Tim Benz: Mario Lemieux can't be the Penguins' savior this time, even if he does reacquire the franchise

Mario Lemieux doesn’t need to save the Pittsburgh Penguins this time.

That’ll make his possible return to the franchise different from his previous reincarnations with the team.

But, oddly, this one could be just as difficult.

If Lemieux, Ron Burkle and David Morehouse eventually reacquire the organization (as reports from “The Athletic” suggest they are trying to do), they’ll be doing so without the threat of bankruptcy, or a move to Kansas City or Las Vegas.

If Lemieux comes back to the owner’s suite, he won’t be able to pencil himself onto the game-night roster and help a struggling club as he did in December of 2000. He won’t be able to draft himself as Eddie Johnston did in 1984.

Number 66 will be 60 years old in October. Sadly, that ship has sailed.

That said, based on the roster that may be assembled this year in Pittsburgh, Lemieux could probably still warrant second-line minutes with Evgeni Malkin.

No. This time, if Lemieux buys the franchise for a second time, this will be strictly business. This will just be because he and Burkle want to buy back in, and Fenway Sports Group wants to sell.

Unless there’s something no one seems to know, FSG (which has only acknowledged an interest “in a potential minority investment” in the Penguins) isn’t in financial distress. Even if it is, with a still viable arena and a rising franchise value, there would be buyers besides Lemieux and Burkle willing to keep this team in Pittsburgh.

After all, expansion fees alone for any new potential NHL clubs are reportedly $2 billion. By comparison, the Pens are believed to be worth at least $1.47 billion.

That’s still a hefty increase from the $900 million FSG used to buy the team from Lemieux in 2021, but less than it would cost to buy an expansion franchise.

It’s not like there’s any evidence that FSG will refuse to spend once the team is in a position for that to matter again. They committed money to acquire Erik Karlsson, not to mention extending the stays of Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Tristan Jarry, Ryan Graves and Rickard Rakell.

Even when they shouldn’t have, in some cases.

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Sure, Lemieux’s reacquisition of the team could potentially reconnect the fans to the ownership group on an emotional level. That’s a relationship that has faded since FSG took over.

But that’s not going to fix the Penguins on the ice. Given the long-play rebuild path this team is on, the only thing that can fix those problems is time.

Good drafting, solid development and shrewd trades wouldn’t hurt either.

Or, you know, winning the Gavin McKenna lottery this spring. Of course, the NHL would never rig the lottery so Sidney Crosby could pass the torch to McKenna the same way Mario did to Sid.

Orrrrrr, would they???? I mean, if Lemieux bought the team, it certainly would make for a good stor…

Nah, nevermind.

The point is, Lemieux can’t put on a cape and skate into PPG Paints Arena on a Black-and-Gold horse again this time. The Penguins are going to lose on the ice for a while, and improve organically regardless of who is writing the checks.

Having Lemieux around the arena just might make the losing more tolerable while it happens because there will be an intangible sense that eventually he’ll make it go away.

Whether that’s fair to assume or not.