Fansided

Pittsburgh Penguins 2015-16 NHL Preview

By Josh Hill

Jan 21, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) looks on from the ice against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) looks on from the ice against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh Penguins. 8. player. 92. <p class=. Metropolitan

Team MVP

Sidney Crosby – C

It needs to be Crosby, as the Penguins are really only as good as the so-called best player in hockey will allow them to be. While it’s easy to hate on the Pens for vastly and violently underachieving over the past handful of years since winning the Stanley Cup, the biggest reason they’ve failed is Crosby has either been hurt or not up to snuff.

When he’s concussed — which is more than we’d like to see — he’s off the ice and not a factor for Pittsburgh. When he’s on the ice, it’s a mystery as to whether he’s going to be on an MVP level or slacking by letting hard hits and cheap shots get into his head. The Pens don’t need Crosby to goon it up on the ice and exert his physical dominance, they just need him to be the best player in hockey that we all know he can be.

Dec 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates a goal by Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Steve Downie (23) against the New York Rangers during the third period at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers defeated the Penguins 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates a goal by Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Steve Downie (23) against the New York Rangers during the third period at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers defeated the Penguins 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Best Case Scenario

Pittsburgh made some serious additions this offseason, like adding Phil Kessel from the Maple Leafs and picking up free agents like Matt Cullen and Eric Fehr. If Crosby can get back to an elite level of play, the Penguins very well could return to form and surge in a wide open Eastern Conference.

There’s no clear cut favorite in the East, and if the Penguins can re-focus and get back to the team they were in the late 2000s, they could very well punch a postseason ticket as a top seed. Even if they’re not a top seed, if all cylinders are firing, the Pens are a dangerous threat to unseat some Stanley Cup favorites and go on a tear.

Worst Case Scenario

If the Penguins have taught us anything over the last yew years, it’s that they’re not to be trusted with our expectations of them. Sidney Crosby is so unreliable as a superstar that it’s hard to put as much stock in him as we do with other players around the NHL who lead their teams.

That’s not to say he’s not a superstar, but it’s a sign that the Penguins have an uphill battle to earn our trust back. As easy as it is to get excited about their changes, this is a Pittsburgh team that has duck farted its way out of the postseason and out of contention in dubious fashion over the years. At this point, worst case scenario for the Pens is missing the postseason, which is a real possibility entering this season of uncertainty.

More from NHL

Home/NHL