Here we are again with the preseason polls! I am sure that our expectations last preseason were very conservative and⸺

(Last season’s poll result: Yes, 60%; in fact: no)

Well, the takeaway here is that at least this segment of the fanbase had a waning opinion of the Penguins’ playoff chances, after voting a whopping 94% yes the year prior. Pittsburgh ended up missing the playoffs by eleven points last season, and it doesn’t look terribly likely they’ll make the playoffs this year either. A majority “yes” opinion this time around would be surprising.

(Last season’s poll result: Third, fourth, or fifth, 69%; in fact: seventh)

After getting it right for the season prior, this was a whiff this time around. As with the poll above, I expect to see a fair bit more cynicism from the fanbase.

A little bit of a spin from the previous series of polls asking who the team’s MVP would be. At this rate, unless he retires, I would assume the award will go to Sid unless something terrible happened to him.

A new poll, one which is as intriguing as what it implies. The Penguins have a fair few players under 25 years old who are getting to the point where they could make an impact on the lineup. Of course, there are some players on this list who might not make an impact at all this year (Murashov), and there may even be some guys on this list who could be a surprise (Harrison Brunicke).

A somewhat cynical poll, but a pragmatic one given the direction Pittsburgh has been trending in recently. As far as first round picks go, since 2019 they have selected 21st, 21st, 14th, and then three firsts this past June (11th, 22nd and 24th). If you’re of the opinion that the Penguins will continue to get worse this season, then a top ten pick is almost certainly in the cards. Just how high a top ten pick then is up for discussion.

Last one on the way out as we antagonize the Flyers a little bit! It’s been a full fifty years since the Flyers won their last Stanley Cup, and they’re not expected to be anywhere near contention again this season. This question is a little on the Pyrrhic victory side of things: if the Penguins have a better record, they will have a worse draft pick, whereas if the Flyers beat the Penguins in the standings, the reward for Pittsburgh is a better chance at Gavin McKenna in the June entry draft.

LGP