The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading toward the 2026-27 season with a mix of momentum and warning signs, and both sides of the argument start with what Kyle Dubas pulled off last year.
The optimism case is easy enough to see. Dubas, along with assistant GM Jason Spezza and vice president of player personnel Wes Clark, kept finding useful pieces when the expectations were modest.
Ben Kindel, just 18, adjusted faster than anyone might have predicted. Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea gave the Penguins more than previous teams had expected.
Anthony Mantha found the kind of high-end production that had eluded him elsewhere. Egor Chinakhov looked like the talent teams believed they were drafting five years ago.
And the list goes on.
That success is a big reason fans are looking at this roster and wondering if Dubas has another surprise run in him. Justin Brazeau scoring 18 goals and Connor Dewar putting up 16 from a fourth-line role are the kind of outcomes that make a front office look sharp.
Add in new faces like Andrei Kuzmenko, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Nick Robertson and Kaedan Korczak, and there’s at least a case that Dan Muse can coax more out of this group. Muse has already shown he can connect with players and lift them beyond the label they arrived with.
There’s also the prospect side of the picture. Sergei Murashov, Ville Koivunen and others are still close enough to matter, and that plays right into Muse’s strengths. In that sense, the Penguins do have a good coach.
But the reasons for caution are just as clear, and maybe stronger.
The first issue is simple: last season’s breakout performances are hard to repeat. Kuzmenko is not likely to get anywhere near Mantha’s 33 goals.
Van Riemsdyk may be a downgrade from Wotherspoon if he ends up on the left side. Sam Girard and Kris Letang are another question entirely, whether they’re together or apart, because the pairing was negative overall last season.
Letang is 39, and age plus injury is not a friendly combination.
Evgeni Malkin is 40, too. He had 61 points in 56 games last season, and part of that surge came from the chip on his shoulder that fueled him. Whether he can summon that same edge again is far from certain.
Then there’s the division. The Penguins are not walking into the same Metro setup they faced a year ago.
Carolina is fortified and no longer carrying the same playoff baggage. Washington has gotten much better with Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch.
Philadelphia’s rebuild is starting to show through with younger players like Porter Martone, while Travis Sanheim is moving into his prime. New Jersey has a healthy Jack Hughes, a maturing Luke Hughes, and, as the source notes, even GM Sunny Mehta may not know what comes next in terms of trades.
And even the quieter Islanders begin again under Pete DeBoer, whose quick-start reputation is impossible to overlook.
Stack all of that together and the picture gets less flattering fast. The Penguins could see several of last year’s career seasons drift back toward normal, while the competition around them gets tougher. Statistically, this looks a lot more like the transition season last year was supposed to be.
That doesn’t have to make the year feel empty. If anything, it may be the best reason to watch closely.
In Other News...
Penguins Fans Just Got A Full Season Of Must-See Home Dates
The Penguins now have their 2026-27 calendar mapped out, and the early part of it already gives fans a couple of cant-miss dates. The regular season opens Sept. 30, 2026, against the Flyers, while the home opener arrives three nights later against Montreal, setting up an early stretch that should have PPG Paints Arena buzzing right away. Pittsburgh also unveiled its preseason schedule and a promotional giveaway slate that will run through select home games.
Those giveaway nights are the kind of details that tend to matter to the people filling the lower bowl and the upper deck alike, with bobbleheads, calendars and commemorative items among the items lined up for fans. The full schedule release gives a clearer picture of how the season will unfold at home, and it also hints at how the Penguins plan to keep those dates feeling like more than just another night on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Kaedan Korczak Has A Chance To Solve A Penguins Problem Fast
Kaedan Korczak arrives in Pittsburgh with a chance to make an immediate case for a regular role, and the Penguins are clearly betting his game can translate quickly. Acquired in the deal that sent Parker Wotherspoon the other way, the 23-year-old is starting the first season of a four-year contract after logging 78 games last season, where his defensive work stood out more than any flash on offense. That profile fits a Penguins blue line that has been looking for steadier options in its own end.
The early expectation is straightforward: Korczak should be asked to handle defensive minutes first, with penalty-killing work likely in the mix if he earns it. Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza has already pointed to Korczaks upside and his defensive ability, a sign the organization sees more here than just a depth add. For a team that could use answers on the back end, the question now is how fast Korczak can turn that promise into something dependable. [Read more 🡒]
Why The Penguins Still Believe In More From Evgeni Malkin
The Penguins decision to bring Evgeni Malkin back came with the sort of familiar blend of loyalty and expectation that has long defined his place in Pittsburgh. Even as the NHL keeps resetting its salary landscape, highlighted by Cale Makars record-setting deal in Colorado, the Penguins are betting on a veteran center whose value has never been limited to numbers alone.
Malkin remains central to how Pittsburgh sees its next step, both as a proven producer and as a player whose presence can still shape the direction of the lineup. The re-signing also keeps the spotlight on what kind of role he can handle from here, and whether the Penguins believe there is still another level waiting in his game. [Read more 🡒]