Brian Burke believes the Penguins' dominance has ended and their window has closed
Former NHL General Manager and current Sportsnet analyst Brian Burke has a reputation for his hockey hot takes, never holding back his true feelings, no matter the subject. Burke was back at it on a recent edition of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, this time setting his sights on the Pittsburgh Penguins - a team who he believes doesn't have what it takes to compete for a championship anymore.
According to Burke, the Pens are in a similar position to what the Chicago Blackhawks are currently in - which is fitting given the similar levels of success both teams have experienced over the last 10-12 season. Each team has won three Stanley Cup championships over that span, but are both beginning to decline due to an aging core and not enough young skill to compensate.
Burke suggested that the Pens are, much like the Hawks, set on holding on to their aging elite talent in an attempt to remain competitive, despite being overdue for a total rebuild, what with everyone around them improving steadily. The cycle of an accomplished hockey club - from bottom-feeder to elite hockey club, to sliding into mediocrity and back to bottom-feeder. Rinse and repeat.
"It is the same thing Jimmy Rutherford is saying in Pittsburgh 'I've got two elite players we're not going to a total rebuild were gonna try and win.' I don't think Pittsburgh is good enough to win. No matter what they do now with their cap situation I think that window has closed, for me. I love Jimmy Rutherford you know that, but I look in the East and I say are they better than Tampa? Nope. Are they better than Washington Nope. Are they better than Boston? Nope."
Some of Burkie's takes are wild and while I don't necessarily agree with all of them, this is a tough one to dispute. With Crosby turning 33 this past season and Malkin having just turned 34, I'm certain that they each have some quality hockey left in them, but, much like Toews and Kane in Chicago, it's difficult to deny that their best years are behind them.
Source: Spittin' Chiclets Podcast
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YESTERDAY
JUNE 6, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Mitch Marner | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jordan Staal | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Shea Theodore | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Brayden McNabb | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Taylor Hall | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Martinook | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jackson Blake | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Seth Jarvis | - | 1 | 1 | |
| William Karlsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jaccob Slavin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Logan Stankoven | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||