The Pittsburgh Penguins are entering the 2025-26 NHL season in a position fans haven’t seen in a long time. After missing the playoffs three years in a row and watching their roster get older, the Penguins are finally making changes. But this doesn’t mean the team is without talent for the upcoming season.
Sidney Crosby, who is entering his 21st season as a Penguin, is still producing as a top player. He led the Penguins with 91 points last season and continues to set the standard every night.
Evgeni Malkin is entering possibly his final NHL season, along with Kris Letang, who is also nearing the end of his career. And with forwards like Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell hearing their names mentioned in trade rumors, this team could look very different by the trade deadline in March.
Over the summer, Pittsburgh parted ways with former head coach Mike Sullivan. Then, the Penguins hired Dan Muse to take over as head coach after working as assistant head coach for the Nashville Predators from 2017 to 2020 and, more recently, with the New York Rangers from 2023 to 2025.
This will be Muse’s first time as a head coach in the NHL. Muse is joined by former Penguins center and two-time Stanley Cup winner Nick Bonino as an assistant coach.
The biggest key to a successful season isn’t about Crosby or Malkin, but the young players such as forwards Ben Kindel and Bill Zonnon. These two players were selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL draft by the Penguins. Forward Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen and defenseman Owen Pickering are also key pieces to this team.
And there is no better coach to help with player development than Dan Muse, who has years of experience with college and junior hockey players. This season, fans will get a chance to better look at what the next generation of Penguins might look like.
The biggest concerns for Pittsburgh this season are defense and goaltending. Last season, the Penguins allowed an average of 3.50 goals per game, which was one of the worst in the league. Goaltender Tristan Jarry needs a major bounce-back from previous seasons. He struggled a lot last year, even getting sent to the minors twice.
It’s hard to see a clear path to the playoffs for the Penguins. Most likely, the Penguins will finish near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and maybe the entire Eastern Conference. Some people even consider them one of the teams to get the top pick in the 2026 Draft — forward Gavin McKenna, who plays for Penn State.
This season is likely not going to include a lot of wins for the Penguins. But the Penguins are finally committing to a new direction. As sad as it is to watch Crosby, Malkin and Letang near the end, it’s also a chance to start anew.
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