PITTSBURGH - The Jason Robertson chatter around the Penguins isn’t going away anytime soon.
Pittsburgh remains interested in acquiring Robertson, and team sources believe he could fit as both a short-term and long-term piece in president/GM Kyle Dubas’ plan. The Penguins also believe there’s a real chance Robertson would be willing to come to Pittsburgh, and the earlier trade for his brother, Nick Robertson, is not seen as a negative in that pursuit.
For now, though, Dallas still appears to be trying to keep things from reaching that point. Sources inside the Penguins organization believe the Stars are hoping to work out a long-term extension with Robertson, a restricted free agent.
The Penguins, according to those sources, wanted to get talks moving, but Stars GM Jim Nill never allowed them to become serious. Not yet.
Robertson filed for arbitration on Sunday, which takes an offer sheet off the table. That leaves the Stars with the upper hand, and it also means any trade would still require Robertson to be willing to sign wherever he lands. If Dallas does decide to listen, Dubas is expected to be aggressive with an offer for a player he has wanted for a long time.
Dubas, meanwhile, has spent the offseason taking a familiar route. He has been open about wanting a major move and a better draft position, but neither has happened. Even so, there’s no sign he plans to chase a teardown.
A team source said Dubas is again focused on collecting as many “good but cheap” players as possible around Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The idea is straightforward: keep adding NHL-level help until the Penguins can land the truly high-end talent they want. That approach does not point toward tanking, and it also makes it harder to finish low enough to chase a premium draft pick.
One of the clearer examples of that approach is Egor Chinakhov. The 25-year-old forward was always expected to sign a new deal, and both sides found a comfortable fit.
Chinakhov settled in quickly after arriving in a December trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Penguins were pleased with what they got. He and Malkin were both confused by how often they were separated during the first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, and the expectation is that they’ll open the season together in September.
The Penguins also brought back Artūrs Šilovs, and the postseason played a major role in that decision. Before April, there was already a better-than-even chance he would return. After what he did in the playoffs, that became much clearer.
Pittsburgh never planned to keep Stuart Skinner, especially with Sergei Murashov, Joel Blomqvist and Šilovs already in the system. Šilovs’ season had its ups and downs, but the Penguins liked the package: the talent, the person and the fact that he is still so young.
His reputation for big moments carried weight, too, and his playoff work against the Flyers nearly dragged the Penguins back from a 3-0 hole and into Game 7. That was enough to win them over.
Skinner’s exit was different. He was widely loved in the room, and people around the team clearly appreciated his personality. But Pittsburgh simply didn’t view him as the best talent option compared with the goaltenders already under control, and that made the decision easier.
Ryan Shea’s departure followed a different path as well. The Penguins never mounted a real effort to keep the 29-year-old defenseman, and the Edmonton Oilers signed him to a five-year, $20 million deal.
Shea would have stayed in Pittsburgh for that same money, and he was surprised the Penguins didn’t push harder. His preference entering free agency was to remain with the team.
It became apparent about a week before July 1 that he would end up elsewhere.
As for development camp, it’s dangerous to read too much into what happened there. Last year, plenty of observers came away thinking Ben Kindel’s skating wouldn’t be good enough for the NHL and that he was still years away from helping Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse. That turned out to be a bad read.
Still, there was real buzz around the twin draft picks Liam and Markus Ruck. Their skill stood out during camp, and while neither is close to NHL-ready, the organization has liked what it has seen.
Another name that drew attention was 2025 fifth-round pick Ryan Miller. The 19-year-old forward, listed at 6 feet and 181 pounds, impressed both observers and a couple of Penguins sources during camp.
He isn’t a big player, but his skating stood out. Training camp figures to bring more attention his way.
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