Penguins Need to Choose a Clear Path Moving Forward

The Pittsburgh Penguins just wrapped up a season that no one saw coming. They returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2022, but lost in the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games. Even though their return to the postseason was short lived, they gave fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future. General manager Kyle Dubas has his work cut out for him this summer, though, as he charts a path towards continued success. 

Where Do the Penguins Go From Here? 

Since he arrived in Pittsburgh in 2023, Dubas has been on a mission preparing for life after the veteran core retires or moves on. This season, he did a good job of adding players that strengthened the team overall.

Anthony Mantha, Parker Wotherspoon, and Yegor Chinakhov were big reasons the Penguins made the playoffs. In 81 regular-season games, Mantha scored 33 goals. Chinakhov joined the Penguins in December and recorded 18 goals and 18 assists. Wotherspoon was reliable all season and established himself as a top-four defenseman. 

Even though Pittsburgh surpassed expectations, they were not a Stanley Cup contender, and it showed during their series against the Flyers. Dubas has made progress, no question, but his team is still in limbo – not serious contenders, but good enough to not be getting high draft picks. 

Dubas left the core in place this season and that was the right decision. Sidney Crosby played 68 regular-season games and put up 29 goals and 74 points; that’s another productive season, but at 38 years old, that kind of production won’t last forever. 

Evgeni Malkin played 56 regular-season games and recorded 19 goals and 42 assists and two goals and one assist in the playoffs. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he made it pretty clear he wanted to come back for another season. While he was instrumental in the team’s success this season, he will be 40 in July, so Dubas might decide not to re-sign him. 

Dubas Needs to Set the Penguins on a Clear Path 

The Penguins walked a tightrope all season, but now it’s decision time. They have 15 second- and third-round picks over the next four NHL Entry Drafts, but they need players who can make an impact now. Unfortunately, not every draft pick will turn into a Ben Kindel, who had a breakout rookie season and recorded 17 goals and 18 assists in 77 games. At 19 years old, he is still learning and developing, but he has the makings of a strong, two-way center and is the type of player the Penguins need to build around. 

Dubas could also choose to leverage some of those draft picks to add some impact players this offseason. Forward Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars is a perfect candidate: He is good at exposing the opponent’s defense and is not afraid to shoot the puck. Since Crosby is still playing at a high level, moving players such as Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell to surround the captain with more talent would be a smart decision.

It is unlikely the Penguins can repeat this season’s success in 2026-27 with veterans who are another year older. Dubas will have to make decisions on Mantha and Malkin, and he needs to pick a clear direction for his team going forward. Nothing can take away from what Crosby and the rest of the core have accomplished in Pittsburgh, but if the team wants to work toward becoming serious contenders, the status quo is no longer an option.