The Pittsburgh Penguins head into the week of Oct. 11-18, 2026 with a few clear issues staring them in the face: sorting out early chemistry, getting cleaner on special teams, and holding up physically through a demanding road trip.
A lot of the early conversation is centered on line combinations and how the staff is handling the balance between the core and the newcomers. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still the anchors, and the challenge is finding the right way to spread ice time while sliding offseason additions into top-nine roles.
Secondary scoring is a major piece of that puzzle. When the top line runs into the other team’s best matchups, the bottom six has to keep shifts alive and keep the puck moving in the right direction.
There have been encouraging stretches from some of the new faces, especially in the board game and around the crease. Those players are being asked to drive possession, win battles, and create sustained pressure. But the Penguins also know the other side of that equation: turnovers near the opposing blue line have already led to too many odd-man rushes back the other way.
The back end is still settling in as well. Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson are carrying big workloads and continuing to steer the puck up ice, while also handling power-play duties.
Even so, the defensive-zone structure needs sharpening, particularly when opponents start moving the puck across the seam. That part of the game has to tighten up.
Goaltending is under its own early spotlight. High shot volume from dangerous areas has forced the netminders to absorb more than they should have had to this early in the season. Better net-front box-outs and fewer second chances would go a long way toward easing that pressure as the distribution of the workload evens out.
Special teams may end up defining a lot of the week. The power play has no shortage of skill, but the puck movement can still bog down. The fix is straightforward enough: quicker seam passes and more low-to-high shots to create rebounds instead of settling into static perimeter possession.
The penalty kill has its own cleanup work. Clearing the zone more decisively would cut down on extended opponent pressure and spare the top penalty killers from spending too much time trapped in their own end. Discipline matters too, and the Penguins need to avoid unnecessary offensive-zone minors that kill 5-on-5 momentum.
Then there’s the schedule, which is no soft landing. Pittsburgh begins a three-game Western road swing with a trip to Chicago on Tuesday, Oct. 13, before heading to Denver on Friday, Oct. 16, and Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct.
- The stretch offers very different tests: Chicago gives them a chance to set the tone against a retooling team, while the back-to-back stops against the Avalanche and Golden Knights will push depth, stamina, and travel recovery.
Getting four points out of the six available on the trip would count as meaningful progress. That kind of result would require smart line changes at altitude, fewer high-danger chances allowed, and help from scoring depth beyond the top line.
Penguins schedule for the week of Oct. 11-18, 2026:
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026 - Chicago Blackhawks at United Center, 8:00 PM ET
Friday, Oct. 16, 2026 - Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena, 9:00 PM ET
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 - Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena, 10:00 PM ET
In Other News...
Sabres Just Added A New Concern To Their Blue Line Depth
Buffalos blue line depth took another hit with a minor trade on Tuesday, as the Sabres and Penguins swapped organization-level defensemen in a move that could still ripple beyond the AHL roster. Pittsburgh picked up Ryan Johnson, while Buffalo brought in Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch, with all three players currently assigned to minor league teams. For the Penguins, it is a low-risk way to add another young defenseman to the system and see whether Johnson can carve out a path within a different organization.
For Buffalo, the deal closes the book on Johnsons time in the organization after a long run that began when he was drafted in 2019. Jones is the name most likely to matter in the short term, since he is expected to give the Sabres some defensive insurance while injuries continue to test the teams depth. The rest of the move is more about rearranging pieces than making an immediate NHL impact, but it is the kind of transaction that can quietly shape what a team has available when the season starts to wear on. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Head Into Tough Trip With One Big Question Still Unsettled
After a rough start to the week against Winnipeg and Washington, the Penguins steadied themselves enough to pick up three of a possible four points in back-to-back games against Columbus and Dallas. The Dallas showing in particular offered a better snapshot of where the group can be when it is skating with purpose, and now the next test arrives quickly as Pittsburgh opens a difficult road trip in Chicago.
The trip brings the usual lineup and goalie questions into sharper focus, especially with the Penguins trying to keep momentum while making small adjustments around the edges. The Blackhawks have been struggling through a poor season and a low expected goal share, but there is still some uncertainty around whether Connor Bedard will be available Tuesday, leaving Pittsburgh to prepare for more than one version of the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Just Added A Blue Line Piece Worth Watching
Pittsburgh continued its blue line shuffle by bringing in Ryan Johnson from Buffalo, a move that adds another young defenseman to the mix as the Penguins keep sorting out their depth on the back end. Johnson has spent parts of four professional seasons working between the NHL, the AHL and college hockey, and his background gives the Penguins a player with some mileage but still room to grow.
For a team that has been looking for useful pieces on defense, Johnson arrives with a manageable cap hit and some runway left on his contract. The question now is how quickly he can carve out a role in Pittsburgh after getting a longer look in Buffalo, where he logged 47 NHL games before this change of scenery. [Read more 🡒]