The Penguins made the playoffs with a mix of young talent, savvy veterans and reclamation projects. Justin Berl / Getty Images
May 6, 2026Updated 1:57 pm EDT
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are about to begin an uncertain summer.
Coming off a surprise playoff appearance, they are looking to get younger while continuing what could best be described as a methodical rebuild.
Winning while rebuilding is no easy chore for president/general manager Kyle Dubas, who, with a projected $45.8 million in salary-cap space, figures to be busy this offseason.
How does he accomplish that goal? What is he seeing in each of his players? Here’s a rundown of the Penguins’ roster, each player’s contract situation and what they bring to the table.
Sidney Crosby still has some gas in the tank. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Forwards Sidney Crosby
2025-26 season statistics: 29 goals, 45 assists, 74 points in 68 games
Contract status: $8.7 million average annual value through the 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 39
Bottom line: Though hampered by two knee injuries in the second half of the season, Crosby maintained a high level and looks capable of playing a handful more years.
Evgeni Malkin
2025-26 season statistics: 19 goals, 42 assists, 61 points in 56 games
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 40
Bottom line: Malkin enjoyed his finest season in several years, skating at a better level than we’ve seen from him in quite some time while showing that his dazzling playmaking ability remains, even as he nears 40.
Bryan Rust
2025-26 season statistics: 29 goals, 36 assists, 65 points in 72 games
Contract status: $5.125 million AAV through 2027-28 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 34
Bottom line: Rust had another excellent season as a constant on Crosby’s line. Teams consistently ask Dubas about trading for Rust. So far, the answer has been that he isn’t available, except for an exorbitant cost.
Rickard Rakell
2025-26 statistics: 24 goals, 24 assists, 48 points in 60 games
Contract status: $5 million AAV through 2027-28 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 33
Bottom line: Rakell started slow, partially because of an injury, but played some of his finest hockey in a Penguins uniform in the second half while rotating between center and wing. He’s still a very good NHL player. Dubas would move him only for a heavy return.
Egor Chinakhov
2025-26 season statistics: 18 goals, 18 assists, 36 points in 43 games with Penguins
Contract status: Restricted free agent
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 25
Bottom line: Chinakhov struggled in the postseason but was a sensation with the Penguins almost immediately after arriving in late December via a trade from Columbus, where he had just three goals and three assists in 29 games this season. Pittsburgh will give him a new contract and a spot in the top six next season.
Tommy Novak
2025-26 season statistics: 16 goals, 26 assists, 42 points in 82 games
Contract status: $3.5 million AAV through 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 29
Bottom line: Novak is a perfectly solid middle-six player who quickly earned the coaching staff’s trust but went quiet late in the season and in the playoffs. He’s likely to return next season, though that is hardly set in stone.
Anthony Mantha
2025-26 season statistics: 33 goals, 31 assists, 64 points in 81 games
Contract status: UFA
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 32
Bottom line: Mantha enjoyed his best NHL season but has also failed to score a goal in 20 lifetime postseason games. The Penguins aren’t against bringing him back but won’t get into a bidding war. Given the poor free-agent market and the salary-cap spike, there’s a strong chance he’ll sign elsewhere this summer.
Ben Kindel
2025-26 season statistics: 17 goals, 18 assists, 35 points in 77 games
Contract status: $975,000 AAV through 2027-28 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 19
Bottom line: Probably the Penguins’ best rookie since Olli Määttä 12 years ago, Kindel’s future is bright because of his rare hockey IQ and high skill.
Justin Brazeau
2025-26 season statistics: 17 goals, 17 assists, 34 points in 64 games
Contract status: $1.5 million AAV through 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 28
Bottom line: Brazeau was outstanding in the first half of the season and disappointing in the second half. He still brings good value for his salary, but his stunning production in the season’s first two months may have been a mirage.
Elmer Söderblom
2025-26 season statistics: 5 goals, 5 assists, 10 points in 20 games with Penguins
Contract status: $1.125 million AAV through 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 25
Bottom line: Söderblom exceeded expectations upon his deadline-day trade from Detroit, where he had just two goals and an assist in 39 games, and looks to have the inside track on a bottom-six role with the Penguins at the start of next season.
Blake Lizotte
2025-26 season statistics: 7 goals, 12 assists, 19 points in 55 games
Contract status: $2.25 million AAV through 2028-29 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 28
Bottom line: The Penguins were a much better team when Lizotte was healthy, which explains the three-year contract extension he signed in January.
Connor Dewar
2025-26 season statistics: 14 goals, 16 assists, 30 points in 78 games
Contract status: UFA
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 27
Bottom line: Dewar has been a tremendous fit in Pittsburgh, playing well on the fourth line and in the penalty-killing rotation. The Penguins are interested in bringing him back.
Noel Acciari
2025-26 season statistics: 13 goals, 12 assists, 25 points in 67 games
Contract status: UFA
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 34
Bottom line: Acciari had his best season with the Penguins, providing consistent offense in a fourth-line role while killing penalties. He’s unlikely to return because of his age, but he’s earned himself more time in the NHL.
Filip Hållander
2025-26 season statistics: 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points in 13 games
Contract status: $775,000 AAV through 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 26
Bottom line: A blood clot wrecked Hållander’s season, and the Penguins have revealed little about his future. Health permitting, he’s capable of being a regular bottom-six contributor at the NHL level.
Kevin Hayes
2025-26 season statistics: 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points in 28 games
Contract status: UFA
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 34
Bottom line: Hayes was a good soldier during his time in Pittsburgh, but his lack of foot speed made cracking the lineup a challenge. He won’t return to Pittsburgh next season but remains interested in NHL work.
Erik Karlsson had a jaw-dropping return to form in 2025-26. (Claudio Bresciani / Getty Images)
DefensemenErik Karlsson
2025-26 season statistics: 15 goals, 51 assists, 66 points in 75 games
Contract status: $10 million AAV through 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 36
Bottom line: Karlsson flashed his Hall of Fame form in a stunning bounce-back season after two mediocre years in Pittsburgh. He was brilliant all season. The Penguins can keep him for another season, extend him or trade him for a presumably sizable return. Dubas is unlikely to trade him this summer, but all possibilities are in play.
Parker Wotherspoon
2025-26 season statistics: 3 goals, 27 assists, 30 points in 80 games
Contract status: $1 AAV through 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 29
Bottom line: One of the better free-agency finds in recent Penguins history, Wotherspoon was a steady partner for Karlsson and rock-solid all season. He seems like an extension candidate.
Kris Letang
2025-26 season statistics: 3 goals, 31 assists, 34 points in 74 games
Contract status: $6.1 AAV through 2027-28 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 39
Bottom line: Though he found his game in the playoffs, Letang had a poor season and was a defensive liability more nights than not. The Penguins are contractually stuck with him for two more seasons. Because he’s on a 35-plus deal, the only benefit to buying out his contract would be keeping him out of the lineup — there would be no cap relief. This is a tough one for the Penguins. Letang is a franchise legend, but he’s not helping the cause.
Sam Girard
2025-26 season statistics: 0 goals, 7 assists, 7 points in 20 games with Penguins
Contract status: $5 million AAV through 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 28
Bottom line: Girard struggled after arriving from Colorado via trade but showed signs of his value late in the regular season. He was one of the Penguins’ best players in the final three games of their playoff series against Philadelphia. His skating ability was a clear asset. It would be interesting to see him paired with someone other than Letang.
Ryan Shea
2025-26 season statistics: 6 goals, 29 assists, 35 points in 80 games
Contract status: UFA
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 29
Bottom line: Shea is a very reliable third-pairing defenseman who emerged as a real voice in the Penguins locker room. He wants to return, and there is mutual interest. While sound defensive work is his primary asset, he finished with more points than Letang.
Connor Clifton
2025-26 season statistics: 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points in 50 games
Contract status: UFA
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 31
Bottom line: Clifton was by no means a disaster, but he wasn’t what the Penguins were looking for and was benched in the playoffs. He will almost certainly be seeking employment elsewhere.
Ilya Solovyov
2025-26 season statistics: 0 goals, 5 assists, 5 points in 14 games with Penguins
Contract status: UFA (Group 6)
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 26
Bottom line: A sturdy defender who was very well-liked in the locker room, Solovyov did well in limited playoff action. There will be NHL work for him somewhere next season despite his marginal skating ability, and I wouldn’t rule out the Penguins bringing him back.
Jack St. Ivany
2025-26 season statistics: 0 goals, 7 assists, 7 points in 20 games
Contract status: $775,000 through 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 27
Bottom line: He did not perform poorly last season, but St. Ivany’s season was derailed by a broken hand. He’s a nice depth piece who has yet to match his late-2023-24 form.
Jake Livanavage
2025-26 season statistics: 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points in 1 game
Contract status: $975,000 through 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 22
Bottom line: The Penguins recently signed Livanavage out of college and threw him into NHL action in the final game of the regular season. He doesn’t have ideal size, but he’s a gifted skater and will be in the training camp mix for a spot.
Caleb Jones
2025-26 season statistics: 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point in 7 games
Contract status: $900,000 AAV through 2026-27 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 29
Bottom line: Jones’ strong start to the season was evaporated by a broken leg and a 20-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. He remains under contract for another year and provides some depth.
Ryan Graves
2025-26 season statistics: 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point in 22 games
Contract status: $4.5 million AAV through 2028-29 season
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 31
Bottom line: Graves looked a bit better during most of the regular season than he did during his first two campaigns in Pittsburgh, but his signing remains the worst in Penguins history. Three more years are left on his contract.
Stuart Skinner, acquired from Edmonton in the Tristan Jarry trade, was a solid addition to the Penguins’ locker room. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
GoaltendersStuart Skinner
2025-26 season statistics: 12 wins, 9 losses, 5 overtime losses, 2.99 goals-against average, .885 save percentage with Penguins
Contract status: UFA
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 27
Bottom line: Skinner was perfectly solid in Pittsburgh and a very positive force in the locker room. The Penguins are open to his return, but it seems unlikely because of their goaltending depth and other NHL teams’ interest in free agency.
Artūrs Šilovs
2025-26 season statistics: 19 wins, 12 losses, 8 overtime losses, 3.07 GAA, .888 save percentage
Contract status: RFA
Age at start of 2026-27 season: 25
Bottom line: Šilovs impressed in the playoffs. His game still has holes, but he has real talent and figures to platoon with Sergei Murashov in Pittsburgh next season.
May 6, 2026
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