Penguins Have Two Sleepers at Forward

Left wing is an underrated area of strength for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Michael Bunting (8) celebrates a goal agaionst the Boston Bruins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. / Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have familiar areas of strength. They still have one of the best one-two punches at center in the NHL with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. They also boast two hall-of-famers, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson, on the right side of their defense.

One area that many may not think of is the Penguins' middle-six left wings. Michael Bunting and Drew O'Connor will be pivotal to the Penguins' success next season.

Bunting is entering his first full season in Pittsburgh after being dealt at the trade deadline as part of the Jake Guentzel trade. He scored the second-most points (19) of anyone traded at the deadline and finished his first few months with the Penguins on pace for 74 points in an 82-game season.

The five-year NHL veteran found quick chemistry with Malkin on the Penguins' second forward line, and those two combined to score 18 goals and 38 points in the Penguins' final 21 games. Bunting will likely begin the year with Malkin as the Penguins look for that duo to build off their success from late last season.

O'Connor enjoyed a breakout season in 2023-24, scoring a career-high in goals (16) and points (33) in 78 games. The former Dartmouth forward moved around the lineup but hit his stride late in the season alongside Crosby and Bryan Rust on the top forward line.

The Penguins seem intent on finding someone else to start next to Crosby, which would end up forcing O'Connor to the third line with newcomer Kevin Hayes. If that happens, and O'Connor continues to develop his offensive game, he will help the Penguins fix the lack of secondary scoring that has plagued them in recent seasons.

The road won't be easy for the Penguins to get back in the playoffs. But if they can, Bunting and O'Connor will be two of the biggest reasons.

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