The Pittsburgh Penguins have reached a point where the conversation is no longer just about championships. It’s about what comes next - and whether the team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups can keep the run going long enough to earn a third straight.
That question hangs over a summer that already figures to be busy for general manager Craig Patrick. He’s preparing for “a long, hot summer of negotiating” with several free agents, while also trying to sort out who will coach the NHL’s most powerful team in 1992-93.
Scott Bowman, the “interim” coach who guided this year’s champions, is one option. So are his assistants.
An outsider is possible too.
Patrick isn’t tipping his hand.
“We haven’t discussed the coaching situation,” he said. “Scotty and I will sit down to talk about it. But there’s no timetable.”
The coaching decision is only part of the challenge. The roster itself could look very different by the time training camp opens. Free agency, possible retirements and the expansion draft could strip away as many as six players from the Cup-winning group.
Among the free agents are Joe Mullen, Bryan Trottier, Phil Bourque, Paul Stanton and Gordie Roberts. Jiri Hrdina is considering retirement. And two players will be taken in the expansion draft by Tampa Bay and Ottawa.
For Pittsburgh, though, the immediate perspective is shaped by what happened last summer. Winning the first Cup did not bring calm.
It brought upheaval. Randy Gilhen was lost in the expansion draft within a week of the championship.
Kevin Stevens, Mark Recchi and Ron Francis, among others, reached free agency in July. Then coach Bob Johnson was diagnosed with brain cancer in August.
This time, the Penguins can at least say the situation can’t get much worse.
They also have the kind of core that makes bold talk feel justified. Stevens didn’t shy away from it after the second title.
“I’ll be the first to say it…the dynasty is here in Pittsburgh,” Stevens said.
There’s a reason that line carries weight. The Penguins are built around a young, electric nucleus: Mario Lemieux is 26, Stevens is 27, Tom Barrasso is 27 and Jaromir Jagr is only 20.
Lemieux remains the game’s greatest player. Stevens finished as the NHL’s second-leading scorer behind him.
Barrasso was the league’s top playoff goaltender. Jagr is already being talked about as a blossoming superstar.
There’s also Markus Naslund, last year’s No. 1 draft pick from Sweden, though he may not play until 1993 because of military commitments. Even so, he’s regarded as a terrific prospect.
Patrick’s job, as always, is to keep the whole thing together. He has already shown he can handle the pressure.
Over the past two seasons, he has managed personalities, made difficult roster decisions and helped build a team that can win in the modern NHL. He traded 100-point scorers for defensive stalwarts, added toughness and character, and came through a difficult offseason last year with the club still standing at the top.
That’s why the Penguins aren’t sounding alarmed now.
“That’s a pretty strong word, dynasty but I like our chances the next few years,” Lemieux said, “I’d say the future is very bright.”
In Other News...
Penguins Rebuild Debate Just Took On Much Bigger Stakes
Around the league, the latest moves and rumors are sharpening the way front offices are being judged, and that matters for a Penguins team still sorting out its own direction. Chicagos decision to lock up Connor Bedard, Minnesotas swing at Dylan Larkin before missing on Vincent Trocheck, and the Rangers search for a top-six forward all underline how differently contenders and retooling clubs are choosing to spend their capital right now.
For Pittsburgh, the bigger question is less about chasing the next splash and more about whether the current rebuild path is being read correctly. There is a Steve Yzerman wrinkle in the way that discussion is being framed, and it suggests the Penguins may be drawing a different lesson from the market than some of their peers, even as speculation around big names like Jason Robertson keeps the rest of the league buzzing. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Dubas Just Doubled Down On A Familiar Penguins Draft Bet
Kyle Dubas latest draft class offered another clear look at the kind of bets he likes to make. Of the Penguins six picks in 2026, four came from the CHL and the other two from Europe, and the early portion of the class leaned heavily toward smaller, skill-driven players rather than adding size for the sake of it. The first four selections all checked in under 6 feet and 170 pounds, a familiar Dubas pattern that values pace, touch and upside over a more traditional frame.
That approach also brought a little extra intrigue to the board, because several of the names Pittsburgh targeted were not the consensus choices many pre-draft rankings had projected in those spots. The Penguins clearly stayed committed to a specific type of player, one built around hockey sense and offensive ability, and the early returns on the class will be judged against whether that philosophy can keep producing value when the rest of the league is looking for something different. [Read more 🡒]