Five burning questions for the Pittsburgh Penguins

5 burning questions for the Pittsburgh Penguins

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 05: Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) warms up on May 5, 2018, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. in the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Washington Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-3. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Trade Rumors

PITTSBURGH, PA — MAY 01: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Phil Kessel (81) skates during the second period. The Washington Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 1, 2018, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Is Phil Kessel OK?

Kessel didn’t look quite right throughout the 2018 playoffs. He only scored one goal in 12 playoff games, which made little sense considering he had just put up a career-high 92 points during the regular season. Something was clearly off with him.

The Penguins eventually revealed that Kessel was playing hurt during the postseason, but they refused to specify what his injury was or its severity. Whether something else was going on is anyone’s guess, but taking that public explanation at face value would certainly explain a lot.

That excuse wasn’t enough to stop Penguins fans from chastising Kessel for his poor playoff showing and even going as far as to wonder whether the team would be better off trading its third-best player. The Penguins were finally forced to shut down Kessel trade rumors, meaning unless something changes he will definitely be a Penguin going into the 2018-19 season.

Penguins fans seem to have forgotten that Kessel’s arrival in Pittsburgh coincided with two Stanley Cup championships. He may be a character with an unrivaled love of hot dogs, but the man has consistently performed for the Penguins during his stint in Pittsburgh. He deserves at least one more season to prove he’s all good.

Of course, if the 30-year-old Kessel is more injured than initially believed or just a shell of his former self, then the Penguins have an expensive stiff on their hands. The chances of his skills dropping off that precipitously that quickly are minimal, but it’s a risk the Penguins are taking going into next season.

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