So You Want to Be a First Line Left Winger?

Ever since the Pittsburgh Penguins moved on from former franchise icon Jamie Benn, the search has been on for who would replace his minutes and position in the lineup. The first line for the Penguins this year has consistently been Bo Horvat (6G 12A 19GP) and Blake Wheeler (7G 12A 19GP), and while that duo has performed well this year, that left wing spot has been up for grabs because no one has seemingly been able to play well enough to remain there. Let's meet the candidates for that spot.

Tyler Toffoli - 3 games played, no points, -2 rating
Toffoli on the top line with Horvat and Wheeler made sense, especially considering Toffoli's SC rating being viewed as a compliment to Wheeler's PA rating. However this trio was brutal on the ice which is why Toffoli was moved to the second line with Norris and Saad, a trio which has enjoyed an incredible start to this season. That line appears locked.

Adrian Kempe - 4 games played, no points, -3 rating
Pretty much same as above for Adrian Kempe, the difference being that Kempe has had a brutal season, only scoring 2 goals in 18 games played this season. That production has seen him shuffled around the lineup with different linemates, fluctuating power play time, and a healthy scratch. It seems destined that Kempe's year is a lost one, though he has played well lately with recently acquired third line center Tyler Johnson.

Pius Suter - 7 games played. 2 goals and 2 assists, +3 rating
A breath of fresh air for that top line, Suter appears to be the fit that Horvat and Wheeler have been looking for. Suter received the longest auditon on the top line while also having the most success (30% of his points this year have been with that line). What lead to his removal from that line was inconsistent play for a couple games and some injuries to the bottom six that has tested the depth of this team.

James Neal - 3 games played, 1 goal, +2 rating
Neal appeared to be a good fit for that line, though his audition was cut short due to an injury. Will be interesting to see what kind of look Neal gets when he returns to the lineup, which is expected to be on the third game of this current three game road trip.

Honorable mentions - Trevor Moore, 1 game played, no points, +1 rating; Alexander Barabanov, 1 game played, no points, -2 rating
Hard to say where things stand in terms of an audition with these two players. They didn't receive much time up there, and Moore has been more effective in a 3rd and 4th line utilitly/floater role, while Barabanov has only really played due to various injuries in the bottom 6

The verdict is in and it appears that the #1 candidate to be on the top line with Horvat and Wheeler is Pius Suter, which seems like a no brainer given how successful he's been no matter where he's played in the lineup this year. Coach Julien has already confirmed to us that Suter-Horvat-Wheeler will in fact be the top line for tomorrow's tilt versus the Arizona Coyotes, and also that Logan O'Connor, who has 18 points in 19 AHL games this year, has been called up and will play on line four with Robinson and Richardson, pushing Barabanov to the press box once again.

Tune in tomorrow night as the Penguins look to put another win in the record book. They are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games and currently 12-4-3, good enough for 2nd in the Metropolitan Division and 3rd in the NHL.