The NHL Network continues to release its Top 20 rankings of every position, rolling out its defensemen list today. Unlike the 2023 list, which featured Erik Karlsson at 8th overall, no current Pittsburgh Penguins defenders crack this season’s rankings.
That raises the question of whether or not the defensive corps that general manager Kyle Dubas has assembled is a liability.
In 2023-24, the Penguins (88 points) missed out on the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second time in 18 seasons, failing to catch the Washington Capitals by three points, who snuck in with 91.
Three players on the back end played 82 games: Erik Karlsson (56 points), Kris Letang (51) and Marcus Pettersson (30).
Outside of those names, only Ryan Graves (14) and Pierre-Olivier Joseph (11) reached double digits in points and were the only other two to skate in over 50 games.
Collectively, nine defensemen drew into the lineup and finished with a plus-37 mark as Pettersson led the pack at plus-28 and John Lidvig was minus-12.
Karlsson scored 11 goals, Letang netted 10, and each had over 40 helpers, finishing fourth and sixth in team scoring. After these two, the offense dropped off significantly.
On the defensive side of the game, the Penguins gave up 251 goals, the 15th most in the NHL. Their overall goal differential was only plus-4, which is one reason the team couldn’t close out games and sneak into the postseason.
However, the 2023-24 campaign was an improvement from the previous year, when the team’s historic 16-year playoff streak ended and the Penguins were minus-2 in goal differential.
In 2022-23, Letang was the top scorer with 41 points, while Karlsson led the NHL with 102 points from the blue line.
After the 2023-24 campaign, the Swedish defenseman dropped down to 13th in scoring. Of the 12 players who finished ahead of Karlsson in scoring, only 10 cracked the NHL Network’s Top 20 list, meaning 10 players who scored less than him leapfrogged him in the rankings.
As one of the worst special teams clubs in the NHL, Karlsson came to Pittsburgh to give a contending team one more chance at a ring, yet missed the mark in year one.
Yet, the experts believe no one in the Penguins’ defensive corps is a top-20 player, which could be a liability in what may be Sidney Crosby‘s last hurrah in black and gold.
© Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Meanwhile, Pettersson is in a contract season, Karlsson needs to bounce back to his Norris…