Madden Monday: Penguins' loss 'signs Jake Guentzel's exit papers,' Diontae Johnson's 'future is in doubt' with Steelers

For the Pittsburgh Penguins, their Jaromir Jagr jersey retirement ceremony on Sunday was an unmitigated, fun-filled success.

Until roughly the second intermission of the game itself.

By then, you could tell that the Penguins were just trying to nurse a 1-0 lead against the Los Angeles Kings. Their putrid power play, which had magically managed to finally score a goal in the first period, was starting to let them down once more. Sure enough, the Kings stormed back late in the third period to tie the game and eventually win it 2-1 thanks to two goals from Adrian Kempe.

Juiciest tie game ???????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/uXWYCWjcPQ

— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 19, 2024

OK GO OFF JUICE!!!!! pic.twitter.com/2f20HR5YHL

— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 19, 2024

That would be the final score. The result threw a wet blanket on the “Celebrate 68” jersey retirement festivities for Jagr and, according to our Mark Madden in this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, perhaps on the Penguins’ season as well.

“They’re awful,” Madden said. “They’re a bad hockey team. They are where they’re at in the standings by merit or lack thereof. They’re going nowhere.”

Madden insists this loss is enough to tilt any remaining scales in favor of trading injured winger Jake Guentzel before the March 8 deadline.

“A game like tonight signs Jake Guentzel’s exit papers,” Madden said. “You can’t keep him, especially now. They’re just not very good.

“You can’t let Jake leave for nothing, with no tangible end to be gained by keeping him. So I think you’ve got to trade him. I don’t know what they’ll get for him. I don’t know if his injury — which I hear is a broken pinkie — affects his value in return. But he’s got to get traded. I don’t want to see that happen. But what can you do? That’s the predicament the team — the core three — has put (general manager) Kyle Dubas in.”

More sports

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There is nothing rosy on the Steelers’ offseason front, either. There are some roster rumors there too, specifically with wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Madden discussed that scuttlebutt on his show Thursday afternoon. As I told Madden during the podcast, I heard those same rumors for the first time just a few hours earlier on Thursday morning.

“I guarantee we did not hear it from the same people,” Madden said. “I guarantee you heard it from somebody different. One thing people need to understand about the Steelers is that the organization has no secrets. Nothing that goes on there that somebody doesn’t call me about. Especially if someone has an ax to grind, and I can help them grind it.”

Johnson has one more year left on his contract for $15.8 million. He has lobbied for Mason Rudolph to be the starting quarterback next year, even though the organization seems committed to giving Kenny Pickett the starting job again.

“I’ve heard Diontae Johnson’s future is in doubt,” Madden said. “I’ve heard whispers he plans to have a hold-in again, like he did two years ago, because we’re going into the last year of his contract, and he’s going to make noise over Pickett at quarterback. I’m not a Diontae fan. I think he’s mediocre, and they pay them way too much. But if you’re gonna get rid of him because he’s not a Pickett guy? I mean, come on.”

That’s a worthy discussion point about the Steelers’ priorities from Madden. There are reasons to consider moving on from Johnson as the team’s No. 2 receiver. But it still would create a massive hole. And if the team is willing to create that massive hole just because Johnson isn’t on board with Pickett as the starter, that says to me that they are way too concerned over Pickett’s feelings.

Also, in the podcast, Madden and I discuss some rumblings about the Steelers’ quarterback situation behind Pickett and who will be next on the Penguins’ jersey retirement list.