Penguins Searching for Answer in Bottom Six

The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the hottest teams in the NHL over the past month. Their ten wins since December 10th are tied for second most in the Eastern Conference, and they sit one point outside of a playoff spot.

Despite the Penguins' success, their forward depth has gone dormant. In the Penguins' last five games, eight players have played in the bottom six and have combined for zero goals and three assists.

Reilly Smith and Matt Nieto are on the shelf and have no timetable for their return to action. Meanwhile, Radim Zohorna has been sent back to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins of the AHL after scoring one goal in his previous 18 games.

Colin White is expected to play on the Penguins' third line for their upcoming road trip in Vegas and Arizona. White played 58 games for the Florida Panthers last season, scoring 15 points (8G-7A) during the regular season and adding two assists in 21 playoff games.

Outside of White, the Penguins' in-house options for fresh faces in the bottom six are limited but not nonexistent. Two notable players have been finding success recently at the AHL level. 2019 first-round pick Sam Poulin has scored goals in four of the AHL Penguins' last five games, and Jesse Puljujarvi has three points (2G-1A) in his previous two outings.

The Penguins have climbed back into contention for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. But if they don't find more consistent contributions from the bottom six, their ceiling may not be much higher than a playoff berth.