After three seasons mired in mediocrity — three seasons of early summers, of trading away pieces, of taking steps backwards — the heat is being turned up in Pittsburgh.
The vultures are circling, questioning when, not if, Sidney Crosby will ask out of town. The franchise iconâ€s own agent added fuel to the fire, and Crosby himself didn’t shut down the talking point quite as emphatically as he has in the past. Three seasons without playoff hockey have no doubt weighed on the ever-competitive Penguins captain, and the juryâ€s out on whether 2025-26 will bring a realistic chance at a different outcome.
But the new season will feel different. After a decade in black and gold — and two Stanley Cup banners hung at PPG Paints Arena — Mike Sullivanâ€s tenure as Penguins head coach is through. In his place, Dan Muse has taken the reins. An off-the-board choice for GM Kyle Dubas, Muse joins the Pens after a two-year run as an assistant coach for the New York Rangers. Before that, the 43-year-old served as a head coach with the USNTDP, an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators, and in different capacities in the USHL and NCAA, earning a reputation as a teacher who can get the most out of young up-and-coming talents.
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If thereâ€s any reason to believe this year might be different for Crosby and Co., itâ€s Museâ€s arrival. Thereâ€s no telling how exactly the rookie big-league coach will fare in his first year behind the Pens†bench, but there will, if nothing else, be change. The Penguins faithful are hoping thatâ€s enough to tilt things in the right direction.
The Penguins have been quiet this summer, which is one reason those on the outside looking in — and perhaps some on the inside, too — find themselves wondering whether this season will bring any progress. Despite leaving much to be desired offensively last season — the clubâ€s 2.95 goals per game ranked 18th league-wide — Dubas opted against taking any big swings to bring in more talent up front, his focus still aimed at a longer-term rebuild. There was one move that could potentially move the needle, though: the one-year flyer handed to Anthony Mantha.
Fresh off an injury-plagued season in Calgary, Mantha joins the Penguins once again looking to get his career back on track. The 31-year-old has had a tumultuous run in the league of late — making his name in Detroit, and then enjoying a solid run in Washington, the winger played out a brief stint in Vegas after being acquired at the 2024 deadline, and then joined the Flames on a one-year deal last season, only to see his campaign cut short by an ACL injury.
How that injury impacts his 2025-26 remains to be seen. But the veteran seems a worthwhile dice-roll for Pittsburgh — at his best, Mantha’s a reliable 20-25-goal threat, and adds imposing size to the Penguins†top six. Likely slotting in alongside Evgeni Malkin on Pittsburghâ€s second line, he should have an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the black-and-goldâ€s cause.
There has been no greater question mark in Pittsburgh than the one that looms over the clubâ€s cage. Even taking into account the oft-questioned decision to acquire Erik Karlsson, Dubasâ€s most polarizing act as GM mightâ€ve been the five-year pact he handed to netminder Tristan Jarry in 2023. In the years since, the 30-year-oldâ€s performance has fallen off significantly, to the point of Jarry being sent down to the AHL to find his footing last season. In his place, the now-departed Alex Nedeljkovic took the reins in Pittsburgh, while young Joel Blomqvist showed glimpses of potential.
Now, the clubâ€s goaltending corps has a new wild-card thrown into the mix: Arturs Silovs. Acquired by the Penguins in July, the 24-year-old enters the new year with a very real chance at snagging the No. 1 job from Jarry. You need only rewind to the 2024 post-season to get a sense of Silovs†potential — then a third-string option for the Vancouver Canucks, the young Latvian was thrust into playoff starting duties when regulars Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith both went down injured. He rose to the moment, guiding the Canucks to a Round 1 win — shutting out the Nashville Predators in the series-clincher — before backstopping Vancouver through a wild, seven-game series with Connor McDavidâ€s Edmonton Oilers.
Heâ€s shown his level on the international stage too, and joins the Penguins fresh off leading the AHLâ€s Abbotsford Canucks to a championship, his performance during that earning Silovs playoff MVP honours. Heâ€s yet to prove he can be an everyday NHLer, but thereâ€s no questioning his potential. A breakout big-league campaign for the Latvian in 2025-26 would be season-altering for Pittsburgh.
Since taking over in Pittsburgh, the focus for Dubas and his front office has been clear: add more young talent, improve the prospect pool, and bring some stability to the clubâ€s long-term future. While that focus has meant Pittsburgh has put up fewer and fewer points in each of the past few seasons, it also means the club enters the new campaign with some noteworthy young prospects ready to make their names on the NHL stage.
Leading that group is Rutger McGroarty, the 2022 14th-overall pick who starred for the University of Michigan before forcing a trade out of the Winnipeg Jets organization and ultimately landing in Pittsburgh. The 21-year-old played eight games in the big leagues last season before spending the rest of the campaign with Pittsburghâ€s AHL affiliate, where he turned in a solid 14 goals and 39 points.
While much of the rookie fanfare in Pittsburgh has focused on McGroarty, right there with him is Ville Koivunen. A second-round pick in 2021, Koivunen was a key part of the return in the deal that saw Pittsburgh ship star winger Jake Guentzel to Carolina. After a similar eight-game NHL run last year, Koivunen was sent down to the AHL for the season too, and the Finnish winger excelled, pacing the team with 21 goals and 56 points through 63 games.
Given Pittsburgh isnâ€t brimming with options on the wing, and the club is focused on developing its young talent, thereâ€s a good chance both McGroarty and Koivunen stick in the NHL this season, and both should have a chance to contribute meaningfully.
1. Will the Penguins trade any roster mainstays before the season begins?
The trade the rest of the hockey world is waiting for — Crosby to Colorado, or maybe Montreal — seems beyond a long shot between now and Oct. 7. The captain will be a Penguin this season. Now, if Pittsburgh continues to flounder, and finishes outside the playoff picture for a fourth straight year? Then, who knows.Â
The real question here is what happens to the two wingers who play beside him. Thereâ€s been plenty of interest in Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell dating back to last yearâ€s trade deadline — both wingers are coming off career years, Rust finishing the season with 31 goals and 65 points, Rakell finishing with 35 goals and 70 points. Given the seismic impact their departures would have on the Penguins†season, Dubasâ€s ask is understandably high. Then thereâ€s Karlsson, whoâ€s coming off back-to-back 50-point seasons in Pittsburgh — and a 100-point, Norris-winning season in San Jose before that — but just hasn’t seemed the right fit in black and gold.
Should any of the three veterans be moved before the new season begins, the Pens†chances of clawing their way back to a post-season spot will diminish even further. And the chances of No. 87 sticking around might, too.
2. Will this be the final season of the Crosby-Malkin Era in Pittsburgh?
Speaking of No. 87, are we entering the Crosby-Malkin Eraâ€s last dance? Along with Kris Letang, the duo have had an unprecedented run together — entering their 20th season as teammates, Crosby, Malkin and Letang have played together longer than any other trio in North American sports history. Itâ€s no doubt been a successful run, the trio bringing three Stanley Cups to Pittsburgh, a slew of individual honours, and a decade-and-a-half of seasons that gifted fans the thrill of playoff hockey.
But now the success has run out, the franchise has shifted focus to the future, and the chapter appears to be closing. In June, longtime Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe reported that the 2025-26 campaign will be Malkinâ€s final season in Pittsburgh. Itâ€s unclear whether the future Hall of Famer will retire following his 20th big-league campaign, but the Penguins are not expected to offer Malkin a new contract when his current deal concludes, per Yohe.
While Crosby has been able to turn in continued ageless performances, Father Time has been less kind to Pittsburghâ€s No. 71, injuries slowing the former Hart and Art Ross winner. Still, Malkin has shown glimpses of his old form here and there in recent seasons — heading into what seems likely to be his last year in black and gold, with some new wingers beside him, could Mr. 101 turn back the clock in 2025-26?
3. Can this summerâ€s moves finally pull Pittsburgh back into the playoffs?
All of this leads to the only important question in Pittsburgh this season: Can the club end its post-season drought, or is it time to truly turn the page on this golden era of Penguins hockey?
Itâ€s been an awkwardly slow descent for Pittsburgh. Just four years ago, they were still a 100-point club, the biggest issue being a string of first-round playoff losses in the wake of back-to-back Cups in 2016 and 2017. Then came a couple seasons on the fringes, Pittsburgh finishing one point out of the wild-card race in 2023, and just a handful out in 2024. Last season marked the true step backwards — trading away some longtime stars, turning all attention to the future, and coming up short in addressing the holes in the roster, the Penguins finished 2024-25 in the Eastern Conference basement, miles away from the post-season.
The new campaign will be pivotal in showing Dubas and Co. where exactly this group sits. Should they challenge for a spot higher up in the standings early, and look like they have a realistic shot at a wild-card spot, maybe the Penguins brass stay the course. But should they come out of the gates stumbling and put up another campaign like last year, thereâ€s a good chance the franchise cuts its losses and leans even further into a full-tilt rebuild.
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