The Penguins are walking into 2026-27 with a tougher road ahead than the one they traveled last season. Pittsburgh finished second in the Metropolitan Division and got back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022, but that run came in a division that was not very competitive. This summer changed the picture, with teams like the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers busy improving their rosters.
If Pittsburgh wants another postseason trip, it needs more than steady play from the veterans. It needs real jumps from a few players who can tilt games. Three names stand out: Elmer Soderblom, Nicholas Robertson and Sergei Murashov.
Soderblom arrived from the Detroit Red Wings on March 6 and immediately gave the Penguins something different. In 20 games, he put up five goals and five assists, and the first thing anyone notices is the frame - 6-foot-8 and 252 pounds.
But he is not just a giant parked in front of the net. He has speed, skill, a high hockey IQ, and he is very good at going to the corners and getting in on the forecheck.
That short sample was enough to show Pittsburgh he could help. He looked good down the stretch and scored one goal during the Penguins’ six-game playoff run against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Now the bigger question is where he lands in the lineup. Most of his ice time last season came on the fourth line with Noel Acciari while Blake Lizotte was injured.
Acciari signed with the Flyers at the start of free agency, which leaves an opening. If Soderblom claims that fourth-line role, the Penguins will want the same things from him every night: hard forechecking and size that can clear the net front.
Robertson is a different kind of bet, but the logic is similar. Pittsburgh acquired Nicholas Robertson, brother of Dallas Stars Jason Robertson, from the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1 and signed him to a two-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $3.25 million.
Last season, he hit career highs with 16 goals and 16 assists. Even with limited minutes throughout his NHL career, all with Toronto, he has still found a way to produce.
He brings a physical edge and a strong 5-on-5 game.
The contract says plenty about what Kyle Dubas thinks of him. It points to a top-nine role, and at 24 years old, Robertson fits the profile of a player who could grow quickly in this setup. If he reaches 20 goals this season, he would give Pittsburgh a needed offensive boost and could put himself in line for a contract extension as early as next summer.
Then there is Murashov, whose leap would matter in a different way. Sergei Murashov spent most of last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL, where he ranked third in the league in goals-against average (GAA) and save percentage (SV%).
He made his NHL debut in November 2025 and appeared in five games. This season, he is expected to share the goaltending picture with Arturs Silovs, who signed a one-year extension on July 5 and is projected to be the 1A starter.
Murashov has already shown he can handle a high level in the AHL. The question now is whether that carries over to Pittsburgh.
For this to work, he needs to give the Penguins at least above-average goaltending, especially if this becomes his first full NHL season. That kind of stability in net could end up being the difference between another playoff berth and falling short.
The Penguins set a high bar for themselves after overachieving last season, and the pressure now is on them to back it up. Dubas has kept the veteran core and young talent blended together, and that approach worked last season.
But no one locks in a playoff spot in October. A bad start can still sink a team, and Pittsburgh will need to come out strong if it wants to be taken seriously again.
In Other News...
Sidney Crosbys Old Penguins Deal Looks Different After Agents Admission
Sidney Crosbys old Penguins contract has taken on a new light after agent Pat Brisson opened up about how the deal came together. The 12-year agreement carrying an $8.7 million cap hit was built to bring the average annual value down, and it now reads very differently in an NHL landscape where younger stars are landing much bigger cap numbers as salaries keep climbing.
Brisson said the structure reflected real uncertainty around Crosbys future at the time, which helps explain why the deal was arranged the way it was. With the market moving and Crosby still producing at a high level, the next question is whether he and his camp will revisit his compensation soon, especially as other top players continue to reset the price of elite talent. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Trade Leverage Could Shift Fast Around Rust Or Rakell
The Penguins have already done the part that often starts the trade rumor mill: they listened. According to Josh Yohe, Pittsburgh at least explored the market for Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, but the offers on the table never reached the point where a deal made sense. For a team trying to balance present value with future flexibility, that matters, because both players still carry the kind of reputation that can draw real interest if the timing and the price line up.
Toronto may be the club worth watching if this conversation heats back up. Brad Treliving has been linked to the idea of one more major swing, and if the Maple Leafs decide they still want to chase a blockbuster, Pittsburgh could find itself back in the middle of it. For now, though, this is less about a finished trade market than a shifting one, with the Penguins waiting to see whether the right bidder eventually shows up. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Still Face One Big Erik Karlsson Problem On Defense
The Penguins head into training camp still trying to sort out the shape of a blue line that looks a lot different than it did a year ago. With several departures from last season and a few new faces in the mix, the opening weeks will be less about polishing details and more about finding the right combinations, especially on a defense that already projects as a potential weak spot.
Erik Karlsson is the biggest piece of that puzzle, and he needs a new partner after the changes around him reshuffled the depth chart. Trevor van Riemsdyk is part of the conversation, while Declan Carlile has also been pushed into the mix as the team looks for someone who can give Karlsson a workable fit. The answer is not obvious yet, which is why the Penguins still have plenty to figure out before camp settles anything down. [Read more 🡒]