The Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled the last three seasons and, therefore, have missed the playoffs in all those campaigns. Unfortunately, if you are a Penguins fan, it is very unlikely that the team from the Steel City will reach the postseason this season either. Even worse, the Penguins are widely considered front-runners for the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes in the 2026 Draft and maybe even the worst overall team in the league. While the Penguins are undoubtedly entering a rebuild, will they be the worst team in the league? This article will examine how they compare to the rest of the league and theorize where they will finish in the standings.
The Metropolitan Division
The Penguins finished seventh in the Metro last season with 80 points, four ahead of the last-place Philadelphia Flyers and two points behind the New York Islanders for sixth. For this upcoming season, it is more likely that Pirmanti Bros closes all their locations in Pittsburgh than the Penguins coming in the top three in the Metro and guaranteeing themselves a playoff berth. The division-winning Washington Capitals did not make any significant moves other than re-signing defenseman Martin Fehervary to a seven-year deal, but they did not have to. The Capitals may not have gotten better, but they also did not get any worse and seem poised to contend for another division title.
The team that made the most noise in the division this offseason was the Carolina Hurricanes. First, they traded for defender K’Andre Miller and extended the former New York Ranger for eight years. Next, they signed arguably the most prized unrestricted free agent, winger Nikolaj Ehlers, for six years with a cap hit of $8.5 million. The Hurricanes also have over $10 million in available cap space if they wanted to make a significant move at the deadline. As for the team the Hurricanes defeated in the first round, the New Jersey Devils will have a fully healthy Jack Hughes. After the star center went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, the Devils’ promising season was derailed. Assuming Hughes stays healthy, the Devils will be a lock for the postseason.
Related: How the NHL’s Metropolitan Division Became the Worst
As for the teams that did not make the playoffs from the Metro, the Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed defenders Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro, and they also acquired Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from the Colorado Avalanche via trade. The Blue Jackets should be good again, but I could see a scenario where they regress. Many tabbed them to be the worst team in the league last year, following the tragic passing of star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, and the Blue Jackets played with an energy and passion that propelled them to heights many did not see coming. As for the Rangers, they have a new coach in Mike Sullivan and also a new blueliner to replace Miller in Vladislav Gavrikov. I find it hard to imagine that the Rangers will not be significantly better than they were last season.
That brings us to the Islanders and the Flyers. The Islanders traded away star defender Noah Dobson to Montreal, but they immediately found his replacement in the first overall pick, Matthew Schaefer. Objectively, the Islanders got worse this offseason and will probably be battling the Penguins and Flyers for last in the division. As for the Flyers, they acquired Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks and also signed Christian Dvorak and goaltender Dan Vladar to solve their goaltending woes. Young star Matvei Michkov will be in his second season and should take a significant step in development this season. The Flyers will likely be better than their 76-point total in 2024-25.
What Does This Mean for the Penguins?
Of the eight teams in the Metro, the Penguins made their team worse in the short term. This does not mean they had a bad offseason (I actually previously argued they had a good free agency), but for this year, there is no denying they got worse for this upcoming season roster-wise. Will they finish last? On paper, they should, but they still have Sidney Crosby, a god on skates, and you cannot rule out Sid carrying the Penguins to the playoffs. Realistically, they could finish anywhere from fifth to last in the Metro Division. However, I think they are fully embracing a rebuild and stockpiling draft capital for the future, so I see them finishing last in the division.
What About the Rest of the League?
When examining the rosters of the rest of the league, there are only two teams that are 100% worse than the Penguins on paper, and those are the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks. They are also similar talent-wise to the Nashville Predators and Seattle Kraken, although Nashville did make several moves, such as trading for Nicholas Hague from the Vegas Golden Knights. I also think goaltender Juuse Saros will have a bounce-back year, and Steven Stamkos and Filip Forsberg will be significantly better.
As for the rest of the Western Conference, every other team is better than the Penguins and should comfortably finish ahead of them in the standings. In the East, it is impossible to imagine the Boston Bruins being any worse than they were last season, considering Jeremy Swayman had a down year, but Boston has enough talent to eclipse the Penguins, assuming Charlie McAvoy plays the whole season and David Pastrnak continues with his superstar form. That leaves the Buffalo Sabres, and for their fanbase’s sake, they will finally put it together and not be a cellar dweller this season. They have a very talented roster, but the question is, can they put it all together?
Final Prediction: Last in the Eastern Conference and 30th overall, guaranteeing a top-five lottery selection.
