Five years ago, I came up with the idea of picking the people — not just players — who were most responsible for the success of the Penguins in a season. And with the help of my Post-Gazette colleagues, I’ve whittled down a long list each year since.
That endeavor was a lot more difficult, in a fun way, when the team was winning.
This season? Let’s just say that it very much felt like a chore given how poorly the Penguins played. This will be their worst record since Sidney Crosby was a rookie.
Still, starting with Sid, there were several Penguins players and coaches who did fine work and deserved to be highlighted here. So our annual ranking of the Most Valuable Penguins — again, that’s people, not just players — continues in earnest.
This year, I consulted columnist Jason Mackey and Cameron Hoover, an editor at the Post-Gazette and my EBUG (emergency backup goaltender) on the beat. I had them send me a list of the seven individuals they felt were most responsible for the modest success the Penguins had on the ice in 2024-25. I made one, too. I then computed a consensus ranking.
Surprise, surprise. For the fifth consecutive year, Crosby was the runaway winner.
Coming up with six others to round out the PG’s list? Yeah, that wasn’t so simple.
7. Noel Acciari. How did a dude with a dozen points and a minus-25 rating make this list? Hoover, who placed Acciari fourth on his ballot, noted the winger had 100 blocked shots before he was hurt this week. His 180 hits are tops on the team, too.
“If Noel Acciari was on the 2016-17 Penguins, he’d be a folk hero and there would be a statue of him in front of PPG Paints Arena,” Hoover said. “Unfortunately, he plays on this version of the club, so he just sacrifices his body for a mediocre team.”
6. Kirk MacDonald. Both Mackey and Hoover had Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s coach ranked sixth on their ballots. I did not have him on mine. In hindsight, I wish I did.
“With all the players the Penguins have brought up, MacDonald has been one most influential in the organization when it comes to their NHL readiness,” Mackey said.
And while it didn’t help the big club this year, Hoover also highlighted the prospect development and the “winning culture” MacDonald has overseen in Wilkes-Barre.
5. Matt Grzelcyk. The summer signing is the first of five people who made all three lists. I had him the highest. I put him fifth, ahead of Kevin Hayes and Erik Karlsson.
The defenseman admittedly got off to a bit of a slow start as he adjusted to his new surroundings. But he has been the team’s best and steadiest defenseman in 2025. Grzelcyk has also factored into the success of the NHL’s seventh-ranked power play.
I’ve said it before in this space and I’ll say it again — Pittsburgh should keep him.
4. David Quinn. Quinn finished a clear fourth when all the votes were tallied. The former head coach, who joined Mike Sullivan’s staff as an assistant in the offseason, took the worst power play in franchise history and fixed it with a few simple tricks.
Just think of how bleak things would have been if not for a very good power play.
The praise should be divvied up among a number of people, including Sullivan for being willing to drop Evgeni Malkin and Karlsson down to the second unit. But the most should go to Quinn, who was fourth on my individual ballot. He came up with a structure that played to the stars’ strengths and got them to buy in immediately.
3. Bryan Rust. Rust ranked in the top three on each ballot. Hoover had him second.
He said he put Rust ahead of Rickard Rakell because of Rust’s “do-everything nature.” Hoover also noted Rust has actually averaged more points per game this season.
“He came into the league as a grinder, and that attitude still exists in his game. Rust was one of the team’s most aggressive forecheckers and he occasionally spent time on the penalty kill,” he said. “Now, we wait and see if this excellent campaign was Rust’s last in black and gold, as his no-move clause is up at the end of this season.”
2. Rickard Rakell. Mackey and I both slotted Rakell second after he produced his best season in Pittsburgh, with 34 goals and 68 points. I’ll let Mackey do the talking.
“Replacing Jake Guentzel on Sid’s line was once a concern for the Penguins. Not so much now, thanks to a resurgent season from Rakell, who has matched his career bests in goals this season,” Mackey said. “If not for Crosby, he’d be No. 1 on my list.”
1. Sidney Crosby. Who else? For the third time in five years, the 37-year-old center was a unanimous top selection in the PG’s Most Valuable Penguins poll. What an honor. Probably the pinnacle of the captain’s career if we are being honest here.
In all seriousness, Sid was an easy selection. He paced the Penguins in scoring by a massive margin. He ranks eighth in the NHL in even-strength points, which speaks to his still-strong 200-foot play. And he just broke Wayne Gretzky’s record. No, not that one. But 20 straight point-per-game seasons is a remarkable accomplishment.
As Mackey put it, Crosby’s game has “aged like a fine wine.” And based on his play ever since the 4 Nations Face-Off, there are still a few more pours left in that bottle.
POINT SHOTS
• The injury to Rutger McGroarty was a tough one for the 21-year-old. He was lost on Tuesday when he bravely blocked a shot with his left skate on the penalty kill.
Over the last few months, he became one of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s best players then held his own in a prominent role in Pittsburgh, easing concerns after he had a bit of a slow start in the AHL. Now, his development is halted, at a time when the organization thought it could really take off during a deep Calder Cup playoff run.
• Speaking of that... The Baby Pens are reeling with their roster having been raided by the NHL club out of necessity. Pittsburgh lost six forwards, and two full lines of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forwards were summoned to Pittsburgh for these last few games. As a result, the depleted Baby Pens likely will not earn that first-round bye.
They will get reinforcements after Pittsburgh’s season ends on Thursday. But with McGroarty out for a while, the Baby Pens will be challenged to stay alive until he can return — a bummer considering how hopeful their outlook was two weeks ago.
• In a way, it’s fitting that we will see guys like Joona Koppanen and Valtteri Puustinen play in Pittsburgh’s finale given how many roster moves we’ve seen throughout this season. The Penguins have used a total of 42 players, the most in the Crosby era.
• Tristan Jarry and I had a good chat about what he feels has allowed him to have a bit of a bounce-back. Basically, he’s stopped worrying about being so “pretty” or “perfect” from a technical standpoint and is back to just doing what he can to get a body part in front of the puck. Jarry has always been at his best when he just plays.
Do I believe the Penguins can count on Jarry to be part of the solution in goal going forward? I do not. But he has shown a lot to the rest of the league over the last few weeks, including passion and determination. Someone might take a chance on him.
STICK TAPS
Sidney Crosby. The captain continued his tear with a goal against Chicago and the winner at New Jersey. Crosby has 13 goals and 23 points over the last 15 games.
Tristan Jarry. Jarry shut out the Blackhawks on Tuesday then keyed the comeback against the Devils. That was his third straight win. He is 8-3-2 since his NHL return.
Bryan Rust. Two points and a milestone in Friday’s win. The empty-netter that iced it was his 29th goal this season, a career high. He’ll get two more games to hit 30.
YOU ASKED...
Does the recent play of #2 and #41 allow Dubas to be more aggressive in the off season?
— Jamie Schmidt (@jamieschmidt68) April 11, 2025
The play of McGroarty and fellow rookie Ville Koivunen these last two weeks is no doubt encouraging for the Penguins. It shouldn’t significantly alter their plans, but they can at least feel good about penciling the two into their top nine next season.
McGroarty appears to be a high-floor player who at minimum can support stars on a scoring line and provide value on special teams. They differ stylistically, but that is what Rust was several years ago. With hard work, Rust grew into a 30-goal scorer.
As for Koivunen, you see the vision and playmaking ability. He’s got a sneaky shot, too. The Penguins want him to attack his summer training and get into NHL shape. If he does and has a solid camp, you can expect him to start next season here, too.
STAT N’AT
86 — career points for Crosby with the opposing net empty. Friday, he pulled past Wayne Gretzky in that statistic, though Alex Ovechkin is right behind him with 82.
FINAL BUZZER
Another season on the beat is in the books for me. In seven years, I still have yet to see the Penguins win a playoff series. I’m beginning to think I may be the problem.
The future looks brighter due to the work that Kyle Dubas has done to add all those picks and prospects, though he and his scouts will have to select the right players.
I’m not optimistic that I will get to cover a second-round playoff series next season. But with Sid still going strong and some of the kids coming, hey, you never know.
First Published: April 13, 2025, 8:00 a.m.
Updated: April 13, 2025, 8:02 p.m.
