Heading into a tough season for the Penguins, Pittsburgh has a number of players set to become free agents. For an organization in the process of a rebuild, this is to be expected. However, the quality of the expiring players varies tremendously. While some players will be dealt throughout the season, some are players that the Penguins hope to keep past this season. In this article, I project what the Pittsburgh Penguins do with their upcoming unrestricted free agents.
Upcoming Penguins’ Free Agents
The Keeps Pile
Even in a rebuild, having some consistency is important. The Penguins have a few players whose presence could be important for the organization going forward. First, is franchise legend Evgeni Malkin. Malkin is gearing up for his 20th season in the NHL, all with the Penguins. He’s turned into a franchise icon for Pittsburgh, pairing with Sidney Crosby to bring the Penguins three Stanley Cups. There are many rumours that this is Malkin’s final season in Pittsburgh. Even if Malkin were to return in 2026-27 for his 21st season, the Penguins seem to not be interested in bringing him back.
Making the case for Malkin is far easier than for the next two players. Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar are a pair of forwards for whom the Penguins fanbase has built little attachment with. However, both Lizotte and Dewar have shown promise in smaller roles with the team in their short time in Pittsburgh. Lizotte, 27, scored 11 goals and 20 points through 59 games in a 4th line role with the team last season. He’s capable of playing on the penalty kill while pitching in some offence and speed. Dewar, 26, scored four goals and seven points through 17 games with the Penguins last season. He likes to hit hard and brings a ton of penalty killing ability to the squad as well. Expect the Penguins to retain Lizotte and Dewar as consistent, reliable bottom-six depth for the organization during a period where turnover will be abundant.
The Depth Pile
While General Manager Kyle Dubas would love to get a return on investment for every contract in the organization, this section is for the players that are neither. Instead, they fill valuable minutes in the NHL while the Penguins’ young prospects play in leagues like the AHL, honing their craft. Kevin Hayes is the headliner of this section. The 33-year-old centre is a far cry from the top-six star he was back in his peak. Nowadays, Hayes contributes more as a veteran in the bottom-six. While this kind of player usually has some kind of value, Hayes managed just 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games last season. The veteran has slowed down by a considerable margin, and is unlikely to be brought back by the Penguins following this contract.
Similarly, depth defenceman Matt Dumba and Ryan Shea find themselves in a similar spot. Dumba, formerly a 50-point offensive defenceman, has seen a sharp decline in his perfomance recently. In his first season with Dallas in 2024-25, Dumba produced an abysmal one goal and ten points through 63 games. Ryan Shea, meanwhile, is a fringe-NHL level defenceman that played in 39 games last season. He scored two goals and five points while struggling defensively. With prospects like Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke set to appear over the next few seasons, it is unlikly either Dumba or Shea are retained past this season.
The Trade Pile
Finally, the trade pile is the most interesting at this point of the rebuild. Kyle Dubas has shown that younger players and draft picks are a priority for the organization. These contracts are all likely to be moved out throughout the season to acquire these picks and prospects. On the lower-end of this list are depth players Noel Acciari and Connor Clifton. Acciari is a defensively stout 33-year-old winger. Scoring five goals and 12 points last season, Acciari is a fantastic bottom-six option for a team needing reliability. Connor Clifton meanwhile, fell from grace in Buffalo, being dumped to the Penguins in a trade for Conor Timmins. Clifton has shown the capability of playing top-four minutes, but his progression stagnated playing with the Sabres. With an added focus in Pittsburgh, Clifton could raise his value enough to get sold off at the deadline.
The two bigger free agents that are likely to be moved out this season are Anthony Mantha and Danton Heinen. Playing on his fifth NHL team, Mantha has had a rollercoaster of a career. The former 20th overall pick in the 2013 draft has scored 10+ goals in six NHL seasons. However, an injury-laden 2024-25 season meant he could only produce four goals and seven points in 13 games with the Calgary Flames. Mantha possesses the skill to score 20+ goals alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, and could bring in a haul at the deadline. Danton Heinen meanwhile, is more of a swiss-army knife. He’s your prototypical third-line forward capable of sliding up and down in the lineup. He scored nine goals and 29 points through 79 games last season. Expect Heinen to get moved for a mid-round pick deal, similar to Lars Eller last season.
A Season of Turnover
With nearly half the NHL-roster coming into the season as unrestricted free agents, the Penguins have a ton of decisions to make going forward. Players like Evgeni Malkin, Danton Heinen and Anthony Mantha will be interesting names to watch as the organization undergoes significant upheaval in its efforts to rebuild into a championship-winning roster.
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