NHL Playoffs 2021: 3 reasons Penguins will win the Stanley Cup

2. The Pittsburgh Penguins have depth

You need stars to win the Stanley Cup, but you also need depth. The Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, but it wasn’t just because players like Crosby and Malkin. Their third line, featuring Nick Bonino, Carl Hagelin, and Phil Kessel, stole the show, especially in 2016. The Penguins third line will have a similar opportunity to feast on lesser competition in 2021.

While their third line likely won’t be as talented as the legendary HBK line, it’s still going to be pretty stacked. Jeff Carter will probably be the center. He’s not as good as he once was, but in a short sample size since his trade to Pittsburgh, he’s shown he’s still got enough left in the tank to be effective. His experience will be vital in the locker room.

Before this season, Jared McCann was the “Joker” of the Penguins card deck. Fans didn’t really know what to expect from him. But he’s proven to be a very useful player in their middle-six forward group with 28 points in 38 games despite averaging just over 14 minutes per night.

The third member is where things are less certain, but the Penguins have several options. Jason Zucker has 208 5v5 minutes with Malkin this season and a shade over 30 five-on-five minutes away from Malkin this season. Kasperi Kapanen has done quite well with Carter and McCann on the Penguins’ current second line and has also had good chemistry with Malkin this season. Brandon Tanev might even see some time there, reprising Hagelin’s role of the cartoonishly fast wing on the Penguins third line. Head coach Mike Sullivan will have to make a tough decision.