Pittsburgh Penguins 2026-27 Preview: One More Run

Pittsburgh surprised almost everyone in 2025-26, finishing second in the Metropolitan Division and snapping a three-season playoff drought. The front office responded with a sensible offseason: re-signed Evgeni Malkin, added depth up front and on the blue line, and locked up a promising young winger for the long term. Nothing here screams championship, but nothing screams panic either.

Last season in review

The numbers were genuinely encouraging. Pittsburgh went 41-25-16 for 98 points and scored 293 goals, third in the NHL at 3.54 per game. Sidney Crosby led the team with 74 points (29 goals, 45 assists) in 68 games, extending his NHL record of point-per-game seasons to 21. Erik Karlsson posted 66 points (15 goals, 51 assists) in 75 games and finished plus-8, his best plus-minus in nearly a decade. Bryan Rust added 65 points on 29 goals.

The defence and goaltending were shakier. Pittsburgh allowed 268 goals, and the goaltending situation was unsettled all year. Stuart Skinner, acquired in December when Tristan Jarry was sent to Edmonton, was 12-9-5 with a 2.99 goals-against average and .885 save percentage in 27 starts as part of a tandem with Arturs Silovs. The team made the playoffs but lost to Philadelphia in the first round, ending a streak of not winning a series since 2018.

Ins and outs

• In: Andrei Kuzmenko (signed, one-year deal, July 1)
• In: Nicholas Robertson (acquired from Toronto, signed two-year deal, July 14)
• In: Trevor van Riemsdyk (signed, two-year deal, July 1)
• In: Kaedan Korczak (acquired from Vegas, June 30)
• In: Hendrix Lapierre (acquired, per TSN reporting)
• In: Tommy Novak (signed extension, three-year deal beginning 2027-28, Aug. 12)
• In: Ville Koivunen (signed, eight-year, $32 million deal, Aug. 12)
• In: Evgeni Malkin (re-signed, one-year, $5.5 million, May 26)
• In: Arturs Silovs (re-signed, one-year, $2.8 million, July 5)
• In: Brandon Pridham (hired as hockey operations consultant, July 15)
• In: Ron Francis (named special advisor, hockey operations, June 19)
• Out: Anthony Mantha (signed with New Jersey, July 15)
• Out: Stuart Skinner (signed with Winnipeg, July 1)
• Out: Parker Wotherspoon (traded to Vegas, June 30)
• Out: Noel Acciari (signed with Philadelphia, July 1)

The big question

Who actually minds the net? Silovs is the presumptive starter after signing in July, but he posted a 3.07 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage last season, numbers that will not hold up if Pittsburgh wants a deep playoff run. Prospect Sergei Murashov is pressing his case at camp, and the organization clearly sees him as the future. Whether Silovs can hold the job through a full 84-game schedule is the single biggest variable on this roster.

Bold prediction

Pittsburgh makes the playoffs again and wins a first-round series for the first time since 2018, with Crosby and Malkin's final contract seasons providing just enough urgency to push the group past a first-round exit.

The outlook

This is a team built for one more serious push. Crosby is in the final year of his deal and talking extension. Malkin, now 40, signed for one more season and has not ruled out anything beyond it. Karlsson is also in the last year of his contract. Kyle Dubas spent the summer adding depth rather than swinging for a marquee piece, which tells you something about where he sees this roster. Pittsburgh is good enough to compete in the Metro, but the margin for error, especially in goal, is thin. The season opens September 30 in Philadelphia, a reminder of exactly who sent them home last spring.