Mark Madden: Tampa Bay shows Penguins what might have been with offseason moves

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ offseason started with a whimper. Nothing epic.

Nobody wants to trade for Tristan Jarry.

I’m amazed Reilly Smith fetched second- and fifth-round draft picks from the New York Rangers with the Penguins keeping just $1.25 million of his $5 million salary cap hit. President of hockey ops/GM Kyle Dubas also acquired St. Louis center Kevin Hayes and the accompanying $3.571 million cap hit.

Hayes is 32, slow and mediocre. That trade was made to get the Blues’ second-round draft pick in 2025, which will be near the top of the second round because the Blues stink. That deal screams “rebuilding.” (That’s not a bad thing.)

Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, 30, and winger Anthony Beauvillier, 27, inked relatively cheap one-year contracts. P.O Joseph didn’t receive a qualifying offer. Grzelcyk replaces him. That’s an upgrade.

Meantime, Tampa Bay taught the Penguins a lesson in what might have been.

The Lightning moved on from franchise legend Steven Stamkos, 34, letting him enter free agency.

They instead cleared cap space to sign winger Jake Guentzel, 29, first acquiring the ex-Penguin’s negotiating rights for a third-round pick. Guentzel signed a seven-year deal worth $63 million.

Some thought Guentzel’s priority would be joining a team that could win. Turns out lack of state income tax factored in.

The Lightning have a great organization. But, like the Penguins, they’re done winning Stanley Cups for a while. That reality just isn’t quite as evident. Yet.

The Stamkos/Guentzel switcheroo is exactly what the Penguins should have done with Evgeni Malkin.

In 2018 or ’19, Malkin likely could have been traded to Florida. The Penguins might have got Aleksander Barkov. Good thing for Florida that didn’t happen.

In 2022, the Penguins could have let Malkin walk via free agency and signed Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck, who instead went to the New York Rangers and has excelled. Trocheck is currently better than Malkin in nearly every facet of the game.

But the Penguins chose nostalgia. New owners Fenway Sports Group didn’t want to immediately clear out fan favorites.

That’s understandable. Nostalgia sells tickets and merchandise. It doesn’t get the citizens riled up. (Although not making the playoff does.)

It also made the Penguins a worse, stale hockey team.

Tampa Bay chose differently. Let’s see how it works out, and let’s see the fan reaction. Can Lightning supporters be upset by adding Guentzel?

Full disclosure: I advocated trading Malkin in 2015, too. Good thing for the Penguins that didn’t happen.

Malkin doesn’t stink. He’s now what Scotty Bowman calls a “point collector.” He gets points: 67 in 82 games last season. More than acceptable for a 37-year-old.

But Malkin doesn’t play winning hockey.

He led the Penguins in penalty minutes. Most were of the nickel-dime variety. He did cut down his turnovers this past season, but he’s a liability in the neutral and defensive zones. He poisons the power play. He’s clearly slowed. His status and accomplishment guarantee him certain opportunity: Malkin will be second-line center and on the PP until he leaves the Penguins.

Keeping Malkin till career’s end isn’t a cataclysmically bad decision. Doing different probably wouldn’t have won the Penguins another Cup, maybe not even another playoff series.

But Tampa Bay did pointedly different. It’s worth noting.

Where does the Penguins’ offseason go from here? It certainly won’t get sexy.

Sidney Crosby’s reaction to early happenings (or lack thereof) will be interesting, because he’s now eligible to sign an extension with the Penguins. His contract runs through the coming season.

Crosby likely won’t leave Pittsburgh no matter what. He’ll re-up soon. He won’t want the distraction, let alone when the season starts.

But if he wants to win another Cup, he’s got to go elsewhere. Nobody would blame Crosby if he did.

Keeping the core three together is what Crosby wanted, however. Him, Malkin and Kris Letang. The unbreakable bond of eternal brotherhood. (Though it’s been whispered that Letang going to Montreal was recently discussed but quickly broke down.)

The best bet for Crosby to win another Cup with the Penguins would have been to trade Malkin in ’18 or ’19, then mold what would have been gigantic return into a contender around Crosby.

But that would have offered no guarantees.

Which is why this column isn’t hating. It’s just saying. Tampa Bay took another path.

You’ve got to love Guentzel going mercenary. Pinocchio is a real boy now.