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3 Pittsburgh Penguins stars who might see a dip in form in 2024
Though they didn't make the playoffs last year, the Pittsburgh Penguins did have a solid season. That was due to a few players having quality seasons, but not everyone will improve year-to-year. Some will actually regress, and this is true across the National Hockey League.
Whether it's due to age, luck or just natural regression, players have good seasons and bad ones. Growth isn't linear, nor is getting better at something. Therefore, there are plenty of regression candidates for the Penguins. Here are a few notable ones.
Penguins who will likely regress in the 2024-25 season
3) Tristan Jarry
With Alex Nedeljkovic pushing for ice time, it's going to be harder for Tristan Jarry to stay in rhythm in the net for Pittsburgh. They both had good seasons last year, which might tip the scales to a more even split on the ice, but Jarry is unlikely to match his season last year: .903 save percentage, 2.91 goals allowed, 29 quality starts and six shutouts. He was good last year, and he might be a little worse this year.
2) Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin was the second-leading scorer for the Penguins last season. That was partly due to the midseason trade of Jake Guentzel, who still ranked fifth on the team with 52 points as the second center. Malkin is 38 now, and it's hard to see him outdoing his 67-point season at that age. It's not a terribly high total to beat, but it is a good number and Malkin is far from his prime now.
1) Sidney Crosby
Whether he gets an extension or not, Sidney Crosby is on the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 2024-25 season. He likely will see a dip in production solely due to age. He just turned 37, and he's not yet started to decline. He scored 94 points last season, but at some point, age will catch up to him. If nothing else, it's hard to imagine a 37-year-old scoring almost 100 points for the third season in a row, so he's a prime candidate to step back.
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