The Pittsburgh Penguins are very much in control of their own playoff fate with a little over half of the season remaining, and a few players have earned praise for their efforts thus far. Without a doubt, the team’s most valuable player and candidate for the Hart Trophy this year is captain Sidney Crosby. But the Penguins have a few MVPs that are underappreciated and should be mentioned as well.
Nedeljkovic, Alex
In July 2023, Alex Nedeljkovic was signed by the Penguins to a $1.5 million, one-year contract. One of general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas’s better choices to date has turned out to be this signing. Nedeljkovic performed admirably as a rookie in 2020–21 with the
Since his rookie season, Nedeljkovic has had difficulties, thus it was uncertain which Nedeljkovic the Penguins would get. He has eight victories, a 2.60 goals against average (GAA), and a.918 save percentage (SV%) from 16 games played so far this season. He can be relied upon to complete his work because he is consistently cool under pressure. He is a significant improvement over Casey DeSmith, the former backup goalkeeper, and a major factor in Pittsburgh’s continued realistic prospect of reaching the postseason.
Guentzel Jake
Jake Guentzel has also been an underappreciated MVP this year and has recently been the subject of numerous trade rumors. This season, in 47 games, he has tallied 22 goals and 28 assists for 50 points.
Guentzel is now a necessary member of the Penguins’ top line and would be very difficult to replace. He can get to the soft scoring spots and is rarely out of position. He will make his opponent pay if he is granted even the smallest space on the ice. It seems impossible to imagine Pittsburgh making the playoffs without him now that he has established himself as a true superstar in his own right.
Kris Letang
For nearly twenty years, Kris Letang has been a defensive stalwart in the Penguins franchise. His role has been somewhat diminished this season as a result of the signing of Erik Karlsson, another defenseman. He has done amazing work on special teams, and
Honorable Mentions of Penguins
Marcus Pettersson and Tristan Jarry have both performed incredibly well this season. Jarry had a little bumpy start to the season, but he soon got things under control. He recorded his sixth shutout against the Jets on February 6, putting him atop the league in that category. The Penguins are seventh in the NHL in goals allowed per game, largely due to his strong goaltending, which has seen him raise his save percentage to a.916 in all circumstances.
This season, Pettersson has been one of the most reliable defense players, and when he is partnered with Karlsson or Letang, they both play their best five-on-five. Comparing him to a young Brian Dumoulin is not hyperbole. Although he will never be a prolific offensive player,
