The Penguins are actually better than last season and not everyone realizes it

If you have not realized yet somehow, the Pittsburgh Penguins are in the full blown rebuild phase which fans dreaded for many years. However, with his decisions in trades and trades to come and free agency, Kyle Dubas somehow managed to snag some good players that make the Penguins a better team then they were last year with young prospects on the way up.

As of right now on the projected forward roster the Penguins as of July 10, looks like this:

With the other forwards in Danton Heinen, Noel Acciari, Filip Hallander, Kevin Hayes, there are too many forwards on the roster and the Penguins will move off from. However the projected forward core looks on paper better constructed then the 2024-25 Penguins, the 2025-26 Penguins infused with youth, depth and options with the bottom six can look not half bad come opening night. That does sit on the hopes that Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell do not get traded which then a top three pick is very possible with them gone out of the top six.

The defensive core now minus Connor Timmins, Matt Grzelcyk and now in comes Connor Clifton, Alexander Alexeyev, Parker Wotherspoon. Also don't forget that Harrison Brunicke and Owen Pickering will almost very likely be NHL ready this season and they will join the defensive corps to once again infuse the youth movement in Kyle Dubas and his outlook. Erik Karlsson is currently 50/50 when it comes to if he is in the lineup come opening night but the blame was thrown on him when it shouldn't have been the case but once again this is a Kyle Dubas choice on whether he stays or goes. The additions and callups along with an underrated defenseman in Vladislav Kolyachonok on that left side could make the defensive core better in my opinion then they were last year.

Kolyachonok has supposedly just been traded, but outside of him, the Penguins defensive core could get interesting.

Another factor into why the Penguins will be better is the new coaching staff and coaching system the Penguins will be under with Dan Muse and Co. at the helm. This new system could pay dividends to players like Philip Tomasino, Connor Dewar, Anthony Mantha who is coming off ACL surgery, Tommy Novak and also the two kids in Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen. All forwards listed could absolutely strive under the scheme of Dan Muse.

The real story this upcoming season will be the stories of Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, will we see them ride off the moementum they had exiting last season, if they could produce some absolutely crazy numbers it could fuel some possible Calder Trophy candidates in the Penguins organization.