The Pittsburgh Penguins have already done plenty of reshaping this offseason, but the roster picture for 2026-27 still isn’t fully settled. General manager Kyle Dubas has been active from the 2026 Draft through the first wave of free agency, and the result is a group that looks deeper, more crowded, and still subject to a few more twists before opening night.
Dubas came out of the draft with six picks: RW Liam Ruck at No. 22, C Markus Ruck at No.
39, LHD Tomas Galvas at No. 54, LW Pierce Mbuyi at No.
86, RHD Parker Von Richter at No. 111 and G Matvei Nikonovich at No. 160.
He also added a batch of veterans and retained some key pieces, including LW Andrei Kuzmenko on a two-year, $5 million deal, RHD Trevor van Riemsdyk on a two-year, $8 million contract and LHD Declan Carlile on a two-year, $3 million deal.
The Penguins also re-signed G Joel Blomqvist for two years and $1.75 million, G Arturs Silovs for one year and $2.8 million, and Egor Chinakhov for three years and $18.75 million. On the trade front, they brought in LW Nick Robertson from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2028 third-round pick, acquired RHD Kaeden Korczak from the Vegas Golden Knights for defenseman Parker Wotherspoon with 50% retained, landed C David Gustafsson from the Winnipeg Jets for RHD Jack St. Ivany, and got C Hendrix Lapierre from the Washington Capitals for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick via San Jose.
Up front, the biggest issue is not a lack of talent but a lack of room. Bryan Rust, Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell still look locked in on the top line, and the Penguins have reason to keep Egor Chinakhov with Evgeni Malkin after the two showed strong chemistry following Malkin’s arrival from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The real debate in the top six is the 2C spot, where Ben Kindel and Tommy Novak are both in the mix. Kindel’s playmaking fits better between two wingers who can work off him, while Novak looks more natural as a third-line center.
The projected fourth line is less certain. Justin Brazeau started well after joining the Penguins last season, but injuries and a healthy scratch in the Stanley Cup Playoffs left his role unsettled.
Elmer Soderblom, who made the most of his chance after coming over from the Detroit Red Wings last season, is another option for that final wing spot. For now, Brazeau is the placeholder.
Lapierre should also be in the conversation for a lineup spot, which makes the final three forward openings one of the more interesting camp battles on the roster. Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Ville Koivunen and Tristan Broz could all push hard enough to complicate the decisions for Dan Muse and Dubas.
On defense, the Penguins are bringing in at least three new faces. Korczak arrives after Wotherspoon was shipped to Vegas, and while he may not slide into a top-pair role, his defensive game gives him a chance to earn one.
The bigger structural issue remains the left side. Van Riemsdyk is 34 and shouldn’t be asked to carry top-pair minutes next to Erik Karlsson, though his experience gives the Penguins some insurance there.
The second pair of Sam Girard and Kris Letang stays intact for now after logging just under 280 minutes together last season. Behind them, Korczak and Carlile project as a defense-first third pair, with both players also in the mix for penalty-kill work. Carlile averaged just shy of 15 minutes a night with the Tampa Lightning last season and could have to fight nightly for his spot if a prospect or another defenseman outplays him.
That brings the young defensemen into the picture, and it’s not an easy path for them. Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke may have to wait unless more moves come before the season starts.
The Penguins’ blue line may not be built to overwhelm teams offensively beyond Karlsson, but it does have a solid, defense-minded feel. Even so, there’s still room for more tinkering.
In goal, Arturs Šilovs looks like the clear No. 1 heading into the season after a mostly solid 2025-26 campaign that still came with some ups and downs. He also played a major role in the Penguins nearly digging out of the hole they were in against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Behind him, the battle is between Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist for the backup job, and Murashov appears to have the edge after his AHL season and the limited NHL time he handled well.
If Šilovs stumbles early in 2026-27, Murashov could get a longer look and potentially force his way into the No. 1 conversation. That makes the crease one of the most important storylines on the roster.
Even with the heavy lifting already done, the Penguins are not finished. Dubas and the front office still have to figure out how to fit the younger players into a roster that has picked up more veterans and more competition at nearly every position. More moves may not come until closer to the regular season, but the opening-night picture is already taking shape.
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