will likely need to save a few assets in order to offload some bad contracts, anyway. So, if you couple a big free agent signing with using that Rangers’ first for another impact player, things are already starting to look much better for this team.
Instead of just having McGroarty, Koivunen, Pickering, Brunicke, and more, they would then have a big-name free agent, an impact young talent, and McGroarty, Koivunen, Pickering, Brunicke, and more. And combining those guys with the veteran talent in Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Kris Letang, and - if not traded - Erik Karlsson, you start to see a vision - especially with a draft cupboard mostly untouched and their likely top-10 draft pick this season potentially vying for a roster spot in the near future.
Most of those younger guys will need at least a season or two of development at the NHL level before they begin reaching their potential. That is the case for the majority of young players. But the readiness that McGroarty and Koivunen have already shown at this point - and Brunicke, if he repeats his 2024 training camp performance next season - introduce the possibility that some of their prospects may be able to make an impact sooner than anticipated. And that’s a good thing for a team trying to build a competitor again as soon as possible.
If some of their prospects’ timelines are accelerated, why not accelerate a few other timelines as well? Navigating that timing is going to be the challenge for Dubas moving forward, as he’s, somewhat, at the mercy of prospect development and how his stars continue to age out.
But if all goes right - and Dubas pushes the right buttons this summer - this team could, conceivably, be in the playoff conversation next season and be contenders as soon as 2026-27. A lot needs to happen - the defensive corps need revamped, they need at least one other impact top-six forward, and at least one of their goaltending prospects needs to be playing at the NHL level and succeeding - but it’s not impossible. In fact, it’s actually semi-realistic because of the options that their cap flexibility and overstocked draft cupboard offer them.
With more and more teams attempting to rebuild on-the-fly successfully rather than tank for several seasons - which certainly is no guarantee, anyway, especially with the way the draft lottery functions - why can’t the Penguins be one of them? This team is already almost two years deep into their rebuild effort, and they’ve positioned themselves nicely with futures and with NHL-ready prospects.
As Dubas said post-deadline, they will now “shift to the execution” phase of their rebuild program. What that execution will start to look like this summer is anyone’s guess.
But one thing is for certain: There are only so many years left for Crosby, one of hockey’s top-five players of all time. There will never be another player like him in terms of consistent and sustained greatness.
And a once-in-a-lifetime talent is not something you waste.
‘We’ll Begin To Shift To The Execution’: With Assets Collected, Dubas Eyes The Next Phase For Penguins HockeyPittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas knew that the decision to shift to the future a year ago with the
Jake Guentzel trade to Carolina wasn’t going to be a popular one.
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