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Penguins Race Against History; Real Truths on Rebuilding
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- Penguins Race Against History; Real Truths on Rebuilding
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
It is hard to believe, but this is the 10th season since the Penguins' last Stanley Cup championship. The way this season has unfolded so far, it might be the beginning of the end that Penguins fans have dreaded since that title. Going back to the Islanders and Oilers dynasties of the 1980s, every great run in the NHL eventually comes to an end. With the league now at 32 teams and a salary cap in place to promote parity, it is harder than ever to keep the core of a successful team together for the long term. The Penguins have done it better than most of their predecessors, but history suggests it might be a while before they are competing for championships again.
Look at the 10 seasons after the NHL's "dynasty" teams last won a championship, and the road back looks long and arduous. For comparison's sake, this article examines six franchises that have won multiple Stanley Cups in a short span since 1980 and how each fared in the decade after its last title. (Tampa Bay, which won in 2020 and 2021, and Florida, which won in 2024 and 2025, are too recent to measure.)
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These are the Stanley Cups relevant to this comparison:
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New York Islanders :1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
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Edmonton Oilers :1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990
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Detroit Red Wings :1997, 1998, 2002, 2008
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Los Angeles Kings :2012, 2014
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Chicago Blackhawks :2010, 2013, 2015
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Pittsburgh Penguins :2009, 2016, 2017
So far, the Penguins are following the traditional pattern, minus the "bottom out" phase most of their predecessors went through. Teams that have won multiple championships typically experience a slow slide rather than a quick rebuild. The first two to five seasons after the final title usually bring playoff hockey, but not championship-level hockey, from the dynasty's remaining core. Next, the team trades away what is left of that core and bottoms out. Then it partly recovers: back to the playoffs, but not to championship level.
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The worst season after the last championship came anywhere from the third season to the 18th: Oilers third season, Kings fifth, Penguins eighth (so far), Blackhawks ninth, Red Wings 12th and Islanders 18th.
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Playoff series won in the decade after the last championship: Islanders 7, Oilers 6, Red Wings 6, Penguins 1, Kings 0, Blackhawks 0. Of the three teams whose dynasties were built entirely in the salary-cap era, the Penguins are the only one to win a series in that decade.
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Average points percentage over the decade: The Penguins (.589 through nine seasons) and Red Wings (.581) stayed respectable the longest. The Oilers (.457) and Blackhawks (.473) fell the hardest.
For the Penguins, now in their 10th season since the Cup, last season's bounce-back fits a common late-window "partial recovery." Unfortunately for Penguins fans, in this group that partial recovery has tended to come before the bottom falls out, not after it. The Penguins' low point so far (.488 in 2024-25) is the "best" of the six; every other team's bottom was .433 or worse.
Islanders
Last Cup1983 Playoff trips (of 10)7 Series won7 First missed playoffs6th season Low point in 10-season window1990-91 (.375) Lowest season since last Cup2000-01 (18th season, .317) Finals since last Cup1 (1984)
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Oilers
Last Cup1990 Playoff trips (of 10)6 Series won6 First missed playoffs3rd season Low point in 10-season window1992-93 (.357) Lowest season since last Cup1992-93 (3rd season, .357) Finals since last Cup3 (2006, 2024, 2025)
Red Wings
Last Cup2008 Playoff trips (of 10)8 Series won6 First missed playoffs9th season Low point in 10-season window2017-18 (.445) Lowest season since last Cup2019-20 (12th season, .275) Finals since last Cup1 (2009)
Kings
Last Cup2014 Playoff trips (of 10)5 Series won0 First missed playoffs1st season Low point in 10-season window2018-19 (.433) Lowest season since last Cup2018-19 (5th season, .433) Finals since last Cup0
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Blackhawks
Last Cup2015 Playoff trips (of 10)3 Series won0 First missed playoffs3rd season Low point in 10-season window2023-24 (.317) Lowest season since last Cup2023-24 (9th season, .317) Finals since last Cup0
Penguins
Last Cup2017 Playoff trips6 of 9 so far Series won1 First missed playoffs6th season Low point in 10-season window2024-25 (.488) Lowest season since last Cup2024-25 (8th season, .488) so far Finals since last Cup0
"Lowest season" means the lowest points percentage in any full season since the last championship. Two teams hit bottom after the 10-season window closed: the Islanders in their 18th season (21-51-7-3) and the Red Wings in their 12th (17-49-5). The Penguins' 3-6-1 start to 2026-27 is too small a sample to count.
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Rows shaded red mark each team's lowest season within its 10-season window.
New York Islanders: After the 1983 Cup (four straight, 1980-83)
1983-84
After Cup1st Record50-26-4 Points104 Pts %.650 Finish1st Patrick PlayoffsLost Stanley Cup Final (EDM) Key moves and notesStreak of 19 straight playoff series wins ends vs. Edmonton
1984-85
After Cup2nd Record40-34-6 Points86 Pts %.538 Finish3rd Patrick PlayoffsLost division final Key moves and notesCore aging; Gillies, Nystrom and Goring winding down
1985-86
After Cup3rd Record39-29-12 Points90 Pts %.563 Finish3rd Patrick PlayoffsLost division semifinal Key moves and notesArbour steps down after season, moves to front office
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1986-87
After Cup4th Record35-33-12 Points82 Pts %.513 Finish3rd Patrick PlayoffsLost division final Key moves and notes"Easter Epic" quadruple-overtime Game 7 win over Washington; Bossy's last season (back injury)
1987-88
After Cup5th Record39-31-10 Points88 Pts %.550 Finish1st Patrick PlayoffsLost division semifinal Key moves and notesDivision title, then upset by New Jersey; Potvin retires
1988-89
After Cup6th Record28-47-5 Points61 Pts %.381 Finish6th Patrick PlayoffsMissed Key moves and notesFirst low: last in division; Arbour returns midseason; Billy Smith retires
1989-90
After Cup7th Record31-38-11 Points73 Pts %.456 Finish4th Patrick PlayoffsLost division semifinal Key moves and notesSneaks into playoffs under .500; Trottier released after season
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1990-91
After Cup8th Record25-45-10 Points60 Pts %.375 Finish6th Patrick PlayoffsMissed Key moves and notesWorst season of the window (true bottom comes in 2000-01)
1991-92
After Cup9th Record34-35-11 Points79 Pts %.494 Finish5th Patrick PlayoffsMissed Key moves and notesLaFontaine and Brent Sutter, one of the last dynasty holdovers, traded; Turgeon, Hogue and Krupp acquired
1992-93
After Cup10th Record40-37-7 Points87 Pts %.518 Finish3rd Patrick PlayoffsLost conference final (MTL) Key moves and notesUpset two-time defending champion Pittsburgh in Round 2
The Islanders made the playoffs seven times in 10 seasons but reached only one more Stanley Cup Final (the next season) and one conference final (their 10th season). They have not won a Cup since. Their true bottom came long after the 10-season window: 21-51-7-3 (.317) in 2000-01, their 18th season after the Cup, following a second slide through the late 1990s. Records are wins-losses-ties; the NHL eliminated ties after the 2003-04 season.
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Edmonton Oilers: After the 1990 Cup (five Cups, 1984-90)
1990-91
After Cup:1st
Record:37-37-6
Points:80
Pts %:.500
Finish:3rd Smythe
Playoffs:Lost conference final (MIN)
Key moves and notes:A .500 team still wins two rounds; Kurri left for Italy before the season
1991-92
After Cup:2nd
Record:36-34-10
Points:82
Pts %:.513
Finish:3rd Smythe
Playoffs:Lost conference final (CHI)
Key moves and notes:Fuhr and Anderson traded (Sept. 1991); Messier traded to the Rangers (Oct. 1991)
1992-93
After Cup:3rd
Record:26-50-8
Points:60
Pts %:.357
Finish:5th Smythe
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Bottom: first missed playoffs in franchise NHL history
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1993-94
After Cup:4th
Record:25-45-14
Points:64
Pts %:.381
Finish:6th Pacific
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Jason Arnott (1993 first-round pick) debuts
1994-95
After Cup:5th
Record:17-27-4
Points:38
Pts %:.396
Finish:5th Pacific
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Lockout-shortened 48-game season
1995-96
After Cup:6th
Record:30-44-8
Points:68
Pts %:.415
Finish:5th Pacific
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Fourth straight miss; Curtis Joseph acquired
1996-97
After Cup:7th
Record:36-37-9
Points:81
Pts %:.494
Finish:3rd Pacific
Playoffs:Lost Round 2 (COL)
Key moves and notes:Back in playoffs; upset Dallas in seven games
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1997-98
After Cup:8th
Record:35-37-10
Points:80
Pts %:.488
Finish:3rd Pacific
Playoffs:Lost Round 2 (DAL)
Key moves and notes:Upset Colorado after trailing the series 3-1
1998-99
After Cup:9th
Record:33-37-12
Points:78
Pts %:.476
Finish:2nd Northwest
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (DAL)
Key moves and notes:Local ownership group, which bought the team in 1998, keeps it in Edmonton
1999-2000
After Cup:10th
Record:32-26-16-8
Points:88
Pts %:.537
Finish:2nd Northwest
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (DAL)
Key moves and notes:Third straight playoff exit against Dallas
The Oilers had the quickest fall from grace. They reached two conference finals on leftover talent from the glory days, then missed the playoffs four straight seasons once the core was sold off. They returned to the playoffs in their seventh season but never got past the second round in the window. Their third season (1992-93, .357) is still their lowest since the Cup; even their worst rebuilding seasons of the 2010s bottomed out at .378. Their next Stanley Cup Final came in 2006, their 16th season after the Cup, and they have not won the Cup since. Records are wins-losses-ties; 1999-2000 adds overtime losses.
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Detroit Red Wings: After the 2008 Cup (four Cups, 1997-2008)
2008-09
After Cup:1st
Record:51-21-10
Points:112
Pts %:.683
Finish:1st Central
Playoffs:Lost Stanley Cup Final (PIT)
Key moves and notes:Lost Game 7 at home; Hossa signed for one year, then left
2009-10
After Cup:2nd
Record:44-24-14
Points:102
Pts %:.622
Finish:2nd Central
Playoffs:Lost Round 2 (SJ)
Key moves and notes:Beat Phoenix in seven games, then lost to San Jose in five
2010-11
After Cup:3rd
Record:47-25-10
Points:104
Pts %:.634
Finish:1st Central
Playoffs:Lost Round 2 (SJ)
Key moves and notes:Lost Game 7 after rallying from 3-0 down in the series
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2011-12
After Cup:4th
Record:48-28-6
Points:102
Pts %:.622
Finish:3rd Central
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (NSH)
Key moves and notes:Nicklas Lidstrom retires after season
2012-13
After Cup:5th
Record:24-16-8
Points:56
Pts %:.583
Finish:3rd Central
Playoffs:Lost Round 2 (CHI)
Key moves and notes:Lockout-shortened; blew 3-1 series lead to eventual champion Chicago
2013-14
After Cup:6th
Record:39-28-15
Points:93
Pts %:.567
Finish:4th Atlantic
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (BOS)
Key moves and notes:Moved to Eastern Conference
2014-15
After Cup:7th
Record:43-25-14
Points:100
Pts %:.610
Finish:3rd Atlantic
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (TB)
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Key moves and notes:Babcock leaves for Toronto after season
2015-16
After Cup:8th
Record:41-30-11
Points:93
Pts %:.567
Finish:3rd Atlantic
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (TB)
Key moves and notes:25th straight playoff trip; Datsyuk leaves for the KHL
2016-17
After Cup:9th
Record:33-36-13
Points:79
Pts %:.482
Finish:7th Atlantic
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Streak ends; last season at Joe Louis Arena
2017-18
After Cup:10th
Record:30-39-13
Points:73
Pts %:.445
Finish:5th Atlantic
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Zetterberg's last season; Steve Yzerman returns as GM in 2019
Detroit had the most graceful slide: eight straight playoff trips, extending a streak that reached 25 seasons, but only one series win after the fourth season. The streak ended in the ninth season. The real bottom came after the 10-season window: 17-49-5 (.275) in 2019-20, the 12th season after the Cup and the lowest season of any team in this comparison. Detroit has not made the playoffs since 2016, 10 straight misses through 2025-26. Records are wins-losses-overtime losses.
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Los Angeles Kings: After the 2014 Cup (two Cups, 2012 and 2014)
The Kings missed the playoffs the very next season and never won a playoff series in the 10-season window. However, they rebuilt the fastest of the six. They bottomed out in their fifth season (2018-19, .433, still their lowest since the Cup) and were back to 99 or more points by their eighth. But the rebuilt team lost in the first round three straight seasons inside the window, each time to Edmonton, and again in 2025. Records are wins-losses-overtime losses.
2014-15
After Cup:1st
Record:40-27-15
Points:95
Pts %:.579
Finish:4th Pacific
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Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Defending champion misses; Mike Richards' contract terminated after season
2015-16
After Cup:2nd
Record:48-28-6
Points:102
Pts %:.622
Finish:2nd Pacific
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (SJ)
Key moves and notes: Milan Lucic 's one-year stay
2016-17
After Cup:3rd
Record:39-35-8
Points:86
Pts %:.524
Finish:5th Pacific
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes: Jonathan Quick hurt most of the season; coach Darryl Sutter and GM Dean Lombardi fired
2017-18
After Cup:4th
Record:45-29-8
Points:98
Pts %:.598
Finish:4th Pacific
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (VGK)
Key moves and notes:Swept by expansion Vegas
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2018-19
After Cup:5th
Record:31-42-9
Points:71
Pts %:.433
Finish:8th Pacific
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Bottom: last in the division; Muzzin traded
2019-20
After Cup:6th
Record:29-35-6
Points:64
Pts %:.457
Finish:7th Pacific
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Full rebuild; Toffoli traded
2020-21
After Cup:7th
Record:21-28-7
Points:49
Pts %:.438
Finish:6th West
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:56-game season; Quinton Byfield (No. 2 overall pick, 2020) arrives
2021-22
After Cup:8th
Record:44-27-11
Points:99
Pts %:.604
Finish:3rd Pacific
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (EDM)
Key moves and notes: Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson added; lost Game 7
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2022-23
After Cup:9th
Record:47-25-10
Points:104
Pts %:.634
Finish:3rd Pacific
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (EDM)
Key moves and notes:Kevin Fiala acquired
2023-24
After Cup:10th
Record:44-27-11
Points:99
Pts %:.604
Finish:3rd Pacific
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (EDM)
Key moves and notes:Coach Todd McLellan fired midseason
Chicago Blackhawks: After the 2015 Cup (three Cups, 2010-15)
2015-16
After Cup:1st
Record:47-26-9
Points:103
Pts %:.628
Finish:3rd Central
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (STL)
Key moves and notes:Salary-cap casualties Saad, Sharp and Oduya gone; Kane wins the Hart Trophy, Panarin the Calder
2016-17
After Cup:2nd
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Record:50-23-9
Points:109
Pts %:.665
Finish:1st Central
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (NSH)
Key moves and notes:First in the West, swept by eighth seed Nashville
2017-18
After Cup:3rd
Record:33-39-10
Points:76
Pts %:.463
Finish:7th Central
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Panarin traded for Saad; Hossa out for good; Crawford injured
2018-19
After Cup:4th
Record:36-34-12
Points:84
Pts %:.512
Finish:6th Central
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Coach Joel Quenneville fired in November
2019-20
After Cup:5th
Record:32-30-8
Points:72
Pts %:.514
Finish:7th Central
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (VGK)
Key moves and notes:12th seed in COVID-19 bubble; beat Edmonton in qualifying round
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2020-21
After Cup:6th
Record:24-25-7
Points:55
Pts %:.491
Finish:6th Central
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Toews out all season
2021-22
After Cup:7th
Record:28-42-12
Points:68
Pts %:.415
Finish:7th Central
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:GM Stan Bowman resigns; Kyle Davidson starts teardown; DeBrincat traded after season
2022-23
After Cup:8th
Record:26-49-7
Points:59
Pts %:.360
Finish:8th Central
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Kane traded to the Rangers; Toews' last season; win Bedard draft lottery
2023-24
After Cup:9th
Record:23-53-6
Points:52
Pts %:.317
Finish:8th Central
Playoffs:Missed
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Key moves and notes:Bottom: worst season in any team's 10-season window; Bedard wins the Calder
2024-25
After Cup:10th
Record:25-46-11
Points:61
Pts %:.372
Finish:8th Central
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Coach Luke Richardson fired midseason
Chicago stayed elite for two seasons after its last championship, including a 109-point, first-place season. Then it fell off a cliff when salary-cap pressure and an aging core hit at the same time. It took until the seventh season to commit to a teardown, and the ninth (2023-24, .317) was the worst season in any of the six teams' 10-season windows. The Blackhawks improved to .439 in 2025-26 but still missed the playoffs. Drafting Connor Bedard in 2023 finally seemed like the start of the rebuild. Records are wins-losses-overtime losses.
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Pittsburgh Penguins: After the 2017 Cup (three Cups, 2009-17)
Pittsburgh posted a points percentage of .610 or better in each of its first five seasons after the Cup but won only one playoff series (2018). Unlike their peers, the Penguins have never completely torn down the roster; the core of Sidney Crosby , Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang has aged in place. The team missed the playoffs three straight seasons (2022-23 through 2024-25) but rebounded last season with 98 points under new coach Dan Muse. Their low so far, 2024-25 (.488, their eighth season), is the "shallowest" bottom of the six, which could suggest the real bottom is still to come. Records are wins-losses-overtime losses.
2017-18
After Cup:1st
Record:47-29-6
Points:100
Pts %:.610
Finish:2nd Metro
Playoffs:Lost Round 2 (WSH)
Key moves and notes:Marc-Andre Fleury lost to Vegas in expansion draft; lost to eventual champion Washington
2018-19
After Cup:2nd
Record:44-26-12
Points:100
Pts %:.610
Finish:3rd Metro
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (NYI)
Key moves and notes:Swept by the Islanders
2019-20
After Cup:3rd
Record:40-23-6
Points:86
Pts %:.623
Finish:3rd Metro
Playoffs:Lost qualifying round (MTL)
Key moves and notes:Upset by 12th-seeded Montreal in COVID-19 bubble
2020-21
After Cup:4th
Record:37-16-3
Points:77
Pts %:.688
Finish:1st East
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (NYI)
Key moves and notes:Best points percentage of the window; GM Jim Rutherford resigns, Ron Hextall hired
2021-22
After Cup:5th
Record:46-25-11
Points:103
Pts %:.628
Finish:3rd Metro
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (NYR)
Key moves and notes:Blew 3-1 series lead; Fenway Sports Group buys team
2022-23
After Cup:6th
Record:40-31-11
Points:91
Pts %:.555
Finish:5th Metro
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Ends 16-year playoff streak; Kyle Dubas hired after season
2023-24
After Cup:7th
Record:38-32-12
Points:88
Pts %:.537
Finish:5th Metro
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Erik Karlsson acquired; Jake Guentzel traded at deadline
2024-25
After Cup:8th
Record:34-36-12
Points:80
Pts %:.488
Finish:7th Metro
Playoffs:Missed
Key moves and notes:Low point so far; Mike Sullivan departs after season
2025-26
After Cup:9th
Record:41-25-16
Points:98
Pts %:.598
Finish:2nd Metro
Playoffs:Lost Round 1 (PHI)
Key moves and notes:Dan Muse hired; rallied from 0-3 series deficit, lost Game 6 in overtime; Malkin re-signs for one year
2026-27
After Cup:10th
Record:3-6-1
Points:7
Pts %:.350
Finish:6th Metro
Playoffs:In progress
Key moves and notes:Through Oct. 19, 10 games played
The statistics do not lie. Not one of these six teams has won another Stanley Cup. That is 43 years and counting for the Islanders, 36 for Edmonton, 18 for Detroit, 12 for Los Angeles and 11 for Chicago. Rebuilding back to a championship-caliber team has either taken longer than a decade or not happened at all.
The Penguins' timeline most closely follows the Red Wings'. Both kept a franchise core and strong point totals for several seasons, but that did not translate into playoff success. Then each missed the playoffs: the Penguins in their sixth through eighth seasons after the Cup, the Red Wings in their ninth and 10th. Detroit's real bottom (.275) arrived 12 seasons after its last championship. The Penguins' low so far is mild in comparison: a .488 points percentage in 2024-25. If the Penguins' trajectory follows the Red Wings', the rock-bottom part of their rebuild is still ahead.
So, is this season the beginning of the end? History suggests the end began a few seasons ago, and last spring's playoff return may prove to be an outlier, not a turnaround. For a franchise that has leaned on Crosby, Malkin and Letang for two decades, the real rebuild may not begin until they are gone.
Statistics via Hockey-Reference.com, through games of Oct. 19, 2026. Points percentage is points earned divided by points available.
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