The Pittsburgh Penguins look a little different now than they did a few months ago, though most of the primary characters remain.Is that a good thing? Can they reach the postseason again? Are young players being left out in the cold?These are all legitimate questions without right or wrong answers. But let’s break it all down.Much could change between now and puck drop on Sept. 29, of course, but here’s a look at the Penguins’ potential lineup as we begin to drift into the dark days of the hockey offseason.Current best guess: ForwardsLeft wingCenterRight wingRickard RakellSidney CrosbyBryan RustEgor ChinakhovTommy NovakEvgeni MalkinAndrei KuzmenkoBen KindelNick RobertsonConnor DewarBlake LizotteElmer SöderblomThe good• Though Crosby, Rust and Rakell weren’t as effective as usual when playing together last season, they still managed to produce their typical numbers. The trio works as a legitimate top line, so long as regression doesn’t hit significantly.• That second line was dynamite last season.• It’s difficult to say how the third line would work because these players have never skated together. Still, there’s a lot of offensive punch there.• We know Lizotte and Dewar are very good together. Söderblom was a pleasant surprise almost immediately after being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings. His size is real. His upside might be, too.• This is a very deep forward unit that appears capable of replacing Anthony Mantha’s offense.The bad• When the average age of your top line is 35, you’re asking for trouble.• Novak is a fringe top-six player.• It might be a lot to ask Malkin, who gets hurt a lot, to perform at last season’s level.• Chinakhov needs to prove he wasn’t a flash in the pan.• Kuzmenko and Robertson are not good defensive players, which isn’t ideal for third-line wingers.• Who is going to kill penalties? Lizotte and Dewar, for sure. Kindel looks qualified. Rust does, too, but you don’t want him expending all of his energy there. Who else? Not a lot of PK depth.Odd man outJustin Brazeau? It seems silly not to have him listed on the top four lines, but where does he fit? Söderblom played at a higher level last season. Brazeau, you’ll recall, was a healthy scratch for the first time all season in the playoffs against the Flyers. The Penguins’ top six appears pretty well set. They didn’t acquire Robertson and Kuzmenko to have them sit in the press box, nor did they give Lizotte and Dewar new contracts for that purpose.The uglyI believe the players listed above, along with Brazeau, are the top 13 forwards on the Penguins’ depth chart. Not mentioned, of course, are Rutger McGroarty and Avery Hayes, two of the team’s better prospects.