Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…<\/p>\n
Kris Letang\u2019s declining performance has become a hot-button topic for Pittsburgh Penguins fans, and for good reason. Despite the workout\/exercise regimen and career accomplishments, he is not the player he was five or 10 years ago. Poor decision-making and defensive struggles have made him a liability at even strength and are contributing to some of the Penguins\u2019 worst on-ice results. But is there any solution in sight? [PensBurgh<\/a>]<\/p>\n The NHL, if nothing else, is a copycat league, as opposing teams look for the best ways for long-term success, on and off the ice. The Penguins\u2019 surprising turnaround under Kyle Dubas has come from a series of moves that have revitalized the roster. However, other rebuilding teams like the New York Rangers may have trouble replicating the Penguins\u2019 model because the \u201cblueprint\u201d isn\u2019t easily repeatable; success relies on multiple moves all working out at once. [PensBurgh<\/a>]<\/p>\n The Penguins made a few roster transactions on Thursday. First, the team reassigned rookie forward Avery Hayes to the AHL\u2019s Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton Penguins. [Trib Live<\/a>]<\/p>\n They followed that up by recalling defenseman Ryan Graves to the NHL club following the completion of a conditioning assignment with Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton. [Trib Live<\/a>]<\/p>\n After being acquired via trade from the Nashville Predators in March 2025, forward Tommy Novak has carved out a valuable, versatile role for the Penguins, contributing offensively and fitting on multiple lines. [Trib Live<\/a>]<\/p>\n News and notes from around the NHL\u2026<\/p>\n Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews underwent MCL surgery in New York on Thursday. [ESPN<\/a>]<\/p>\n The New York Islanders plan to relocate their AHL affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Hamilton, Ontario, bringing pro hockey back to the city for the first time in years. [TSN<\/a>]<\/p>\n