Pittsburgh Penguins’ offseason priorities couldn’t be clearer after brutal collapse

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be one of the most talked about teams this offseason following their brutal collapse in 2024-25.

GM Kyle Dubas and the Pens’ management team will have their hands full, trying to keep the team relevant as they look to salvage the final years of their aging core. But that’s something easier said than done considering the fire sale the team held at this year’s trade deadline.

As such, the Penguins’ priorities could not be clearer this offseason. The team must do everything it can to leverage the next two seasons of Sidney Crosby’s contract. So, let’s take a look at three specific priorities the Penguins will need to focus on this offseason.

Find a new head coach

Let’s start with the most evident offseason priority. The Penguins need to find a new head coach after Mike Sullivan’s departure. That’s easier said than done as the Penguins will need an experienced coach who can handle the mix of star players and prospects who could get a look this upcoming season.

While it’s hard to speculate who could fill Sullivan’s shoes, one thing is certain: The Penguins won’t be looking at a young rising star unless that younger coach has proven experience under a more tenured, seasoned coach.

For instance, the Washington Capitals struck it rich with Spencer Carbery. He wasn’t precisely the most experienced coach when hired, but he did have plenty of flight hours under other more tenured coaches.

That example underscores how picking the right coach boils down to finding the right mix of talent, vision, experience, and personality. In my estimation, the Penguins will be looking for someone like Carbery. While an older coach may fill in the gaps, the Penguins will be eyeing a coach who’s got plenty of tread left on his tires.

Land a solid starting goaltender

Another clear need is a solid starting goaltender. Alex Nedeljkovic and Joel Blomqvist were serviceable. But they weren’t going to steal any games for the Penguins.

Then, there was the fiasco that was Tristan Jarry. Jarry was quite the rollercoaster ride as he’d string two or three good starts, let in five or six one night, and then come back with a shutout the next.

Jarry could still turn things around and become a decent NHL netminder. But the Penguins can’t bank their playoff hopes on a significant question mark. Therefore, the answer must be finding a reliable starting goaltender who can carry the load for about 50 games.

One name that comes to mind is Joonas Korpisalo of the Boston Bruins. Korpisalo has been rather outspoken about his desire to be a full-time starting netminder. That’s an opportunity he won’t be getting in Boston. So, the solution could be a trade to a team like the Penguins who need a starting goalie.

Add center depth

Depth down the middle will be a crucial area to address this upcoming offseason. The Penguins have Sidney Crosby, and, that’s pretty much it. Evgeni Malkin spent some time on the shelf this season. When he played, he wasn’t quite up to his usual standards.

Beyond that, the Penguins are rather thin. It was nice seeing Joona Koppanen and Vasily Ponomarev down the stretch, but these are two players who wouldn’t hold the 3C and 4C spots on a contending team.

The Penguins will need to find at least one serviceable bottom-six center to round out the roster. The good news is that there will be plenty of affordable options in the free-agent market this offseason.

Yanni Gourde, Christian Dvorak, and Robby Fabbri stand out. If the Penguins wanted to make a splash, they could target bigger names like Brock Nelson, Jon Tavares, or Sam Bennett.

Knowing Kyle Dubas, I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to swing for the fences and bring in one latter-named center. The Penguins will have Tommy Novak back in the fall, potentially giving the Penguins four solid centers.