The times they are a-changin'. Sort of.
The Penguins have lost their last two playoff series in embarrassing, and pathetic fashion.
This isn't a one-off.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin aren't going anywhere. Jim Rutherford said yesterday that he's not going to break up the core. So that means Kris Letang is probably going to be here next year as well.
Mike Sullivan may be reaching his expiration date in Pittsburgh. But, he's not going to be let go until next season, if at all.
The Penguins announced that they have not renewed the contracts of Sergei Gonchar, Jacques Martin, and Mark Recchi.
Martin's time in the Steel City has spanned three separate head coaching tenure's. He's a smart defensive minded hockey technician. He's hardly irreplaceable.
Mark Recchi, along with Sullivan, was in charge of the Penguins power play. For that reason, he had to go.
The curious decision was to let Sergei Gonchar walk. The Pens defenseman rave about how he's helped their game, and his track record is pretty darn good.
At any rate, the Penguins needed to make changes, and now they have. These changes are just the beginning, and frankly, they're not enough.
Jim Rutherford talked yesterday about needing his team to get younger. He was upset about the lack of a push that the Pens had in game four against the Canadiens.
The Penguins 3rd line was by far their worst in this postseason. Patrick Marleau and Patric Hornqvist are so old that they're in the Covid-19 high risk age group.
Marleau is a UFA and, well, he won't be back.
If Rutherford really wants to make legit changes, then he should consider moving Hornqvist. He's going to age like an ice cream cone in August. Time to get younger.
Jack Johnson and Justin Schultz both stunk out loud in the playoff series against the Habs, and have been below average players the last two seasons. They're both on the wrong side of 30.
Schultz, like Marleau, is a UFA. Goodbye. Jack Johnson? He may well be un-moveable. But that's what I said about Rob Scuderi. The Penguins would be wise to buy him out if they can't find somebody to take him on.
I don't think that Jared McCann is a 3rd line center, but he's 24, has speed, and a hell of a shot. Give him a chance to play the 3C role for an entire year. Give Samuel Poulin, Nathan Legare, and Pierre Olivier-Joseph a shot to make the team and make an impact.
The Pens had to make changes, and now they have. More are needed.