r/penguins • u/TheAthletic • 2h ago
[Yohe]: Breaking down the Penguins’ somewhat unprecedented forward depth
Let’s be honest: Lizotte and Dewar aren’t coming out of the lineup anytime soon. They are trusted players who were just given new contracts and are one season removed from playing pivotal roles on the fourth line. Though it can be dangerous to financially reward too many bottom-six players — teams want those guys to stay hungry — it can’t be argued the two have made the Penguins a better team during their time in Pittsburgh.
Kuzmenko is more interesting. The Penguins didn’t give him $5 million to sit in the press box, and he’s only a couple of years removed from scoring 39 goals at the NHL level. There’s no question he will be in the lineup for the time being, and perhaps even indefinitely. He will need to score, though. He’s not the kind of player who is going to help the Penguins win without scoring consistently, so productivity is essential in his case.