The world is currently full of uncertainty due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 Virus. While matters of sport are of no consequence compared to the issues the world is facing, it does offer a nice distraction. Much is still unknown when it comes to the fate of the remainder of the 2019.20 NHL season, but NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has been adamant that any return to action this season will not affect the length of the 2020.21 season. When looking that far ahead one of the most intriguing questions that will face the Pittsburgh Penguins will be the deployment of their top six wingers, more specifically the deployment of their top line.
It is a given that the top line will be centered (as it has for the majority of the past 15 years) by Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby. That leaves the question of who will play with the franchise player. Crosby has been flanked by what has been described as a "rotating door of wingers" for the majority of his career, but that stretch might come to an end on opening night next season.
For starters, prior to the NHL's hiatus that took effect on March 12th, Jason Zucker seemed to have formed a good rapport with Crosby. Zucker was initially acquired by the Penguins back on February 10th, two weeks prior to the trade deadline, to fill the hole left by injured winger Jake Guentzel (we'll get to him later). Upon arriving in Pittsburgh, Zucker was immediately placed on the top line and racked up 12 points in 15 games before the stoppage.
While the points paint a fairly vivid picture, it's the speed in which he adapted to playing with Crosby that caught the attention of analysts, as well as the ways in which he scored his six goals. The 28-year-old winger showed the ability to not only read off of and feed off of Crosby's pace of play, but the ability to push the pace of play on his own to create opportunities for his line. His speed allows him to push the opposing defense onto their heels, while his vision allows him to read the play at a level that few other who have played Sid's wing have possessed.
Zucker's play with the puck has been impressive, but his play without the puck is equally as promising. While it's a good sign that he was able to bury a one-time feed against Montreal and snipe from above the circle against Anaheim, it was his four other goals, scored from either in or around the blue paint, that will encompass what he will bring to the top line next season. His ability to find soft spaces in the defense will create ample opportunities for the five time 20 goal-scorer to repeat and possibly surpass his career numbers in 2021.
Zucker's name had been linked to Pittsburgh in trade discussions for nearly a year prior to the move. Undoubtedly, it was the injury to winger Jake Guentzel that forced the hand of Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford. Guentzel was injured in a December 30th matchup against the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena. His initial timetable following shoulder surgery was 4-6 months.
A returning Jake Guentzel will round out the Pens first line by the open of next season. The 25-year-old winger has already played close to three full seasons on Crosby's wing, including the entire 2018.19 season where he notched 40 goals and 76 points. However, many have questioned whether or not he could produce when separated from Sid’s wing. Some of those questions were answered earlier this season when Crosby went down with a core muscle injury that forced him out of the lineup for several weeks. Guentzel moved onto a line with the Pens other star Center Evgeni Malkin and continued his torrid pace, collecting over a point per game. At the time of his injury, Guentzel led the team in both goals (20) and points (43), including the goal he scored just prior to landing head and shoulder first into the end boards.
The speed and playmaking ability of a Zucker – Crosby – Guentzel line has the potential to be among the top lines in the league production wise. All three players possess an above average hockey IQ and a vision for the game that is undeniable. With all three players contracts extending over at least the next three seasons, Sidney Crosby might finally have some stability on his wings for the first time since the combination of Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz. If that happens the question becomes; Who will play alongside Evgeni Malkin?
While Malkin and Guentzel quickly grew a rapport earlier this season, Bryan Rust is undoubtedly Malkin’s main wing partner. Rust hit new career highs in goals (27) and points (56) in just 55 games prior to the season stoppage. As for his right side Malkin will most likely be paired up with long time running mate Patric Hornqvist, or a returning Jared McCann.
Much is still an unknown about the state of the world today. Who knows, this new look top line might make its debut in some kind of make-shift playoff series in late July. One thing is for certain, the next time the Penguins hit the ice, Crosby will have two high quality wingers by his side.
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