Penguins Must Make Two Lineup Changes

The Pittsburgh Penguins need to remove two players from their lineup.

Nov 23, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (24) skates with the puck against the Utah Hockey Club during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan is regarded as one of the best bench bosses in hockey. Like all coaches, Sullivan has his faults, and none may be more prominent than his over-loyalty to struggling players.

There is perhaps no better example than when the Penguins continuously deployed Jeff Carter as the team's third-line center throughout the 2022-23 season.

Last season, Sullivan refused to give up on Jansen Harkins despite his apparent struggles to keep pace with NHL competition. This season, Sullivan's loyalty is becoming problematic once again.

Matt Nieto is a great story, but he is not playing at an NHL level right now. Since returning to the lineup on November 15, Nieto has zero points in nine games and has been largely ineffective on the fourth line.

With Cody Glass removed from injured reserve, it's time to take Nieto out of the lineup. Glass impressed early this season in various roles but has missed the last 12 games with a concussion. His speed and playmaking ability are needed desperately at the bottom of the forward lineup.

Defensively, the Penguins need to separate Matt Grzelcyk and Kris Letang. That duo has been disastrous this season, culminating in a horrific performance on Tuesday evening despite combining for a goal in the second period. They are a source of constant defensive zone turnovers and missed assignments leading to goals.

Grzelcyk struggled to stay in the Boston Bruins lineup last season, yet he's been deployed for nearly 20 minutes per game with the Penguins. Options behind him are limited, with Ryan Graves, Ryan Shea, or Owen Pickering being the most likely replacements. But Sullivan can't continue to deploy those two together and expect their performance to improve.

The Penguins have carved out a nice win streak for themselves, but they must make these obvious changes to keep momentum moving in the right direction.

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