Pittsburgh Penguins
The whole organization. One connected view.
Eastern Conference · Metropolitan DivisionOpen GM workspace2026–27
Current roster2515 F · 8 D · 2 GKnown commitmentsUS$80.6M18 / 20 contracts pricedFarm system#20Middle · board consensusNext gamevs NSHOct 24
Line combinations
Provider projection · 2026-10-12
#67
#87
#17
#59
#18
#71
#22
#81
#41
#19
#46
#14
#72
#65
#49
#6
#57
#58Goaltending
Arturs Silovs
#37 · PIT · 25 years- SV%
- GAA
- Games
2025–26 · NHL regular season
Shots on goal faced
906 saves115 goals allowed
Source & scope
NHL stats API goalie summary (aggregated across clubs), data/goalie-stats-2025-26.json · 2026-09-21T18:03:37.296Z. Current roster; statistics from the stated season, across clubs. This selection does not identify tonight’s starter. Condensed footage does not establish full video coverage.
Contract horizon
Cap & contractsKnown AAV · 2026–2718 priced deals · 2 AAV unknown
Ceiling · ConfirmedUS$104M
Known committed share77.5%
Ceiling less known AAVUS$23.4M
ForwardsDefenceGoalies
Line: season-specific ceiling. * Outlook or assumption. Balance is not certified cap room.
Cap outlook assumptions
Local to this panel; does not change the GM financial scenario ceiling.
Sources, coverage & amounts
Sum of known AAV, not a complete payroll forecast or available cap room. Relief, bonuses and other charges are excluded. The file may contain later-dated signed terms; its file stamp is not a historical as-of reconstruction.
NHL/NHLPA · 2026–27: $104M · 2026-05-06
NHL/NHLPA · 2027–28: $113.5M · 2025-01-31 · subject to adjustment
Elliotte Friedman / Sportsnet · 2028–29: $127.5M · 2026-09-25 · reported estimate, not confirmed
Beyond that, no published limit in the checked sources. Any chosen growth is a planning assumption, not a forecast. Expiring commitments do not automatically fund a complete future roster.
0 contracts with unresolved terms remain outside the bars.
- F
- 53,450,000 USD
- D
- 24,350,000 USD
- G
- 2,800,000 USD
0 priced signed extensions included this season.
Contract ledger · file stamp 2026-09-21
Prospect pathways
Prospects
Rutger McGroartyR · Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsNHLETA —
Owen PickeringD · Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsNHLETA —
Harrison BrunickeD · Kamloops BlazersNHLETA —
Context & more prospects
Farm-board notables; recorded development stage, not an arrival forecast.
Rutger McGroarty: 30 GP · 2025–26 · 34 points
Owen Pickering: 68 GP · 2025–26 · 28 points
Harrison Brunicke: 24 GP · 2025–26 · 24 points
Selection follows the farm board's published notable order. The NHL step is a pathway, not a confirmed move. Arrival dates and current rights are not verified here.
Liam Ruck
Will Horcoff
All pathways & roster lanes →What changed
All moves- Daniel Laatschtraded
Reported event
- Caleb Jonestraded
Reported event
Results, standings & source context
2026–27 regular season · current roster
Team overview
What the contracts tell us
What the contracts mean for the next moves
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05
- 06
Next game
2026–27
Upcoming games, columns & export
| Date | Opponent | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs NSH | Regular season | ||
| vs UTA | Regular season | ||
| at MTL | Regular season | ||
| vs VGK | Regular season | ||
| vs BOS | Regular season |
White noise · as of 2026-10-18 · social 2026-10-18
Pittsburgh Penguins are quiet (6th percentile); attention is up on the usual
How much the club is being talked about: the league's stories tagged to the club and to its players, daily pageviews of the club's article against its 90-day baseline, and posts naming the club on the connected networks (Bluesky). Attention, measured; not a claim about what it does to the room.
Social: .
Carrying the noise: Sidney Crosby (), Evgeni Malkin (), Erik Karlsson ().
Latest from the league: Golden Knights score six for second game in row, ease past Penguins (2026-10-18) · Musings: Penguins Have to Dig In After Loss to Vegas (2026-10-18) · Penguins at Golden Knights projected lineups (2026-10-17)
Contract ledger · researched 2026-09-21
Pittsburgh Penguins contracts, 2026–27 onward
Every contract CapOrCup could source, one row per player, one column per season. Certified rows match a club or NHL release. Reported rows come from a named outlet and are labelled. Contracts with no public source are listed separately, and none are estimated.
| Player | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forwards · | |||
| Sidney CrosbyCertifiedCNMC | |||
| Egor ChinakhovCertifiedR | |||
| Evgeni MalkinCertifiedCNMC | |||
| Bryan RustCertifiedRNMC | |||
| Andrei KuzmenkoCertifiedL | |||
| Rickard RakellCertifiedRM-NTC | |||
| Ville KoivunenCertifiedR | |||
| Tommy NovakCertifiedC | |||
| Nick RobertsonCertifiedL | |||
| Connor DewarReportedC | |||
| Blake LizotteCertifiedC | |||
| Justin BrazeauCertifiedR | |||
| Elmer SoderblomCertifiedL | |||
| Ben KindelCertifiedC | |||
| Defence · | |||
| Erik KarlssonCertifiedDNMC · SJS retains $1.5M of the $11.5M cap hit through 2026-27 | |||
| Kris LetangCertifiedDNMC | |||
| Samuel GirardReportedDM-NTC | |||
| Kaedan KorczakCertifiedD | |||
| Goalies · | |||
| Arturs SilovsReportedG | |||
| Sergei MurashovCertifiedG | |||
| Sourced total | |||
| |||
Cap or Cup · league-wide signals
Who is earning the cap hit
Each priced PIT skater compared with every priced skater at the same position in the league. Open a signal for the full drill-down on the league board: the tests, the numbers, and what would change it.
Private scenario · 2026–27
Pittsburgh Penguins cap planner
Enter figures you trust. The planner never turns missing contract data into a published total, and saves only in this browser.
Line 1
Crosby · Rust · Rakell · Malkin
Line 2
Novak · Brazeau · Koivunen
Line 3
Robertson · Dewar · Lizotte · Kuzmenko
Line 4
Chinakhov · Soderblom
Pair 1
Letang · Karlsson
Pair 2
Girard
Pair 3
Korczak
Projected lineup · as of 2026-10-12
Pittsburgh Penguins as the feed projects it
Sportradar NHL API v7, team depth charts depth chart (licensed feed (30-day trial)): the club's intended lines, pairs, power-play units and goalie order, under Dan Muse. Measured lines above come from last season's shift charts; this is what the club says it means to do. "Expected starter" is first on the chart, not a confirmed start.
Line 1 · Rickard Rakell · Sidney Crosby · Bryan Rust
Line 2 · Egor Chinakhov · Thomas Novak · Evgeni Malkin
Line 3 · Hendrix Lapierre · Ben Kindel · Ville Koivunen
Line 4 · Connor Dewar · Blake Lizotte · Nick Robertson
Pair 1 · Declan Carlile · Erik Karlsson
Pair 2 · Samuel Girard · Kaedan Korczak
Pair 3 · Trevor van Riemsdyk · Kris Letang
Power play 1 · Ben Kindel · Evgeni Malkin · Rickard Rakell · Erik Karlsson · Sidney Crosby
Power play 2 · Bryan Rust · Hendrix Lapierre · Egor Chinakhov · Kris Letang · Thomas Novak
Goalies · expected starter Arturs Silovs · Sergei Murashov
Official roster
Who is in the organization now
| Player | # | Pos | Age | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forwards · | ||||
| Justin Brazeau | 16 | R | ||
| Egor Chinakhov | 59 | R | ||
| Sidney Crosby | 87 | C | ||
| Connor Dewar | 19 | C | ||
| Ben Kindel | 81 | C | ||
| Ville Koivunen | 41 | R | ||
| Andrei Kuzmenko | 62 | L | ||
| Hendrix Lapierre | 22 | C | ||
| Blake Lizotte | 46 | C | ||
| Evgeni Malkin | 71 | C | ||
| Tommy Novak | 18 | C | ||
| Rickard Rakell | 67 | R | ||
| Nick Robertson | 14 | L | ||
| Bryan Rust | 17 | R | ||
| Elmer Soderblom | 25 | L | ||
| Defense · | ||||
| Declan Carlile | 72 | D | ||
| Samuel Girard | 49 | D | ||
| Ryan Johnson | 3 | D | ||
| Erik Karlsson | 65 | D | ||
| Kaedan Korczak | 6 | D | ||
| Kris Letang | 58 | D | ||
| Spencer Stastney | 24 | D | ||
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | 57 | D | ||
| Goalies · | ||||
| Sergei Murashov | 1 | G | ||
| Arturs Silovs | 37 | G | ||
2025–26 production
Last season’s scoring leaders
Club totals with PIT.
| Player | GP | G | A | PTS | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1Range not available Sidney CrosbyC | |||||
| #2Range not available Erik KarlssonD | |||||
| #3Range not available Bryan RustR | |||||
| #4Range not available Anthony ManthaR | |||||
| #5Range not available Evgeni MalkinC | |||||
| #6Range not available Rickard RakellR | |||||
| #7Range not available Tommy NovakC | |||||
| #8Range not available Egor ChinakhovR | |||||
| #9Range not available Ryan SheaD | |||||
| #10Range not available Ben KindelC |
Shots for
shots a game, expected per shot
Shots against
allowed a game, expected per shot
From the video · model judgement
How they gained the zone in condensed games
Read from the league's free condensed games: entries carried in against dumped in, entries denied at the line for and against, and the rest of what the model could see. A condensed game is a sample of the game, so these are observations from the games read, not season counts.
Games read: BUF at PIT (2026010016), DET at PIT (2026010025), PIT at CBJ (2026010046).
Coaching style · 2025-26
rides his top four defence; does not chase matchups; pulls the goalie early
How the bench was run, measured from the shift charts and the play-by-play (a mid-season coaching change is not separated). Each is set against the league median; style words appear only where the club is clearly away from it.
System group
Plays like Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars
Four groups found by clustering every club's shot profile for and against. The group is described only by the features that set it apart from the league; no label is invented for it.
Goal archive ·
Pittsburgh Penguins: every goal, with the league's video
Preseason, regular season and playoffs are kept apart. Each row links to the NHL's own highlight page; no video is hosted here. Where a clip has been reviewed, the reading of it is a model judgement of the frames, not a measurement.
Loading…
Assistant GM
Pittsburgh Penguins: the front-office read
Every idea below is computed from sourced contracts, 2025–26 production, roster lanes, pick ownership and standings. Nothing is a rumour. Prices are computed guides from production and contract surplus, not market quotes.
Direction and front office
Retooling
Reshaping the roster without a clear buy or sell pattern.
How this GM trades: . Sunk-cost risk: unknown.
Decisions that cannot wait
Most urgent
Ranked by how soon the decision is forced: offer-sheet dates, cap compliance, deadlines and sell-offs.
Dylan Strome (WSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Aliaksei Protas (WSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Kevin Fiala (LAK)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Club injury listing
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Thomas Novak
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Sidney Crosby
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Plan for the cap you might get
Cap outlook
Sourced commitments against the announced or projected ceiling, and against a flat cap at today's (the ceiling stayed flat in 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24). Unpriced contracts are not counted, so real room is smaller.
| Season | Committed | Ceiling | Room (projected) | Room (flat cap) | Needs growth | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026–27 | ||||||
| 2027–28 | ||||||
| 2028–29 | ||||||
| 2029–30 |
Expansion: none announced
Protection slots are worth something
The NHL has not approved or announced an expansion team or expansion draft. In June 2026 it gave the Friedkin family a six-month window to explore a second Texas team in Houston or Austin (about $3.5 billion for the fee and an arena). The Board of Governors met on September 22, 2026 without announcing a decision; any expansion would still need a vote of the Board. No expansion draft is announced. Reported, not official: a Houston or Austin team could be awarded before the end of 2026 and would begin play in 2029-30, which would put its expansion draft in June 2029. The league is also reported to be talking with at least two other groups about a 34th team. Checks here apply the rules to today's rosters and contracts as a planning scenario, not a forecast. The format is not announced either: one new club per draft (a club could face a draft in consecutive years) or two clubs in the same draft (a club could lose two players at once). Under the 2021 rules a club protects 7 forwards, 3 defencemen and 1 goalie (or 8 skaters and 1 goalie). Every no-movement clause in force must be protected and uses a slot, so its real cost is the player it pushes off.
If a draft is announced: ask a no-move player to waive for the draft, trade an exposed player now rather than lose them for nothing, or make a side deal with the expansion club to steer its pick.
Where the roster is thin
Needs
A position (centre, wing, defence pair or goal) counts as a need when most of its regulars are unsigned past this season, or when they produce below the league average for that position.
Centre
- Established
- Signed for 2027–28
- Lane 5v5 pts/60
Left wing
- Established
- Signed for 2027–28
- Lane 5v5 pts/60
Left-shot defence
- Established
- Signed for 2027–28
- Lane 5v5 pts/60
See it coming
Offer-sheet exposure
This club's own RFAs for summer 2027: what their production is worth on the open market, which compensation band an aggressive offer would fall in, and whether the club could match with the room it has committed. The 2027–28 ceiling is not set; this uses the current ceiling.
No pending RFA carries offer-sheet risk.
Players other clubs might move
Trade targets
Realistic targets, not wish lists: young players stuck behind veterans, salary a cap-strapped club has to move, rentals on selling clubs, and good contracts priced by what they are worth. Young franchise-core players and anyone with a no-move or full no-trade clause are left out.
Dylan Strome (WSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Aliaksei Protas (WSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Kevin Fiala (LAK)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Club injury listing
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Igor Chernyshov (SJS)
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Justin Robidas (CAR)
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Latest roster move
- Price guide
Stephen Halliday (OTT)
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Teuvo Teravainen (CHI)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Morgan Frost (CGY)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Ross Colton (NSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Logan Stankoven (CAR)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Noah Ostlund (BUF)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Boone Jenner (WSH)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Justin Hryckowian (DAL)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Mattias Samuelsson (BUF)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Latest roster move
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Olen Zellweger (BUF)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Latest roster move
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Restricted free agents, summer 2027
Offer-sheet candidates
RFAs at clubs tight on cap. Compensation depends on the offer's AAV band and must be paid in the offering club's own picks; the Carlsson offer sheet in July 2026 showed how far a club will go to match.
Matias Maccelli (NYI)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Club injury listing
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Own 2027 picks held
Calum Ritchie (NYI)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Club injury listing
- Projected slot
- Own 2027 picks held
Gabe Perreault (NYR)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Own 2027 picks held
Maxim Shabanov (MIN)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Own 2027 picks held
Trades with three or more clubs
Multi-team ideas
Chains where every club receives a player in a need lane, gives up roughly what it gets, and stays under the cap. Salary retention is used at most once per contract (the 2025 MOU bars a second retention on the same contract within 75 regular-season days) and never above 50%.
ANA → DET → OTT → PIT → BOS
- ANA → DET: Rodwin Dionicio (blocked, )
Gate at DET: not confirmed. fit: not yet validated. - DET → OTT: Keegan Kolesar (salary, )
Gate at OTT: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - OTT → PIT: Stephen Halliday (blocked, )
Gate at PIT: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - PIT → BOS: Andrei Kuzmenko (salary, )
Gate at BOS: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - BOS → ANA: Fabian Lysell (blocked, )
Gate at ANA: blocked (waiver exemption). fit: not yet validated.
ANA → DET → STL → PIT → BOS
- ANA → DET: Rodwin Dionicio (blocked, )
Gate at DET: not confirmed. fit: not yet validated. - DET → STL: Keegan Kolesar (salary, )
Gate at STL: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - STL → PIT: Mason McTavish (salary, )
Gate at PIT: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - PIT → BOS: Andrei Kuzmenko (salary, )
Gate at BOS: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - BOS → ANA: Fabian Lysell (blocked, )
Gate at ANA: blocked (waiver exemption). fit: not yet validated.
ANA → DET → OTT → PIT → MTL
- ANA → DET: Rodwin Dionicio (blocked, )
Gate at DET: not confirmed. fit: not yet validated. - DET → OTT: Keegan Kolesar (salary, )
Gate at OTT: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - OTT → PIT: Stephen Halliday (blocked, )
Gate at PIT: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - PIT → MTL: Andrei Kuzmenko (salary, )
Gate at MTL: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - MTL → ANA: Zachary Bolduc (salary, )
Gate at ANA: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated.
ANA → DET → STL → PIT → MTL
- ANA → DET: Rodwin Dionicio (blocked, )
Gate at DET: not confirmed. fit: not yet validated. - DET → STL: Keegan Kolesar (salary, )
Gate at STL: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - STL → PIT: Mason McTavish (salary, )
Gate at PIT: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - PIT → MTL: Andrei Kuzmenko (salary, )
Gate at MTL: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated. - MTL → ANA: Zachary Bolduc (salary, )
Gate at ANA: blocked (waiver exemption) (entry-level slide). fit: not yet validated.
Ideas to start from
Trade concepts
Each is priced from the player's tier and the contract's surplus over its remaining term, then cap-checked: salary in against salary out. A shape to test, not a final price.
Concept: Igor Chernyshov (SJS)
- Contract
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Opportunity
- Net cap change
Concept: Logan Stankoven (CAR)
- Cap hit
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Opportunity
- Net cap change
Concept: Noah Ostlund (BUF)
- Cap hit
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Opportunity
- Net cap change
Concept: Boone Jenner (WSH)
- Cap hit
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
- Opportunity
- Net cap change
Sell while the price is high
Decisions on value contracts
Players in their prime who produce more than their cap hit suggests, with the deal ending within two seasons: the moment their trade value peaks.
Thomas Novak
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Sidney Crosby
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Rickard Rakell
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Egor Chinakhov
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Club injury listing
- Projected slot
- Contract surplus
- Price guide
Players to build around
Young players to build around
Players under 24, judged on NHL games played and five-on-five scoring rate, their prospect ranking, and what they are producing now.
Ben Kindel
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Latest roster move
- Projected slot
- White noise
Harrison Brunicke
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
Rutger McGroarty
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Latest roster move
Zam Plante
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
Cooper Foster
- 2025–26
- Contract
- Age
Summer 2027
Free-agent targets
Pending UFAs (26 to 32, no extension signed) in this club's need lanes. The current cap hit is shown for reference, not as an estimate of the next contract.
Pavel Zacha (BOS)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Club injury listing
- Projected slot
- White noise
Casey Mittelstadt (BOS)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
Jason Robertson (DAL)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
Dmitri Voronkov (CBJ)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
Quinn Hughes (MIN)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
Vince Dunn (SEA)
- 2025–26
- Cap hit
- Age
- Stage
- Trend
- Role
- 3-season projection
- On-ice chance share
- Sequences started
- Availability
- Expected goals (2025–26)
- Top speed (EDGE)
- Bursts over 20 mph
- Projected slot
- White noise
League context
Where the market is going
Price of production at signing: cap hit per point of pace in the season before the deal, from the sourced contract ledger. Samples depend on how many deals are priced.
The ledger holds contracts still active in 2026-27, so one- and two-year deals signed in 2024 are missing from the 2024 column. Segments with different term mixes are therefore not comparable here; the term-matched reading is the pricing study on the integrity page.
Goalies: by raw save percentage, a goalie's season after changing teams is almost unrelated to the one before (correlation across moves, vs for goalies who stayed). Adjusted for shot quality the gap disappears ( stayed vs moved): the system changes the shots a goalie faces, so judge goalies on goals saved above expected. of established-goalie trades returned a first-round pick against for productive skaters ( goalie trades: a small sample).
Largest cap hits signed in summer 2026: Leo Carlsson (), Connor Bedard (), Cutter Gauthier (), Pavel Dorofeyev (), Alex Tuch ().
Ask the Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM
Answers use only the ideas above, the club's contracts and trades, and the CBA, and cite each one. If the facts do not support an answer, it says so.
GM horizon
Kyle Dubas: 3.1 years in
How long GMs have lasted since 1967, and what that implies for a GM who has served this long. A GM who expects to be gone soon has a reason to buy today; this is the base rate, not a read on him.
Win-now premium
Pittsburgh Penguins: what deadline rentals cost
A rental is a pending unrestricted free agent bought between January 1 and the deadline. Its price is the pick value sent, in expected career NHL games. Part of a price can be rational: a win is worth more to a club on the playoff line. This splits the price above the league mean into what the standings on the trade date explain and what they do not.
| Date | Rental | GM | Picks sent | Price | Win value | Vs mean | Not explained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-03 | Dmitry Kulikov | Ron Hextall | none + 1 player (not valued) | −62 | −62 | ||
| 2020-02-24 | Patrick Marleau | Jim Rutherford | 2021 round 3 | +41 | +41 |
| GM | Rentals (league-wide) | Mean price | Not explained: mean | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Rutherford | 1 | Not on file (fewer than 5 rentals (1)) | ||
| Ron Hextall | 1 | Not on file (fewer than 5 rentals (1)) | ||
Win value is the rise in the club's chance of reaching the playoff line from one more win, in percentage points. Units are expected career games of the picks sent; a price in cap-share dollars needs the Worth model on rentals, which is not adopted. Not netted: the rental's quality, salary retained by the seller, and players or prospects sent. A rental's expiry is quoted from the trade's NHL.com story, or from the contract archive where the story is silent (an archive expiry can be a restricted one).
Farm-system consensus · front-office read
The pipeline needs more impact bets. A few names can hit without making the overall system strong.
- 01Separate near-term graduates from long-horizon bets.
- 02Find the position where opportunity is blocked or missing.
- 03Move a future only when the playoff gain survives the downside case.
Draft picks · 2027–2029
Pittsburgh Penguins picks
Every round for the next three drafts: the club's own picks, picks it has acquired, and picks it has traded away, with any conditions. "Own" means the pick was checked against the club's trades since 2023; "Own, unconfirmed" means no trade is on record but that check has not been done.
Roster moves · as of 2026-10-17
Pittsburgh Penguins roster moves
Waivers, claims, injured-reserve placements, assignments to the minors and signings in the last 45 days, as the club announced them (Sportradar NHL API v7, league transfers feed; licensed feed (30-day trial)). Facts, not inferences: no cause is read into an injured-reserve placement, and what each move does to the cap lives on the cap table.
Andrei Kuzmenko
Ryan Johnson
Daniel Laatsch
Caleb Jones
Ryan Johnson
Trevor van Riemsdyk
Ilya Solovyov
Bryan Rust
Spencer Stastney
Filip Hallander
Andrei Kuzmenko
David Gustafsson
Ben Kindel
Andrei Kuzmenko
Tristan Broz
Tristan Broz
Gabriel D'Aigle
Gabriel D'Aigle
Melvin Fernstrom
Melvin Fernstrom
Oliver Okuliar
Oliver Okuliar
Rutger McGroarty
Blake Lizotte
Andrei Kuzmenko
Tristan Broz
Bryan Rust
Ryan Graves
Ben Kindel
Justin Brazeau
Blake Lizotte
Cam Johnson
Chase Pietila
Owen Pickering
Jake Livanavage
Rafael Harvey-Pinard
Caleb Jones
Collin Delia
Oliver Okuliar
Markus Ruck
Liam Ruck
Mikhail Ilyin
Tanner Howe
Avery Hayes
Atley Calvert
Andrei Kuzmenko
Gabriel D'Aigle
Melvin Fernstrom
Daniel Laatsch
Daniel Russell
Philip Kemp
Tiernan Shoudy
Mark Senden
Hugh McGing
Jack Horbach
Max Graham
Brayden Edwards
Tomas Galvas
Carter Sanderson
Taylor Gauthier
Broten Sabo
Maleek McGowan
Ryan Mast
Brent Johnson
Tyler Duke
David Breazeale
Finn Harding
Carter Casey
Benett Kelly
Xavier Wendt
Matvei Nikonovich
Injury listings · as of 2026-10-18
Pittsburgh Penguins injury listings
What the club has published (Sportradar NHL API v7, league injuries feed; licensed feed (30-day trial)): status, body area, listed-since and expected-return dates. CapOrCup infers no cause from a listing and keeps its own availability measure, games not dressed, separate.
Samuel Girard (D):
Egor Chinakhov (RW):
Justin Brazeau (RW):
Ryan Graves (D):
Trevor van Riemsdyk (D):
Waiver wire · last 3 league days
Placed on waivers, league-wide
Every player any club placed on waivers in the last three league days, with what the feed shows next: claimed, cleared to the minors, or nothing yet. A claim costs no assets, only a roster spot and the whole contract, and claiming priority follows the standings.
Jacob Bernard-Docker
Aatu Raty
Alex Barre-Boulet
Fit components (description)
Who fits here: fit: not yet validated
No ranking of who fits Pittsburgh Penguins is shown until the move backtest passes. What follows describes how Pittsburgh Penguins plays and is coached, and the roster rules any addition must clear. The lane-based matchmaker stays on the Assistant GM.
Head coach: , in charge since 2025-10-07 (86 regular-season games on file). Assistants: Not on file.
How this staff has used players (2025-26), against what position and prior minutes predict:
Contracts counted toward the 50 limit: . Active roster for the 23-man limit: Not on file.
as of 2026-04-16
Pittsburgh Penguins
trades
Anaheim Ducks receive
GM: Pat Verbeek
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Future considerations
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
Vegas Golden Knights receive
GM: Kelly McCrimmon
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- David Gustafsson
Winnipeg Jets receive
GM: Kevin Cheveldayoff
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- 2026 5th-round pick ()
Nashville Predators receive
GM: Chris MacFarland
- 2028 5th-round pick · now owned by NSH
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- 2026 4th-round pick ()
Boston Bruins receive
GM: Don Sweeney
- 2026 6th-round pick ()
- 2027 4th-round pick · now back with PIT
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
Washington Capitals receive
GM: Chris Patrick
- 2027 3rd-round pick · now owned by WSH
- 2028 5th-round pick · now owned by NSH
Florida Panthers receive
GM: Bill Zito
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Oliver Okuliar
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
Detroit Red Wings receive
GM: Steve Yzerman
- 2026 3rd-round pick
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Sam Girard
- 2028 2nd-round pick · now owned by PIT
Colorado Avalanche receive
GM: Chris MacFarland
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Ilya Solovyov
Colorado Avalanche receive
GM: Chris MacFarland
- Valtteri Puustinen
- 2026 7th-round pick
Philadelphia Flyers receive
GM: Daniel Briere
- Philip Tomasino
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Yegor Zamula
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Yegor Chinakhov
Columbus Blue Jackets receive
GM: Don Waddell
- Danton Heinen
- 2026 2nd-round pick
- 2027 3rd-round pick · now owned by WSH
Edmonton Oilers receive
GM: Stan Bowman
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Stuart Skinner
- Brett Kulak
- 2029 2nd-round pick · now owned by PIT
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
Vancouver Canucks receive
GM: Patrik Allvin
- Chase Stillman
- 2027 4th-round pick · now back with PIT
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Matt Dumba
- 2028 2nd-round pick · now owned by PIT
Dallas Stars receive
GM: Jim Nill
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Nicholas Robertson
Toronto Maple Leafs receive
GM: Brad Treliving
- 2028 4th-round pick · now owned by TOR
San Jose Sharks receive
GM: Mike Grier
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- 2028 3rd-round pick · now owned by PIT
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- 3rd-round pick · No. 91
- 5th-round pick · No. 154
Vegas Golden Knights receive
GM: Kelly McCrimmon
- 2025 3rd-round pick · No. 85
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- Connor Clifton
- 2025 2nd-round pick · No. 39
Buffalo Sabres receive
GM: Kevyn Adams
- Conor Timmins
- Isaac Belliveau
Pittsburgh Penguins receive
GM: Kyle Dubas
- 2025 1st-round pick · No. 24
Los Angeles Kings receive
GM: Ken Holland
- 1st-round pick · No. 31
- 2nd-round pick · No. 59
How the ledger is built
- 2024–25 onward: parsed from NHL.com's season trade pages, which list every trade. Each card links to the NHL.com announcement.
- 2019–20 to 2023–24: parsed from NHL.com trade announcements tagged to a club. Some trades are missing; those seasons are marked partial.
- "Details incomplete" means the announcement did not state one side; the original sentence is shown instead of a guess.
- Picks in 2027–2029 show their current owner from the verified pick ledger.
Statistical schedule · 2026-27 · as of 2026-10-18
Pittsburgh Penguins: difficulty rank #12Range not available
Every game priced by the model with the club's rest state. Difficulty averages four league ranks (opponents , rest , travel , back-to-backs ); expected points is the model's own forecast and depends on the club as much as the schedule. League table on the schedule page.
By month: 2026-09: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2026-10: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2026-11: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2026-12: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2027-01: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2027-02: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2027-03: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back; 2027-04: games, expected points, opponents , back-to-back.
Game by game
games
Price is the model's chance for this club at the morning of the game with rest known; it moves when rosters are published. The spot names what the schedule did to the club that night.