The State of the Penguins Roster After the Start of 2026 NHL Free Agency
The first rush of NHL free agency and trades happened earlier this week, and the Penguins were involved in both additions and departures of many key players. Noel Acciari, a solid two-way center left for Philadelphia, and Ryan Shea left for Edmonton after a very solid defensive campaign from him. Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon was also dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Kaeden Korczak, arguably a less-developed player but younger and with a longer contract. The Penguins worked to fill the gaps left by the departure of Acciari and the likely departure of Anthony Mantha, who is reportedly set to test free agency. The Black and Yellow signed forward Andrei Kuzmenko and traded a fourth-round pick to Toronto in exchange for forward Nicholas Robertson. Kuzmenko has put together many solid campaigns heading into his age-30 season, with his best coming in 22-23. In his rookie year in the NHL, the Russian forward recorded 39 goals, 35 assists, and 74 points through 81 games, all of which are career highs. Robertson, young and raw, gets another chance with the Pens after his name has floated around in trade talks for years.
The Penguins likely aren’t done making moves, as they’ve now loaded themselves up with plenty of puck-moving second or third-line forwards, as well as a multitude of defensemen who have yet to show anything truly special, outside of Erik Karlsson, who had his best season with the Penguins in 25-26. Many Penguins prospects on their AHL affiliate are NHL-ready or working to be, and it feels like a slap in the face to many of them when Pittsburgh signs so many middle-of-the-road forwards. As it stands right now, the first forward line would still be Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust. Both Rust and Rakell have their spots secured right now, and have been expected players in the Steel City for years. There have been multiple trade talks regarding both veteran wingers, enhanced by the trade for Robertson and the signing of Kuzmenko, but as of now, they slide in perfectly alongside the Penguins’ longtime captain. Kuzmenko will likely serve the same role that Mantha did a season ago; the veteran forward signed on a good deal and has a chance to elevate their career again. The other second- and third-line forwards are filled in with Evgeni Malkin, Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov, and Tommy Novak. The Pens could still make another move to shake these lines up, but Malkin was just re-signed, so he’s good. Kindel just played a very impressive rookie season for an 18-year-old, and Chinakhov turned his season around, recording 36 points in 43 games with the Penguins. Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte are expected starters on the fourth line, with a number of players looking to take the third forward spot. It could be Elmer Soderblom, who played well alongside Lizotte last season, recording 10 points in 20 games. It could be Wilkes-Barre/Scranton stars, Rutger McGroarty or Avery Hayes. Both have had NHL time, but struggled to stick, so it really is a shot in the dark to see how they’ll fare this time around. Robertson, Soderblom, McGroarty, Hayes, Justin Brazeau, and Ville Koivunen all fall into a weird area of being on the cusp of NHL readiness, while also not providing exactly what the Penguins are looking for out of their two-way forwards.
Defensively, the Penguins still have Karlsson and alternate captain Kris Letang. Both, however, are right-handed and have lost a step in terms of defensive play. As mentioned, the former makes up for this because of his ability to record assists. For their left-sided defensemen, the Steel City lost Shea and Wotherspoon, and only gained Declan Carlile back, who, according to Penguins writer Jim Rixner, “is about where Wotherspoon and Shea were in their respective careers 12 months ago.” Other than Carlile, the left side has Samuel Girard and Ilya Solovyov, both of whom are weak at the position and struggled in 25-26. The left defenseman position is by far the weakest on the Penguins' roster, and if they’re unable to find a viable solution before the start of the 26-27 season, they must dress four right-handed defensemen instead. This may not be a problem for the black and yellow, as they spent seven million to trade for Korczak and sign Trevor van Riemsdyk, rounding out their right side along with veterans Letang and Karlsson. This right-side position, once weaker than the left, has now been bolstered with four NH-caliber right-shot defenseman rostered. A trade could be coming soon, or the Penguins may simply try to run with a left-handed side that uses a right-handed player; it’s hard to be sure. One thing that’s for certain is that blooming Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Harrison Brunicke will likely have to wait another season to get his full shot at the NHL, as he also shoots right-handed. In terms of goaltending, the outcome is what many expected. Stuart Skinner left in free agency, joining the Winnipeg Jets. This allows Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov to slide in as the two netminders in 26-27. Silovs played similarly to Skinner, but was younger and added a much-needed spark to a playoff-fighting Penguins team every time he was on the ice. Murashov played outstanding for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, blocking his way to being one of the top goalies in the AHL. At 25 years old and 22 years old, both goaltenders will likely be in the Steel City for the foreseeable future. Changes may still be made, as the Penguins' multitude of prospects, middle-of-the-road players, and draft picks loom over them, but as of now, much of the Penguins' roster looks similar heading into 26-27.
