Oct 9, 2002 By Commentary John Mehno 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – Answering your questions about the 2002-2003 Pittsburgh Penguins before you even ask them: -How successful can this team be?

How many games can Mario Lemieux play?

Sorry to answer a question with a question, but Lemieux’s availability is the key to what happens, now more than ever.

If he’s healthy and able to play, the power play can succeed and that alone can win some games. Without him, teams will load up against Alexei Kovalev and dare the rest of the ordinary cast to do something.

-So how is Lemieux?

He says he feels fine and his handlers say he’s in great shape.

Lemieux pays more attention to conditioning than he ever has. His dedication is admirable. But he’s also 37 and has a history of major physical problems. He skipped the preseason and hasn’t appeared in an actual game since the end of February.

Players are bigger and stronger today and contact is more intense. Lemieux is far more likely to encounter players his own size than he was when he started 18 years ago. He can still do things that take your breath away. But now you also hold your breath waiting to see if he can make it through a season.

-Has Craig Patrick lost his touch?

That might be an overstatement, but Patrick certainly isn’t as effective as he used to be.

Part of that is the hard economic reality. The Howard Baldwin years were fun, spending money that didn’t exist, but that ended in bankruptcy.

The current fiscal restraints would challenge any general manager. Patrick can’t keep his better players, he can’t pursue significant free agents and he often has to trade players he knows he can’t sign.

That’s led to payroll reductions that have resulted in giveaway deals – the return for Jaromir Jagr and Darius Kasparaitis was modest, to say the least.

But Patrick has also compounded his problems. He kept Robert Lang last year at the deadline, apparently believing the Penguins could make the playoffs without Lemieux and Martin Straka. He’s kept intact a scouting department that has failed to find talent.

The Penguins’ situation has started to mirror that of the Pirates – their circumstances call for a creative, proactive approach and there have been no signs the Penguins can do that.

-Who’s the No. 1 defenseman?

You mean the go-to guy, the one who’s out there in all the important situations?

They don’t have one.

In fact, the entire defensive corps is made up of “depth” players, most of whom are best suited for being the fifth or sixth defenseman on a good team.

-What about the goaltending?

Johan Hedberg knows the drill. There are a lot of nights when he’s going to be left alone. That’s why he visited a hypnotist over the summer to get his emotions in control.

That means fewer sticks angrily tomahawked over the crossbar, even though he’ll still have the urge.

Hedberg is the least of the Penguins’ problems. He played too much last year, a reflection of the minimal trust the staff has in backup Jean-Sebastien Aubin.

-Why did they send all the younger players to the minor leagues?

Part of that is money. Players on two-way contracts make less in the minors. That may not be the reason to send them down, but it can be the tiebreaker for players on the bubble.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Some of the marginal veterans on the opening night roster won’t last and there’s a motivated group of players at Wilkes Barre, anxious to get a spot in the NHL.

-What about Rick Kehoe as coach?

He’s had the benefit of a year’s experience and a full training camp this year. The power play never worked last year and that was one of Kehoe’s strengths as an assistant. If you’re looking for innovation, Kehoe probably isn’t your guy. Unfortunately, the talent level of the team requires some creative thinking.

-Can this team make the playoffs?

Possible but not likely. The Penguins will need a full season from Lemieux and a strong return from Martin Straka to compete at the bottom of the field.

If Lemieux misses significant time, the Penguins are likely to miss the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

It doesn’t appear the teams that finished ahead of the Penguins last year have gotten appreciably weaker. The New York Rangers, who were 11 points better than the Penguins last year but still missed the playoffs, appear to have gotten stronger with free agents Bobby Holik and Kasparaitis.

-Doesn’t seem terribly promising, does it?

No, but it’s early. Remember – at this time last year Ivan Hlinka was the coach, Straka was coming off a career-best, 95-point season and Lemieux was having some seemingly minor hip pain.

Things can change quickly.

John Mehno can be reached online at: johnmehno@lycos.com.