With the season still young, a first look at the ex-Penguins ledger already has a few familiar names near the top and a few surprises sprinkled through the rest of the board.
Leading the way is Lightning winger Jake Guentzel, who has put up seven goals and 12 points in 11 games. That’s a 1.08 points-per-game pace since he left the ‘Burgh in 2024, and it stands as a reminder that the former third-round pick was never just a product of Sidney Crosby’s setup.
If Guentzel is exactly where you’d expect him to be, Frederick Gaudreau is not. The Kraken forward has collected six goals and eight points in 12 games, a stronger start than most would have penciled in.
Gaudreau has had productive stretches before - including 44 points for the Wild in ’21-22 - but this run still qualifies as a surprise. As the writer noted, “I’ve always liked Freddy and wish we would’ve re-signed him when his hitch was up.
Simply put, he’s a gamer, not to mention good in the clutch.”
Another fast start has come from Hurricanes center Mark Jankowski, who has six goals in 10 games. It’s easy to overlook, but he was once a first-round pick and scored 17 goals as an NHL rookie with the Flames.
The rest of the story, though, belongs to the ones who moved on this summer.
Anthony Mantha leads that group with the Devils, posting three goals and five points, even if he’s nowhere near last season’s 31-goal pace. Right behind him on four points apiece are defensemen Ryan Shea, now with the Oilers, and Brett Kulak, who’s with the Avs. The appreciation for both is clear, even if it doesn’t fit a rebuild.
One of the more interesting move-on move-backs involved Filip Hallander. The author wasn’t happy when Kyle Dubas dealt him to the Alberta oil fields earlier this month for Spencer Stastney, but the early returns have flipped the script.
Hallander has no points and a minus-2 in six games with Edmonton, while Stastney has been a welcome development for the Penguins. The verdict: “Looks like I was wrong (wrong, wrong) about that one.”
Noel Acciari hasn’t had the same kind of success with the Flyers that he had alongside Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar, with one goal in 14 games. Parker Wotherspoon also stumbled out of the gate with Vegas at minus-6 in six games before landing on IR.
Connor Clifton, now with the Bruins, and Jack St. Ivany, with the Jets, are working depth roles much the way they did early last season.
There have been a few other notable turns. Bokondji Imama has dressed for every Florida game so far and sits ninth in the league in hits per 60 minutes. Stuart Skinner has handled the goaltending job for the Jets after the recently traded Connor Hellebuyck, and he’s posted a 2.60 GAA and .911 save percentage.
A handful of later call-outs round out the update. Vincent Desharnais, after a short stop in Pittsburgh, found his footing with the Sharks and is now a plus-9 with the Caps after being a sought-after name this summer. Olli Maatta, meanwhile, keeps doing what he’s always done: steady, no-frills work no matter where he lands.
And one more note from the list: Filip Gustavsson has been on IR all season for the Wild because of a hip injury.
That’s the latest ex-Penguins snapshot.
In Other News...
Sidney Crosby Sent A Clear Message About What Penguins Still Lack
Sidney Crosby was the first Penguins skater on the ice for practice, using the extra time after a recent overtime loss to work on his skills before the full team session began. It was a small detail, but a telling one for a club still searching for steadier footing. Crosby spoke about wanting more consistency and about the need to sharpen his game from night to night, a familiar message from a captain who knows Pittsburgh cannot afford too many uneven stretches.
The Penguins then kept the same lines and pairings in practice as they turned the page toward their next game in Montreal, a sign the coaching staff is not rushing into changes just yet. There was also another notable skater on the ice before practice, adding to the sense that this was a day built around fine-tuning rather than overhaul. For a team trying to turn close losses into points, the bigger question is whether the current mix can provide the consistency Crosby is pushing for. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Already Have A Goalie Dilemma They Can't Ignore
The Penguins are already navigating a goaltending balance that could shape the early part of the 2026-27 season, with Arturs Silovs emerging as the steadier option while Sergei Murashov waits for a clearer opening. Pittsburgh is trying to sort out how to handle two young netminders who both need development time, but who also cant both get the kind of workload they want if the team keeps leaning on one more than the other.
Coach Dan Muse has made it clear the usage will stay fluid, with decisions tied to performance and development needs rather than a fixed rotation. For the Penguins, that creates an immediate test of patience and timing, because the organization wants to find the right long-term answer in net without letting either goalie sit too long or lose momentum in the process. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Prospects Let A Winnable Game Slip Away Late
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had a game in hand against Utica and let it slip away late, falling 4-3 after building a lead and then watching the Comets reel off three straight goals. Melvin Fernstrm and Avery Hayes supplied the offense for Pittsburghs affiliate, while both goaltenders, David Rittich and Joel Blomqvist, finished with 20 saves in a contest that looked winnable for much of the night.
Hayes was a bright spot beyond the score sheet, scoring shorthanded and continuing a strong run of form for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. For a prospect group that needs to bank points and learn how to close out tight games, the finish was a frustrating one, especially after the Penguins had put themselves in position to leave with a result. [Read more 🡒]