Buy or Sell: Pittsburgh Penguins to Win the Eastern Conference

Multiple teams in the Eastern Conference could be the last team standing, but are the Pittsburgh Penguins one of them?

Over the last two decades, the Pens and the Washington Capitals have dominated the headlines in the East. Pittsburgh has had more success than Washington, and there’s more to like about their current group than Washington’s. 

Still, does that mean we can hold up this version of the Pens as a real contender in the conference?

Below, we’ll dive into the Pens’ odds to win the Eastern Conference on the FanDuel Sportsbook.

There are many high-quality players on the Penguins, but can they still compete with the more talented teams in the East? Whether that’s the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, or Carolina Hurricanes, there’s no shortage of elite teams in the conference that could make it difficult for Pittsburgh to make playoff noise. The Pens must climb the standings to avoid playing in a crossover matchup against an Atlantic Division team. If Pittsburgh finishes as a wild card team, they’ll probably face the juggernaut Boston Bruins in the opening round. The three top teams in the Atlantic will have to go through one another, which could create an opening for a veteran Pens to pounce if they can survive the Metropolitan Division. 

With an aging superstar like Sidney Crosby, who is still playing at the game’s highest level, it’s hard to see management not adding at the trade deadline. Pittsburgh hasn’t had an issue scoring goals, but there are some questions about the backend. Many of those defensive issues have been quieted because of the solid goaltending of Tristan Jarry. Heading into the All-Star break, the Pens’ top goalie has a 16-5-5 record with a .921 save percentage and has continued to give Pittsburgh a chance to win every time he’s between the pipes. 

There are many pieces on Pittsburgh that could carry them to postseason success, but there are too many teams in the Eastern bracket that outmatch the Pens. As they currently stand, there’s no guarantee they’ll qualify for the playoffs, so there’s likely better value elsewhere in the East. 

Buy or Sell: Sell the Pens +1300 odd to win the East