The Penguins don’t enter 2026-27 with sky-high expectations, but they’re not exactly starting from scratch either. After a 98-point season and a playoff berth, Pittsburgh has at least shown it can outrun the rebuild label. The question now is whether it can do it again with Sidney Crosby and the veteran core another year older and already showing signs of slowing down.
There’s still room for general manager Kyle Dubas to work this offseason, and there’s still cap space to use. But even before any more moves are made, a few wild card pieces could end up steering the season.
One of the clearest changes is on defense, where the Penguins brought in Kaedan Korczak from the Vegas Golden Knights on June 30 in exchange for Parker Wotherspoon. Korczak is 25 and under contract through the 2029-30 season, making him the longest signed player currently on the cap sheet.
He isn’t being asked to carry a blue line, but he does the dirty work Pittsburgh needs: breaking up plays in his own zone, winning puck battles, and handling his minutes responsibly. Last season, he played 78 games, scored three goals and added 13 assists.
His role was sheltered in Vegas, yet he still got the job done.
That trade also fits the direction Dubas keeps pointing the franchise toward. Wotherspoon was useful, but he had only one year left on his deal and would have been 30 by the time he needed a new one.
Korczak gives the Penguins a younger option they can actually grow with, even if he’s more depth piece than headline act right now. Over time, he could climb into a bigger role as more of the defense corps moves deeper into the final years of its contracts.
Then there’s Egor Chinakhov, who might be the most intriguing swing factor of all. He arrived in Pittsburgh in December 2025 and wasted no time becoming one of the team’s most valuable players down the stretch.
In his first 20 games with the Penguins, he scored nine goals. Over 43 games in Pittsburgh, he finished with 18 goals and 18 assists, and his speed plus his shot gave the team a real weapon.
Chinakhov’s impact showed up when Pittsburgh needed it most. He helped the Penguins get through a key March stretch without Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for long periods.
On July 5, he signed a three-year deal worth $18.75 million, and now Pittsburgh gets to see what he looks like over a full season. He’s more than just a finisher, too.
He can skate, handle the puck, and create for others. That combination makes him a player who could swing games in 2026-27.
Ben Kindel is another name that belongs in the conversation. The Penguins took him 11th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, and at 18, he was clearly viewed as a long-term piece.
What nobody saw coming was the kind of rookie season he put together. Kindel scored 17 goals in 77 games, flashed a strong wrist shot, and showed he can move the puck as a passer.
He’s still developing, but he now has a full NHL season and six playoff games behind him. If he takes another step, Pittsburgh’s chances of getting back to the postseason get a lot better.
The bigger picture is pretty simple: the Penguins still have talent, still have some holes, and still have time to address them. They aren’t built to chase a Cup next season. But if these wild cards hit, they can stay in the mix and remain competitive again.
In Other News...
Penguins Could Have Another Ducks Deal Fans Will Definitely Debate
The Penguins have made a habit of turning salary-cap room into future assets, and that approach has become one of the more recognizable parts of Kyle Dubas roster-building playbook. Instead of sitting on unused space, Pittsburgh has been willing to help other clubs solve their cap problems if it means adding draft capital, even when the deal is more about bookkeeping than immediate help on the ice.
Anaheim now looks like the kind of team that could fit that pattern, with enough pressure on its books to at least make the idea worth discussing. If the Ducks decide they need relief, Pittsburgh could be the kind of partner that takes on a contract and asks for a sweetener in return, and the debate for Penguins fans would be whether another future pick is worth absorbing that kind of money. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins May Have Found A Goalie Prospect Worth Watching Closely
The Penguins added a goalie prospect worth a closer look in Matvei Nikonovich, the Minsk-born netminder they took in the fifth round of the 2026 NHL Draft. At 160th overall, he was not the kind of pick that turns heads immediately, but his recent work in the Rus-MHL with Tolyatti Ladia gave the organization a reason to pay attention.
Nikonovichs numbers last season were strong enough to stand out, and his development now comes with a layer of uncertainty because of what happens next in Russia. He could remain overseas for a while before the Penguins even begin thinking about bringing him to their North American pipeline, which makes him one of those late-round goalie bets that can take patience before the payoff comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins May Have Found A Trade Fit For Life After Crosby And Malkin
As the Penguins keep sorting out what life will look like after Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, one recent trade idea points them toward a younger center with some offensive upside. A Daily Faceoff piece from Mike Gould named Pittsburgh as a possible destination for a Seattle forward who could help bridge that gap, the kind of move that would fit a team trying to stay competitive while also thinking a step ahead.
The appeal is obvious enough: the Penguins need more long-term help down the middle, and this player has already shown he can contribute at the NHL level. He put up 12 goals and 27 points in 74 games last season, and after a stronger scoring year before that, he looks like the sort of upside swing that could make sense for a club trying to balance the present with whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]