The Penguins’ first 14 games have left them in a rough spot, and the numbers tell the story: 12 points, a losing path, and a season that already feels like it’s slipping away. That’s a sharp turn from where Pittsburgh sat in the standings at this point last year, and if the slide keeps going, trades could be coming in the weeks ahead.
A lot of this mess traces back to the roster build. Kyle Dubas loaded the team with forwards and left the defense uneven, hoping the extra bodies would create a spark. Instead, the Penguins are stuck with a crowded lineup up front, young players unable to crack in, and veterans not producing enough to make the squeeze worthwhile.
There have been a few bright spots, though not nearly enough to change the overall picture.
Arturs Silovs has been one of them. He hasn’t been dominant, but he has kept Pittsburgh in games and has pushed himself into the conversation for the starting job.
With Sergei Murashov drawing plenty of hype before the season, plenty of people expected Silovs to lose ground quickly. Instead, he’s built momentum and could be in line to hold onto the top spot in net for a while if this continues.
Kaden Korczak has also quietly helped stabilize things. He doesn’t bring flash, but he has settled in well since arriving from Vegas in the offseason and has become one of the team’s more dependable defenders. The offense won’t be there, but Pittsburgh can live with that if he keeps handling tough minutes.
Evgeni Malkin has been another clear winner in the early going. Even with some bumps physically, he has outperformed expectations and kept producing. Through 13 games, he has six goals and five assists for 11 points, giving the Penguins one of their steadiest offensive threats.
The list of problems is longer.
Egor Chinakhov has disappeared at the worst possible time. Pittsburgh needed him to build on last season’s breakout, but that hasn’t happened, and his lack of impact has been a major disappointment. If the Penguins are going to salvage any playoff hopes, they need him to find his game.
Rickard Rakell has also gone quiet in a way that hurts both the team and his own market value. He has usually been a reliable scorer during his time in Pittsburgh, but that production has fallen off sharply. With his name circulating in trade talk, the lack of offense makes things even tougher.
Declan Carlile was one of Dubas’ bigger offseason bets, signed with the hope that he could grow into a top-pair role. He has chipped in some goals early, but that’s not what Pittsburgh is paying for. His defensive play has been the weakest part of a blue line that has struggled across the board.
Murashov’s start has been the flip side of Silovs’ rise. The young goalie hasn’t met the hype so far, and while there are plenty of factors outside his control, he hasn’t helped himself either. It’s far too early to label him a bust, but the concern is starting to build if this keeps up.
The biggest organizational issue may be the one blocking the kids from getting in at all. Avery Hayes, Rutger McGroarty, Bill Zonnon, Elmer Soderblom, and others are waiting for chances, but the roster crunch has them stuck on the outside. Dubas created the logjam, especially at forward, and it’s keeping the younger players from showing what they can do at the NHL level.
Dan Muse is left trying to manage all of it. The team isn’t responding the way it did last season, and that’s a serious problem with an aging roster already under pressure. He’s not going anywhere, but the job is getting harder by the day.
In Other News...
Penguins Add To Blue Line Uncertainty Before Tough Road Stretch
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton made another move on its blue line, recalling defenseman David Breazeale from the Florida Everblades as the organization continues to sort through its depth. Breazeale had been with Pittsburghs ECHL affiliate after appearing in four games for Florida this season, and he is no stranger to the Penguins system after spending time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last year.
The timing matters with a tough road stretch coming up, and the recall adds another layer of uncertainty to a defense corps that is already being watched closely. Along with the personnel move, the Penguins also rolled out upcoming game schedules and ticket information, but the bigger question is how this latest shuffle affects the lineup once the team gets back on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Need Answers Fast As Another Lineup Shakeup Hits
The Penguins are back at PPG Paints Arena on a night that already feels like a test case for a team still searching for answers. They enter against the Vegas Golden Knights with a difficult record and another round of lineup uncertainty hanging over them, while Vegas arrives off a shootout loss to the Boston Bruins and dealing with its own recent injury-related changes. Pittsburgh will also unveil its Hometown Remix jerseys, adding a little pageantry to a game that otherwise has plenty of pressure attached to it.
In goal, the Penguins have confirmed Arturs Silovs as the starter, a notable call as they try to steady things in net and stop the skid from getting any deeper. Vegas is expected to go with Adin Hill, leaving both sides to navigate a matchup shaped as much by availability as by form. For Pittsburgh, the bigger issue is whether the latest shakeup can produce a cleaner performance before the standings start to tighten even more. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Lineup Shuffle Just Got More Urgent Before Brutal Stretch
The Penguins depth chart is getting a fresh test just as the schedule starts to tighten up. Kaeden Korczak is day-to-day with an injury, and that has opened the door for defenseman Jake Livanavage to get his first call-up of the season, while Justin Brazeau has been cleared to rejoin the NHL roster after a conditioning stint in the AHL. With Elmer Soderblom still week-to-week and Evgeni Malkin also day-to-day, the margin for error is already shrinking.
Now comes a stretch of four games in six days, the kind of run that can expose every soft spot in a lineup. For Pittsburgh, the timing makes these roster moves feel less like routine shuffling and more like a necessary reset, with the coaching staff likely to keep adjusting as it tries to piece together a workable group through the injuries. [Read more 🡒]