Kyle Dubas spent the summer chasing bigger swings, but the market kept shutting the door.
The Penguins GM reportedly made a real push for Stars RFA sniper Jason Robertson, and he also tried to maneuver during the Entry Draft, likely looking for more leverage to strike other deals. He did land Nicholas Robertson in a swap with Toronto, but the larger plan never fully came together.
A third piece of that plan - bringing in young talent from other teams that might be ready for a change of scenery - mostly stalled out. Unless you want to count former Cap Hendrix Lapierre.
Per Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now, the trade landscape changed under Dubas. Prices climbed, the returns thinned out, and that knocked the Penguins off their original path.
Still, there may be one more opportunity before the off-season runs out.
About 185 miles west of Pittsburgh, Adam Fantilli is in a messy spot with Columbus. The young center remains unsigned, and by all accounts he’s not thrilled with what Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell is putting on the table. Fantilli is rumored to want something in the neighborhood of $15 million per season - Connor Bedard-type money - while Puckpedia lists Columbus with $12.6 million in cap space.
Fantilli’s case is easy to understand. He was taken third overall in the 2023 draft, two spots after Bedard, after starring at the University of Michigan and playing alongside Rutger McGroarty.
In 213 regular-season games since entering the league as a 19-year-old rookie, he’s put up 67 goals and 140 points, which works out to about 54 points per 82 games. He also had a 31-goal season in 2024-25.
The tools are obvious, too. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he’s big, durable and a strong skater with a high motor, excellent puck skills and a booming shot.
Most of all, he looks like a first-line center. And with Sidney Crosby approaching his dotage?
The fit is obvious.
Fantilli is an RFA and therefore offer-sheet eligible, but that route would come at a massive price: the next four first-round picks.
That’s a steep bill.
PP colleague Caleb DiNatale, who first raised the idea of pursuing Fantilli and helped spark this discussion, would rather see the Penguins go the trade route.
“What would it cost us?” I asked.
At minimum, Caleb figures Pittsburgh would need to send out two real prospects and a first-round pick. He pointed specifically to one of two young power forwards, Bill Zonnon or Will Horcoff, plus McGroarty.
Cap space would still be an issue. The Penguins have $10.9 million available, which means a Fantilli deal would likely require moving money out, with Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust as the obvious names.
Would it be worth the trouble?
Yes.
Would it actually happen?
Maybe not. Dubas and Waddell already worked together on last season’s Egor Chinakhov trade, and that deal worked out extremely well for the Penguins. So there is at least a track record there.
But in this case, the odds still feel long.
As a friend likes to say, “You just never know.”
And while the big-league wheels keep turning, the Penguins’ youngsters beat Columbus’ kids 2-1 in a shootout Sunday afternoon at the Prospects Tournament in Detroit. Brayden Edwards, who split last season between the Baby Pens and Nailers, scored the regulation goal. Tomas Galvas and Pierce Mbuyi finished the job in the shootout.
In Other News...
Tomas Galvas Is Giving Penguins Fans A Real Reason To Wonder
Tomas Galvas made himself hard to ignore at the 2026 Prospects Tournament, where the defenseman stood out in Pittsburghs 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. He chipped in a goal and backed it up with strong all-around play, giving the Penguins another young name worth tracking as the tournament continued. Brayden Edwards scored twice, including the game-winner, and Carter Sanderson also found the net as Pittsburgh moved to 2-0.
For the Penguins, the result was one more encouraging checkpoint in a weekend built around evaluation, but Galvas may have done even more than help the scoreboard. His game showed the kind of individual effort and skill that can stick with a scouting staff, especially in a setting where every shift is being watched closely. If Pittsburgh fans were looking for a reason to keep an eye on this group, Galvas gave them one. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Prospect Pushes For Attention At Just The Right Time
A little extra buzz followed the Penguins prospects after a 4-3 win at the Balfour Training Center, and defenseman Tommy Galvas made sure his name was part of the conversation. With Pittsburghs system under close watch and plenty of attention already landing on training camp and trade chatter around the league, performances like this carry a little more weight than a routine summer skate.
The timing matters, too, with rumors circulating that the Penguins could host next years Prospects Tournament. For a young player trying to separate himself, an event like that would offer another chance to show he belongs on a bigger stage, and Galvas standout showing put him in a useful position as the organization continues sorting through camp questions and evaluating where its next wave fits. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Are Counting On These Second-Chance Bets To Deliver
Last season gave the Penguins a few reminders that second-chance bets can pay off, and that is part of why the conversation around this years roster feels so tied to opportunity. General manager Kyle Dubas has leaned into giving ice to players who have flashed promise without fully establishing themselves, and the idea is simple enough: if the performance is already peeking through, the next step may come only with a real chance to run with it.
Nick Robertson, Declan Carlile and Ville Koivunen are among the names that fit that mold heading into the new season. Each arrives with a different path and different expectations, but the common thread is the same, the Penguins want development to turn into production, and there is enough recent evidence in each case to make the bet feel worthwhile. The only question now is which one of them can turn last years glimpse into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]