That hasn't changed as they seek a fourth Stanley Cup championship in their 17th season as the core three, general manager Ron Hextall said.
"I think there's a lot of teams that are capable of winning the Cup," Hextall said after the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline on Friday. "Yes, I'd say we're one of them."
But help was needed.
A top-heavy roster has Pittsburgh (31-22-9) in the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, one point behind the New York Islanders and three ahead of the Buffalo Sabres. It has qualified for the playoffs in 16 straight seasons, the longest active streak in the NHL.
Crosby and Malkin are doing their part. Crosby, at 35 years old, leads the Penguins with 73 points (27 goals, 46 assists) in 62 games; Malkin, 36, is second with 63 points (23 goals, 40 assists) in 62.
They are part of a top-six forward group that has scored 65 percent of Pittsburgh's goals (129 of 201).
Newly acquired forwards Nick Bonino and Mikael Granlund could help the bottom six, Hextall said.
"The more options that the coaches have, the better," Hextall said. "With those two guys, they've got more options to put things together."
RELATED: [2022-23 NHL Trade Tracker]
Bonino is familiar to the Penguins, winning the Stanley Cup as their third-line center in 2016 and 2017. He was acquired in
a three-team trade
with the San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens on Friday.
Granlund was
traded
from the Nashville Predators on Wednesday for a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He played third-line right wing in his debut Thursday, going without a shot on goal in a 5-4 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Jeff Carter has 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 59 games mostly at third-line center this season. Adding Bonino and Granlund should provide coach Mike Sullivan with flexibility at center past Crosby and Malkin, Hextall said.
"In terms of the centers, what I like to do is supply the coaches with as many centers as possible," Hextall said. "Mikael is a great example, a guy that can play all three positions. It's hard to move guys that have played wing their whole lives into the middle and expect them to do the job there.
"The addition of Nick, he's played a lot of wing this year. But he can also play the middle, can kill penalties, can take face-offs. Mikael, similarly, he's a good penalty killer, he can play on the power play and he can also play all three positions."
Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was
acquired
Friday from the Anaheim Ducks for forward
Brock McGinn
and a 2024 third-round pick, adding depth to a defense corps that has dealt with significant injuries to Letang.
Letang, 35, leads Pittsburgh defensemen with 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 44 games, despite missing five games after having a stroke Nov. 28, the second during his NHL career, and another 11 with a lower-body injury sustained Dec. 28.
The trades might not turn heads, but Hextall said each was worthwhile for a team with most pieces already in place.
"We've got a proven group. We've got a hungry group. We've got a group of guys that we all think of as winners," Hextall said. "You've got to make the playoffs first. Right now, that's our objective. We'll see where we go from there. I feel good about this team.
"My responsibility is to look after the organization right now, be committed to our core there. Our mission is to win the Stanley Cup. That hasn't changed."
