Penguins Player Grades at the Halfway Point – The Hockey Writers Pittsburgh Penguins Latest News, Analysis & More

The Pittsburgh Penguins have hit the halfway mark of the 2024-25 season. After a slow start, the team is now on track – for the most part – and in the thick of pushing for a playoff spot. Many players have played at or above expectations, while there have also been a few too many who have failed to meet the mark. Here are the team’s player grades through 41 games.

*All statistics are as of Jan.7*

High Honors

C Sidney Crosby

2024-25 season stats: 41 games played, 11 goals, 31 assists, 42 points, minus-13

The captain continues to fight off father time, playing at yet again a point-per-game level. The season did not start the greatest for Sidney Crosby, but he is one of the bigger reasons the rest of the team is now on track. His play has been nothing short of incredible. Whether it be making passes or plays with the puck that leave people wondering how he did it or making timely defensive plays, he continues to show why he is one of the NHL’s all-time greats. However, he could add a bit more to the goal department. Crosby is currently on pace for his lowest goal-scoring season since 2020-21 when he scored 22 goals, albeit in 55 games.

Grade: A

C Blake Lizotte

2024-25 season stats: 25 games played, eight goals, four assists, 12 points, plus-six

Blake Lizotte, one of the handful of players brought in on one-year deals by General Manager (GM) Kyle Dubas in the offseason, has been one of his best signings. Lizotte has brought energy to the bottom six when healthy. He has also brought much-needed secondary offense from his center spot, on pace to be right around a career-high in points (his career-high is 34, and he is on pace for 32). He has also been very defensively sound, leading the team in plus/minus. Lizotte has done very well in the role he has been asked to fill.

Grade: A

C Evgeni Malkin

2024-25 season stats: 41 games played, eight goals, 24 assists, 32 points, minus-17

After a hot streak to start the season, tallying 11 assists in November alone, Evgeni Malkin has slowed down a bit. That is to be expected from a 38-year-old, but getting more out of one of the Penguins’ top players would help the team’s success. I am not saying he is having a bad season – he has been strong for the Penguins. Where his goal-scoring has toned down a bit, the playmaking has picked up the slack. He’s tied for the team lead in assists with Erik Karlsson (24 assists) and continues to be one of the leaders on the power play. 

Grade: A-

W Rickard Rakell

2024-25 season stats: 41 games played, 18 goals, 15 assists, 33 points, minus-six

One of Crosby’s running mates for most of the season, Rickard Rakell, has taken his game to another level. He is on pace for a career-high in goals (current pace puts him at 36 goals), thanks in part to Crosby’s playmaking. In the offensive zone, Rakell has found himself in great positions for scoring chances and has taken full advantage of it. He has also been one of the driving forces on the power play, tallying nine points. 

Grade: A

W Bryan Rust

2024-25 season stats: 34 games played, 15 goals, 14 assists, 29 points, minus-20

After struggling to stay healthy over the last few seasons, Bryan Rust has avoided the injury bug for most of the season, missing seven games in the first half of 2024-25. When healthy, he has been on fire offensively. Like Rakell, Rust is on pace for a career-high in goals (current pace is 33 goals).

Related: Penguins’ Rakell & Rust Motivated Since 4 Nations Face-Off Roster Snubs

While his offensive game has been solid, his defensive game has struggled. He has the worst plus/minus among any player on the roster and a minus-3.3 defensive rating (according to Hockey Stat Cards) to go along with it.

Grade: A-

Honors

W Anthony Beauvillier

2024-25 season stats: 40 games played, nine goals, three assists, 12 points

Anthony Beauvillier signed a one-year deal with the Penguins in the offseason and has made the most of his opportunities. He has averaged under 12 minutes of ice time per game but has been solid offensively. The biggest knock against his game, much like other players, has been his defensive play. But overall, the signing has worked out fairly well for the Penguins.

Grade: B

W Michael Bunting

2024-25 season stats: 40 games played, 12 goals, 11 assists, 23 points, minus-11

Michael Bunting, another player whose season started rough with one point in November, has found his footing in the last two months. It is no coincidence that as Bunting and Rakell have found their offensive games to complement Crosby and Malkin’s, the Penguins have been climbing out of the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. Bunting has been great over the last two months, mainly on the power play. Just under half of his points have come with the man advantage (ten power-play points), and if he can keep producing at this level, he could be in line for a 20+ goal and assist season.

After being acquired last season in the Jake Guentzel trade, there were high hopes Bunting would slide into a top-six role and be the player he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and so far, he has.

Grade: B+ (Due to the sluggish start he got off too with the one point in 11 games)

D Matt Grzelyck

2024-25 season stats: 41 games played, one goal, 21 assists, 22 points, minus-four

After signing a one-year deal in the offseason, Matt Grzelyck has been one of the more consistent defensemen on the roster through 41 games. The defensive analytics do not favor him (he has a minus-3.3 defensive rating), but offensively, he has been great for the Penguins. He has already nearly doubled his point total from last season with the Boston Bruins and has been given more responsibility, playing on the power play. The goal-scoring likely will not be a number to keep an eye on, as he has topped five in a season only once, but if he can continue dishing out assists, he will be a massive help for the team as they try to get back to the playoffs.

Grade: B+

D Erik Karlsson

2024-25 season stats: 41 games played, four goals, 24 assists, 28 points, minus-nine

Karlsson had a rough start to his time with the Penguins after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks last season, and this season started a bit like that, too. He is known for his offensive game, and as the season has progressed, Karlsson’s game has improved and is more aligned with what have come to expect from the two-time Norris Trophy winner (as the league’s best defenseman).

When Karlsson plays a sound game offensively and defensively, the Penguins have more success. His defense continues to be a major downfall and will need to get at least marginally better. He will continue to be relied on going forward and will surely be criticized for his play. But overall, it has been a much better start to his second campaign in a Penguins jersey.

Grade: B

Players the Penguins Need a Bit More From

W Noel Acciari

2024-25 season stats: 41 games played, four goals, four assists, eight points, minus-11

Offensively, Noel Acciari’s numbers speak for themselves, as he has struggled to produce from the bottom six. Many fans wonder why a player like Jesse Puljujärvi has not earned a spot in the lineup over Acciari, but his saving grace has been his strong defensive play. Producing more in the offensive zone will go a long way for the veteran.

Grade: C

W Cody Glass

2024-25 season stats: 28 games played, one goal, eight assists, nine points, minus-nine

After being acquired from the Nashville Predators earlier in the season, the hope was that a change of scenery would benefit Cody Glass. That has not been the case, as he has struggled to find solid ground in the lineup and get himself on track offensively. Head coach Mike Sullivan is beginning to give him more opportunities, so he must take advantage of them if he wants to stay with the organization long-term.

Grade: C-

D Ryan Graves

2024-25 season stats: 31 games played, zero points, minus-eight

The big offseason free-agent signing in Dubas’ first year with the Penguins, Ryan Graves, has struggled in his season-plus with the organization. He has failed to record a single point in 31 games and has been unable to get any kind of offense going. Defensively, he has been up-and-down. To this point, his six-year deal has not looked good.

Grade: D+

W Kevin Hayes

2024-25 season stats: 24 games played, five goals, three assists, eight points, minus-11

A surprise acquisition this past offseason, Kevin Hayes has also struggled to stay in the lineup while battling injury in the first half. When he has been in the lineup, he has slid around the bottom six forward group without much success. Averaging 9:54 a game, the veteran has seen a diminished role this season and will likely continue to see his ice time hover around that mark the rest of the way. Being able to produce a bit more in his limited time and playing stronger defense could help the bottom six in a big way.

Grade: C

G Tristan Jarry & Alex Nedeljkovic

Jarry’s 2024-25 season stats: 18 games played, 8-6-3, 3.47 goals-against average (GAA), .888% save percentage (SV%)
Nedeljkovic’s 2024-25 season stats: 17 games played, 6-6-4, 3.22 GAA, .888 SV%

Tristan Jarry probably had the roughest start to the season. In three games in November, he had a 5.47 GAA and a .836 SV%. He has shown progress since then and has begun to look more like the netminder who earned an extension last offseason. His SV% has not improved massively, but he also hasn’t received much help from the defense in front of him. If the Penguins want to make a true push for the postseason, Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic will need to be more consistent and stronger.

Nedeljkovic has not been bad this season, but like Jarry, he has not been the beneficiary of strong defensive play in front of him. Consistency is the keyword for the two netminders.

Grades: B-

D Kris Letang

2024-25 season stats: 35 games played, seven goals, nine assists, 16 points, minus-18

Kris Letang’s production has taken a dip this season, putting him on pace for the worst offensive season since 2016-17 (when he played 41 games). The bright spot, offensively, has been that half of his points have come on the power play. He has also not been the greatest defensively. The veteran defenseman must get both aspects of his game back on track as the season progresses.

Grade: C

W Drew O’Connor

2024-25 season stats: 41 games played, five goals, eight assists, 13 points, minus-13

Heading into the season, the hope was that Drew O’Connor could become a piece the Penguins organization could build around in the top-six. He had a strong season in 2023-24, spending a lot of time with Crosby, but this season, he has struggled to find his way offensively. He’s been snake-bitten for much of the campaign and went 32 games without a goal before scoring twice on Dec. 31 against the Detroit Red Wings. Overall, O’Connor has been a disappointment and must get his game going in the second half.

Grade: D

2024-25 season stats: 35 games played, two goals, 11 assists, 13 points, minus-five

After leading the team in plus/minus and being strong defensively last season, Marcus Pettersson has struggled on the top pair with Letang this season. He has put up a defensive efficiency rating of minus-six in a contract year. Offensively, the numbers are not where they were last season, but he has been good overall, with an efficiency rating of plus-5.1.

Pettersson recently returned from injury and needs to pick his game up if he wants to earn a long-term contract this summer, whether with the Penguins or elsewhere. Look for him to be on the market at the trade deadline if the Penguins find themselves out of the playoff race.

Grade: C

Players Who Need More Time

W Matt Nieto

2024-25 season stats: 20 games played, one goal, two assists, three points, minus-two

Matt Nieto has struggled to consistently get into the lineup in his second season with the Penguins. He has never been known as a massive point-producer, but he has not taken full advantage of his 12:34 of ice time per game as much as hoped. He’s been on the board a few times over the last month, but only playing in 20 games makes it hard to give a true grade, too.

D Owen Pickering

2024-25 season stats: 16 games played, one goal, one assist, two points, minus-four

Owen Pickering has been hyped since he was selected by the Penguins in the first round of the 2022 Draft, and his strong play in the American Hockey League (AHL) earned him a call-up earlier in the season. He has not looked back and has not looked out of place in the NHL. He recently returned to the lineup after a concussion, and if he can continue his strong rookie season, he should earn a high grade come the end of the season.

W Jesse Puljujärvi

2024-25 season stats: 21 games played, three goals, five assists, eight points, minus-two

Jesse Puljujärvi has not been given much of a chance. He has played in only 21 games and averages just north of 11 minutes of ice time a night. He has shown flashes of being the player people thought he could become after being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round in 2016, but he will need to keep fighting to get into the lineup.

D Ryan Shea

2024-25 season stats: 20 games played, zero goals, two assists, minus-six

The run on players struggling to crack the lineup consistently continues with Ryan Shea. He has played only 20 games this season and has not produced much. Overall, his play has been the biggest reason he has not been in the lineup more.

F Philip Tomasino

2024-25 season stats (with the Penguins): 16 games played, four goals, three assists, seven points, minus-four

Acquired from the Predators on Nov. 25, Philip Tomasino needed a change of scenery. He has taken advantage of the move and has looked superb when he has been in the lineup. Four of the seven points he has recorded in a Penguins jersey have come on the power play. He has brought a spark to the lineup and has been a great surprise for the team. He is currently on injured reserve with a lower-body injury but will be a player to watch for the rest of the season.

Plenty of Ups and Downs in the Lineup

The Penguins have seen their fair share of players who have been impactful in the first 41 games of 2024-25, but as we all know, the defensive play across the board will need to step up to help the team succeed and help their goaltenders. Some players will need to improve as the organization looks to snap their two-year hiatus from the Stanley Cup Playoffs and try to make one last push with their aging core.

*All efficiency ratings and analytics are from Hockey Stat Cards*