3 Pittsburgh Penguins Who Will Regress In 2024-25

The Pittsburgh Penguins seem destined to finish this season the same way last season ended, just outside of the playoff picture because of an aging core and not a lot of help from the depth. Some of the top players have had long and successful careers, but with age comes a natural decline. Here are three players who will regress in 2024-25 for the Penguins.

Evgeni Malkin

Evgeni Malkin took a step back from 2022-23, but it wasn't because of his inability to score. He finished with 27 goals each of the past two seasons, his assists just dropped significantly because of his struggling linemates. Malkin was also a little inconsistent last season, going on hot streaks and going cold for a while. His linemates got no better over the offseason and as he's now 38, he may slow down a little more on top of it. The Penguins have a new power-play coach, but it may not be enough.

Kris Letang

Speaking of a new power-play coach, that should help the team land on a decision of which d-man runs the top unit. It will likely be the more offensively-minded Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang will be better managed. He is slowing down with age as well and at 37 years old, I think it is a stretch to think he's going to hit 50 points again without much power-play time and with not a great team in front of him.

Michael Bunting

Michael Bunting had a solid year for the expectations put on him, starting the season in Carolina and ending in Pittsburgh. Overall, I think he is capable of getting over 50 points for the third time in his career, but he will also likely be on the second line away from Sidney Crosby. Bunting recorded 19 points in 21 games after coming to the Penguins. He won't hold that pace for an entire season in Pittsburgh, and that's where the regression comes in.