Last Word on Hockey’s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2025-26 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins.
2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins
2024-25 Season
Last season was another year to forget for the Penguins, who were looking to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, Pittsburgh missed the postseason for the third consecutive campaign. The Penguins had high hopes, but came up empty. A six-game losing streak in October put the team behind the eight ball early. Pittsburgh did rally after American Thanksgiving, but it quickly faded from the race.
The 2023 off-season was filled with sweeping moves like acquiring Erik Karlsson and Reilly Smith. However, the past two summer periods have been a lot less active. The Penguins then became sellers at the deadline in dealing Anthony Beauvillier, Michael Bunting, and others.
2025 Off-Season for the Pittsburgh Penguins
General manager Kyle Dubas made an expected change in firing Mike Sullivan, who took a job with the rival New York Rangers. Dubas decided to give respected assistant Dan Muse a shot at becoming an NHL head coach.
The Penguins had plenty of roster churn with Mathew Dumba as one of their more high-profile pickups. Pittsburgh also added Arturs Silovs, Anthony Mantha, Connor Clifton, Justin Brazeau, and Parker Wotherspoon, among others. Players like Matt Grzelcyk, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph were some of the names that made their way out of the Steel City.
Lineup Projections
Forwards
Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby–Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha-Evgeni Malkin–Ville Koivunen
Danton Heinen-Tommy Novak-Philip Tomasino
Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Justin Brazeau
Extras: Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Robby Fabbri (PTO); Rutger McGroarty; Noel Acciari
The Top Six
Crosby continues to be one of the best players in the world despite his advancing age. He’s seemingly been renewed with a chance at winning another Olympic gold for Team Canada. Rakell and Rust have both been the subject of trade chatter. However, neither was moved at the trade deadline. Despite their struggles in the standings, the Pens were actually sixth in power-play percentage with a 25.8 percent success rate.
Malkin had one of his worst seasons in his career. He registered just 50 points, and this could be his last season in Pittsburgh. Mantha had his season cut short last year with the Calgary Flames, but could provide 20-plus goals if he can stay on the ice. Koivunen has played well at the AHL level and averaged nearly a point per game. He could get some top-six minutes and get a chance to play with a legend like Malkin.
The Bottom Six
Novak and Tomasino have familiarity with each other from the Nashville Predators. Both have shown flashes of brilliance at times, but are looking for a fresh start in Pittsburgh. Heinen is a dependable forward and does whatever is asked of him.
Dewar comes over from the Toronto Maple Leafs and is looking to become a productive member of the bottom six. Lizotte has been a bright spot for the Penguins after signing from the Los Angeles Kings last offseason. He totalled 11 goals after missing the early part of the season due to a concussion. Brazeau signed as a free agent from the Minnesota Wild and can provide some edge.
McGroarty will miss time due to an upper-body injury and hopes to crack the lineup upon his return. Fabbri is looking to stick after signing a professional tryout. Harvey-Pinard is also hoping to get a spot after coming over from the Montreal Canadiens. Acciari is also injured and will figure into the lineup.
Defensive Pairings
Ryan Shea-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves-Kris Letang
Parker Wotherspoon-Connor Clifton
Extras: Matthew Dumba, Jack St. Ivany, Harrison Brunicke
Top Four
The Penguins’ defence is patchwork to say the least. Karlsson will continue to carry the water on defence and eat up the most minutes. He’ll be on the ice in many situations. The young Shea might be an odd choice to get a spot on the top pair. However, he seems to be a good contrast to the flashy Karlsson. Shea keeps it simple on the ice, and that could give him a chance to get quality minutes.
Letang was injured, but also showed some regression at the age of 37. Graves has also struggled and could be moved throughout the lineup. We could also see Wotherspoon and Clifton get chances in the top four.
Bottom Pairing
Karlsson and Letang are certainties in the defensive lineup. However, the rest gets really murky and putting together this lineup projection was a frustrating exercise. We could see any number of combinations with Dumba, St Ivany and Brunicke projected to get some ice time.
Goalies
Arturs Silovs
Extras: Joel Blomqvist, Sergei Murashov
Jarry and the rest of the goaltending group struggled mightily last season. Pittsburgh had an .891 save percentage as a team. This includes Jarry letting a goal in on the first shot a staggering six times in his first 22 games. Jarry was waived and demoted to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He did rebound after returning to the team in March.
Silovs is coming off backstopping the Abbotsford Canucks to the Calder Cup. He hopes to find some consistency after having issues at the NHL level. Blomqvist and Murashov are honing their skills in the AHL and will be itching for an opportunity.
Players to Watch
Sidney Crosby
We’ve seen the trade chatter around number 87 when it comes to his future. Crosby has been mum about things, but the noise will only keep growing if the Penguins sink out of contention. Could the unthinkable happen, and we see Crosby in a different sweater?
Evgeni Malkin
It was a season to forget for the three-time Stanley Cup champion. The talk has been that this could be the last dance for the Russian in Pittsburgh. However, we could also see the drumbeat in the same way about Malkin’s future as it is with Crosby.
Tristan Jarry
Pittsburgh’s goaltending was a big problem last season and Jarry’s early-season issues were a part of it. Jarry hasn’t been himself after he burst onto the scene. However, he’s shown that he can carry big minutes in between the pipes. Is it possible he could be on the trade block?
Prediction for the 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins
This isn’t the team that was hoping to return to the postseason. We’ve seen other outlets think the 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins are going to finish near the bottom of the league. The teams in the Atlantic Division are talented and are likely better equipped to make the playoffs. This means the Penguins’ margin for error will be a tight one.
We could see a very different Penguins team at the end of the season if Dubas decides to hit the reset button. This could be the beginning of a new era for the 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins.
Main photo by: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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