from Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

The Penguins have been the gold standard for the NHL over the past decade and half, but it seems like that run is over now and it is time to retool.

There is a new ownership group and it seems eager to put its own front office in place. That probably means the end for Brian Burke as team president and perhaps even the end of Ron Hextall’s run as general manager. Those two things may not happen, but it sure seems like they are on the table.

Mike Sullivan appears to be safe for now, but in the volatile world of hockey coaching, who knows? We have seen plenty of Stanley Cup-winning coaches fired in the past, and while Sullivan is one of the best in the business, he hasn’t had his magic touch in the last four playoff series.

Malkin, Letang and Bryan Rust are all probably going to be priced out of town, as all three are free agents and will come with a hefty price tag. Maybe one of them takes a hometown discount to stay with the Penguins, but that seems like a long shot. They have all won Stanley Cups, so there is no need for them to go championship hunting and take lesser deals, which is why I expect at least two of them to be gone.

The Penguins also have to make decisions about Rickard Rakell, Danton Heinen, Evan Rodrigues, Casey DeSmith, Brian Boyle and Kaspari Kapanen.

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