Sorry Pittsburgh Penguins Fans…the Window is Closed.

Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas was hired in August of 2023, with the responsibility to rebuild a depleted farm system that was ranked at the bottom of the league while keeping the current Penguins team in tact with their eyes on the prize—one last run or two at the Stanley Cup. Dubas inherited what remained of the Crosby-Malkin dynasty years but had little resource to add to it. And if their early season play is any indication, the window to win a Cup is officially closed and it is not opening anytime soon.

The Penguins have started the season 3-6-1 after going 0-3-1 on a recent road trip out west, and have now lost five in a row. In the matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, the Penguins were outclassed in every aspect of the game and would have lost by more than 4-0, if rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist didn’t stand on his head and make spectacular save after save. The game was reminiscent of their opening night loss to the New York Rangers when their Metropolitan Division rivals skated circles around the Penguins in their 6-0 victory at PPG Paints Arena. 

So what’s the problem?

The Penguins franchise is led by 37-year-olds–Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, and by a 38-year-old Evgeni Malkin. Not to mention Dubas obtained 34-year-old defenseman Erik Karlsson from San Jose two off-seasons ago, parting with more draft capital. The Penguins are simply old. Their age isn't anymore evident when they play younger, faster teams, like when they were out-skated like this past week in Edmonton. And Head Coach Mike Sullivan's style of fast paced play that fans of the team have fallen in love with (and that helped net them two Stanley Cups) just doesn't work anymore with the core players that remain. 

There is no doubt that Sidney Crosby may be one of the greatest team captains in North American sports history, but the organization's desire to keep the “Big Three” together may have cost them years for a necessary reset. The Big Three are now in their 19th season together, setting a North American team record. But the team around them has been diminished with age, salary cap restrictions and lack of emerging depth from the minors.

The Penguins could have moved on from Malkin and or Letang several seasons ago, when each player might have fetched a nice package of NHL ready prospects and or draft picks. But in retaining them both, their contracts have affected how the Penguins could build their roster, forcing them to let some younger star players go such as Crosby's former winger Jake Guentzel. 

The Penguins of 2024 are tough to watch. They give up odd-man breaks consistently with defensemen frequently caught out of position. Karlsson is a world-class offensive talent, but his defensive game continues to hurt a team that can no longer play from behind. 

So what can the Penguins do to fix their early season woes?

There is not much cap room for the Penguins to do much of anything. The acquisition of promising forward Rutger McGroarty from Winnipeg earlier in the summer was hopeful but hasn't paid off just yet. He should be a future top-six forward—one that can play on the same line as Crosby or Malkin, but for now is still learning how to play in the NHL night in and night out. And the lack of tradable talent on the NHL squad or high end prospects in their minors to find help "now" would only create other holes in the current roster. Some might suggest trying to move Malkin or Letang as an option, but with prohibitive contract restrictions and salary cap implications (along with fading skills), this isn't the answer. 

There is one player however who could bring a healthy return to the team, and that's Sidney Crosby. The Edmonton Oilers traded the incomparable Wayne Gretzky to the L.A. Kings at the end of their dynastic run and other teams have sent stars away for young talent to hasten the rebuild process. But would Dubas have the courage to make such a deal, knowing Crosby wants to stay in Pittsburgh and finish his career here? What would fans think? 

If things are going to get real tough this season (and it looks like it may), should the team ask Crosby if he’d like to be traded to an organization where has a chance to win? Crosby is the ultimate competitor and fading away, game after game on a sinking ship may take its toll on the 37-year-old. The team could look to move him to a contender and in doing so deepen their farm system with draft picks and high end talent in exchange for one of the best players in NHL history. If Crosby were amenable, it may be the quickest way to rebuild for the franchise.

For a team that has question marks all up and down their lineup and coming off back to back seasons of missing the playoffs, something drastic needs to be done. It appears the fading dream of playing out the final years of the Big Three hoping to catch lightning in a bottle is over. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are all Hall-of-Famers to-be who will forever be a part of Penguins lore, but in reality, the window for victory is now closed.