Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated: 3 things they should do in offseason

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been eliminated. It’s been a long time since Sidney Crosby hasn’t been playing playoff hockey.

It’s going to be a long offseason in Steel City, as GM Ron Hextall charts a course of action for a team that's only getting older. If the Penguins make the right moves in the offseason, they could be headed back to a familiar place next season.

So, let's have a look at what they should do in the offseason:

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What Pittsburgh Penguins should do in off-season

Here are three things:

#1 Take a step forward

So much of what the Pittsburgh Penguins front office has done for the last four seasons has been one step forward and two steps back.

The trade for Kasperi Kapenen three years ago sticks out like a sore thumb now, as it led to a major prospect for the Maple Leafs, and the same goes for the Jason Zucker trade.

The Penguins can’t be patient, as their aging stars aren’t getting any younger, but they can’t make any rash moves either. They need to navigate the waters of mediocrity and avoid water traps while developing young talent that can contribute in the aggregate.

#2 Don’t run it back

The Pittsburgh Penguins need to get creative to dig themselves out of the rut they find themselves in.

The worst place to be as an NHL team is in the middle. If the Penguins don’t try something different, they could find themselves in a place Minnesota Wild fans know all too well: close but never close enough.

So what’s going to get the Pens out of the rut? Unconventional thinking. Elite scouting. The Penguins have rarely had a top first-round pick in recent seasons due to trading away picks for help at the deadline.

This season, they will need to spend their first-rounder on the type of player who can help and contribute while also developing.

#3 Figure out the blue line

Casual hockey fans could easily point to the sub-par Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending and say that they need to spend big bucks on a netminder, and they’re not wrong. The Penguins do need help in the net, but they need more help on the blue line.

Much of the Penguins' struggles this season stemmed from a battered blue line that lacked the depth required to make the playoffs. Trotting out Kris Letang and hoping he can do it all himself didn’t work for the Pens this season. If they want to compete for a cup again, they need a blue chip blue liner.