With training camp right around the corner, it is time we start looking at the Pittsburgh Penguins roster as it stands today. While the roster is far from set, the players that are coming back are expected to come back with a bit of a bite. Last season did not end well but the regular season was much better than most expected it to be. We look at three Penguins players to watch in the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Egor Chinakhov
Egor Chinakhov was an unknown to Penguins fans last season as he was a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets to start the 2025-26 season. Columbus then traded the forward to the Penguins on December 29, 2025, in a trade that seemed to give Chinakhov a much-needed boost. After scoring six points in 29 games with the Blue Jackets, he erupted for 36 points on 18 goals and 18 assists in 43 games with Pittsburgh. He saw an average of 15 minutes on ice and he finished the season with a plus +4 in a Penguins sweater. He finished eighth in scoring on the team without playing a full season on the roster.
Many wonder if last season was a fluke. Chinakhov is a young, talented player who made the most of a new situation and played with some key players with the chance of this season being a repeat of last season. He is expected to slot in on the second line with Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak and is also expected to expected to have more ice time on even-strength shifts and second unit powerplays. This is due to the losses of Anthony Mantha, Kevin Hayes, and Noel Acciari. He is projected to be a big contributor offensively with added responsibility in the offensive zone and second power play unit time.
Declan Carlile
Defenseman Declan Carlile is player who will be making his Penguins debut this season after signing as a free agent this offseason on July 1, 2026. While this signing did not make fans cheer with joy, this is still a move that can pay off without producing big points. He set career-highs last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning in games played (42) and points (3). Those numbers are not eye-popping stats, but he is not supposed to produce an enormous amount of points. He is a defensive defenseman who plays exceptionally well in his own zone and only skates into the offensive end when it presents itself.
Carlile is there to do the dirty work. Clear the rebounds and the front of the net, block shots, protect the goalie. His style of play will come in handy at playoff time when the play is tighter and the games are closer. He has good size at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds and is the second youngest defensemen (26) on the roster Kaeden Korczak (25). With the age of the current defensemen on the roster, he could see more ice time and could be an impact player on the penalty kill and in a depth role. This signing should not be looked at as a failed experiment because he is a solid player who could turn out to be a solid addition later on.
Arturs Silovs
Goaltender Arturs Silovs now has the chance to run with this opportunity. With goaltender Stuart Skinner now with the Winnipeg Jets, Silovs is now the guy for the Penguins entering the season with Sergei Murashov as the backup. A big netminder at 6-foot-4 and 208 pounds, the 25-year-old Silovs is still young enough to make an impact and put this team on his back this season. Originally a Vancouver Canucks draft pick, he was traded to Pittsburgh on July 13, 2025, and played some decent hockey. He would post a record of 19-12-8 with a 3.07 goals against average and an .888 save percentage with two shutouts in 39 games, close to what an NHL team should expect from its backup goaltender.
However, this season will be different to start. This season, he enters as the starter for the first time in years. Last season, he set career-highs in games played and two questions will be can he handle the workload and the pressure of being the starter? He is a talented goaltender who has not yet shown what he is truly capable of. This could be his coming out party. In the NHL games he has played in, he has played well for the most part. This is hi chance to prove himself and he should do quite well. One thing that may distract him in the beginning is what effect his play will have on Murashov. Should he be worried that he may lose his hob permanently to the young Russian goaltender?
Pittsburgh has an incredible season in 25-26 but it did end with disappointment. With some adjustments to the roster, the Penguins are looking to make more noise than last season in hopes of turning things around in the playoffs. While many players on the roster have expectations, the three players listed above may have more expectations because of their roles from last season or their expected roles this season. Can they live up to those expectations?
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