Before the 2025-26 season began, the Pittsburgh Penguins fans had their doubts about the upcoming season. With a few tweaks to the roster, they became better instantly. Penguins GM Kyle Dubas did what he had to do: get this team to the playoffs. Mission accomplished yet there were some positives along the way that Penguins fans should be excited for next season.
The emergence of Ben Kindel
19-year-old center Ben Kindel was coming off a 99-point season with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) when he was drafted. Pittsburgh made him the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and that began his rise. During his rookie season, he proved right away that he belongs in the NHL. He quickly adjusted and proved he can play all aspects of the game. He was worthy in the offensive zone, scoring 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points in 77 games. Those stats include four game-winning goals, one short-handed goal, and 10 power-play points. he did all of this in 15 minutes of ice time a night while also spending 18 minutes in the penalty box.
He was tied for eigth in rookie points, showing the Penguins they have a future scoring presence on their hands. He has great speed and plays with offensive skills that could push him to a top-six role. He has become a great asset when Pittsburgh may be going a bit younger over the next few seasons.
Improved goaltending situation
One aspect of the Penguins roster was that the goaltending situation needed to be fixed. Dubas made the necessary moves ot do just that, His first step was to acquire Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks. It was not known at the time if he would be a starter or backup but he did have his moments between the pipes. This season, he posted a record of 19-12-8, which is a solid record. he also posted a 3.07 goals against average and a .888 save percentage with two shutouts. he iwll be a restricted free agent after this season but based on this season he may be brought back and see an increase in his last contract which was $850,000.
Next was acquiring a starter and Dubas went to Edmonton and brought in Stuart Skinner in exchange for Tristan Jarry. Skinner needed time to adjust but he did so in no time and gave the Penguins a needed boost with his play. In 50 games with Pittsburgh, he posted a record of 23-17-9 with a 2.92 goals against average and a .888 save percentage with two shutouts. he is a wild card after the season as he is a unrestricted free agent. Dubas should bring him back as the starter as he has earned a new deal that pays him more than the $2.6 million on his last deal.
Lastly is Sergei Murashov, who debuted this past season and made an impression. The fourth-round pick of the Penguins in 2022 made his way to the NHL and looked like a serviceable goaltender. In five games, he posted a 1-1-2 record with a 2.56 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. He should get a longer look with the Penguins next season but it depends on where Skinner and Silovs end up. Pittsburgh's projected cap space for next season is $45.8 million so these three goaltenders could all be brought back with increased roles and a bigger paycheck.
The development of younger players
One thing that may be overlooked is how the Penguins injected younger talent into the roster throughout the season. Many of them played only a few games but gave the Penguins a glimpse of the future. Defenseman Owen Pickering played four games, defenseman Jake Livanavage played one, center Tristan Broz played one, left-winger Joona Koppanen played 13 games and scored one goal, defenseman Harrison Brunicke played nine games and scored one goal, right-winger Avery Hayes played 16 games and scored five goals, and right-winger Rutger McGroarty scored three goals and three assists for six points in 24 games.
This will be a massive off-season for the Penguins and Dubas. The playoffs were a big deal as they once again proved that they can accomplish a lot with a little. Now that they have some secondary scoring, Dubas may want to lock up his goaltenders They were not elite but played extremely well and got their team to the playoffs.This could be a busy, yet exciting, time for fans once the playoffs end.
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