There are a lot of players that are going to have a say in whether or not the Penguins bounce back from an inconsistent 2018-19 season. At the top of that list (maybe even a distant second to Evgeni Malkin) is going to be winger Patric Hornqvist.
Because he has been such an important cog in the machine for so many years now, and is still viewed “heart and soul” player that offers refreshingly honest assessments of both his play and the team’s play, he managed to escape a lot of the same criticism that was directed at different members of the team this past season.