Which Penguins player could benefit the most from another Stanley Cup title?
The quest to win a Stanley Cup is usually an eight-month grind.
To claim hockey’s most prized possession, players must show up at training camp in September, persevere through an 82-game regular season and survive four rounds of playoffs into the middle of June.
The unusual circumstances surrounding the currently suspended NHL season has set up a shortcut.
Assuming the NHL is able to navigate the covid-19 minefield and more or less follow its stated return-to-play timetable, the process of winning a championship could take just about three months, from the start of camp (somewhere around July 13) to the awarding of the Cup (maybe early October).
Sure, some might affix an asterisk to a 2020 championship, but whatever. Players can hop in the fast lane and achieve their life’s goal in a span of maybe 14 weeks.
“There’s a lot to play for,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said this week. “These guys are proud guys. They’re the best players in the world. I think a lot of them see the opportunity in front of them
“I can only speak for how I feel about our players in Pittsburgh, but in my conversations with a lot of our players, I know they’re excited to play and I know how much of an opportunity they see in front of them. Now, obviously we’ve got to go out and earn it, but I think that drive and that motivation to win a Stanley Cup is going to force players into a quick adjustment process.”
Winning the Stanley Cup once allows a player to join an exclusive club.
Winning the Stanley Cup multiple times shows a different kind of success level.
“I think it shows you’re persistent. You’re not satisfied, maybe,” Sidney Crosby said in 2016.
In either case, it can mean a few more zeroes on the paystub.
With that in mind, beat writer Seth Rorabaugh and former beat writer Jonathan Bombulie came up with a list of the five Penguins players with the most to gain if they were to win a fast-tracked Stanley Cup this fall.
Bombulie’s picks
1. Patrick Marleau
To preempt a popular discussion point months before it hits the talk-radio airwaves, if the Penguins were to win the 2020 Stanley Cup, there’s little doubt who Crosby would hand the trophy to first. It’s Marleau. No one in the history of the league has played more games without winning a Cup (1,723). The whole point of him coming to Pittsburgh was to finally get him that darn ring. It may not be Ray Bourque in Colorado territory, but it’s not far off.
2. Jake Guentzel
For Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, the trip from three career championships to four would be a short one. Their legacies are already secure. For Patric Hornqvist, Matt Murray, Bryan Rust et al, the bump from two to three would be equally negligible. They’re already winners. Guentzel, though, wasn’t around for the 2016 title. Going from one Cup to two would prove he is, as Crosby said, not satisfied. The story of how he wouldn’t even have been on the ice for the 2020 playoffs had it not been for a pandemic is a juicy one too.
3. Tristan Jarry
Jarry and Murray are both restricted free agents after this season. Murray would improve his earning power with a third Cup, but let’s face it. He’s already got two. He’s going to make a lot more than $3.75 million next year no matter what happens. Now, should Jarry actually get into the net and help his team win a Cup, his $675,000 salary could go through the roof. Cup-winning goalies might be the rarest commodity in the NHL. There are only six of them active.
4. Jared McCann
McCann will also be a restricted free agent after the season, so there are financial concerns at play here, but there’s a lot more to it than that. McCann has a lot of tools. He’s a good skater with excellent versatility and a great shot. He’s well liked by his teammates. But he’s bounced around to three teams by age 24. He hasn’t put up eye-popping numbers. He’s missing a little something from his resume. A Cup would fill that gap. Think of the difference between your perception of Max Talbot and Brandon Sutter.
5. Jack Johnson
Remember when Patrick Roy said he couldn’t hear Jeremy Roenick’s insults because his Stanley Cup rings were plugging his ears? That’s the sentiment here. Johnson’s play is regularly panned — usually rightfully so — by critics. A Stanley Cup ring to go with the $16.25 million contract he’s playing on would noise-cancel any complaints.
Rorabaugh’s picks
1. Justin Schultz
Schultz’s 2019-20 campaign has been nothing short of rotten. First, he missed 23 games due to various injuries. Then, he lost his job as the right-handed shot on the second defensive pairing to rookie John Marino. Still, he’s a right-handed defenseman who can command a role on just about any power play. As a pending unrestricted free agent, he will be a popular man whenever the NHL’s offseason commences. A strong postseason could make potential suitors look past his poor regular season and drive his price up, even if it’s a cost-adjusted market due to the NHL’s economy post-coronavirus.
2. Matt Murray
Even with two Stanley Cup rings, Murray still has plenty of doubters, and with good reason. Since leading the Penguins to championships in 2016 and 2017, Murray’s ensuing three seasons have been pockmarked with injuries as well as inconsistency. He appears to be a safe bet to get the net should the NHL’s postseason begin this summer. A third Stanley Cup title would beef up us resume considerably as he approaches restricted free agency.
3. Conor Sheary
Coming off a 20-goal campaign and a Stanley Cup title in 2016-17, Sheary was signed to a three-year contract with a salary cap hit of $3 million. It’s fair to say he’s failed to live up to even the most modest of expectations the past three seasons split between the Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. Reunited on a line with Sidney Crosby, Sheary could make the most of that assignment and cash in as a pending unrestricted free agent.
4. Evan Rodrigues
Dissatisfied with being a healthy scratch as a member of the Sabres, Rodrigues bet on himself and requested a trade. He was granted his wish and was sent to the Penguins at the trade deadline. Capable of playing all three forward positions and killing penalties, Rodrigues has proved himself extremely useful to the Penguins. As a pending restricted free agent with a hefty $2 million cap hit, he can justify another contract by filling in wherever he’s needed during a successful playoff run.
5. Patrick Marleau
Marleau is a rental player trying to cap off his career with a Stanley Cup run. No one is under any misconception over why he’s a member of the Penguins. A championship ring would be a wonderful way to end a marvelous 22-year career. Is he worthy of the Hockey Hall of Fame at this moment? Probably. But a Stanley Cup ring would go a long way towards him avoiding being stuck in purgatory with the likes of Rod Brind’Amour, Alexander Mogilny and Pierre Turgeon.
Jonathan Bombulie is assistant sports editor for the Tribune-Review. You can contact Jonathan at jbombulie@triblive.com or via Twitter @BombulieTrib. Seth Rorabaugh is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Seth by email at srorabaugh@triblive.com or via Twitter @sethrorabaugh.
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