The End is Near

After last night's 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils, the Devils players formed a line and shook the hands of three Penguins players, Logan Couture, Alec Martinez, and Blake Wheeler. We asked Coach Evason about this, who divulged little information but said news would be forthcoming.

We now have that news. In a press conference earlier this morning, Couture, Wheeler, and Martinez, flanked by General Manager Gurtowski, announced that each of them would be retiring at season's end. The announcement comes just after the trade deadline where the Penguins made a couple of moves to prepare for another Stanley Cup run.

Couture: "When New Jersey started dipping in the standings, I knew I was going to have to chase a Stanley Cup somewhere else. Being franchsie tagged by New Jersey had the potential to complicate things, but [Devils GM] Ryan was super courteous with my request to be traded, and made the deal happen. I'm happy that my last chance at a Cup gets to be with this group."

Couture, currently has 25 points in 44 games this season, playing in a third line center and power play role.

Martinez: "This group has battled hard all season to remain competitve, and we feel like we've done that while reshaping the look of the team on the fly. In my four seasons here the team has looked slightly different every year but it's come with an ability to remain competitive. This team is super motivated to get the job done."

Martinez has seen his ice time dwindle this year, though is still on target for a similar offensive output as his previous years and has looked strong defensively with a myriad of defense partners, lately Erik Johnson, another player whose future is up in the air, and Andrew Peeke

Wheeler: "The boys knew that this was going to be the last year for a bunch of us. Truth be told, I contemplated retiring at the end of last year, but Bo Horvat came to my house over the summer and practically begged me to play out the terms of my franchise tag, ha ha. I'm glad I stayed, because we are rejuvenated and ready for another run.

Wheeler, like Martinez, has also seen his ice time dwindle. Only on pace for 30 points after scoring 80 last year, Wheeler's still found opportunities to contribute, especially as a power play specialist.

Gurtowski: "This is a really special group. The fact that year in and year out we have players at the end of their career who want their last chance at a Cup to be with us, it really speaks volumes to the culture and identity we've built here. I'm optimistic we're going to break through this year and play some meaningful hockey beyond the first round.

The Penguins are currently 40-23-5, good for fourth in the Metropolitan Division and seventh in the Lemieux Conference. While it appears that they will make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, they have three hot teams in Toronto, Carolina, and Ottawa on their heels. It's going to require a strong finish to assure a spot in the dance, where as they say, anything can happen.