Summer 2026 Tiers of Security for the Penguins

It’s now t-minus one month until the start of the NHL Draft on June 26th, usually the first big movement period for NHL teams as they start to restock their rosters and shuffle pieces around. The Penguins were very active last year at the draft, making a few trades among only their draft picks and another move that sent Conor Timmins to Buffalo for Connor Clifton and a high second round pick.

Heading into that offseason event, why not set the stage early for a projected grouping of which Penguin players are likely to be back next seasons and which ones better be watching for a phone call from the GM or their agent about heading out of town.

Tier 1: The Big 3
No brainers

Sidney Crosby – nothing further needed.

Evgeni Malkin – re-signing with the Pens means Malkin will be back for a 21st season

Kris Letang – this might make some scratch their heads, but just look at the playoffs. In Games 4-6, Letang averaged 26:15 of ice time when the season was on the line. The Penguins might need to find the right role for the 39-year old, but he’s still a major part of it on and off the ice. Until some drastic news breaks, he’s gotta be set in stone for the roster.

Tier 2: A class to himself
This guy doesn’t fit anywhere else..

Erik Karlsson – Karlsson, 36 on Sunday, is coming up on the final year of his contract. He’s been very choosy in the past about how he handles his no movement clause and there’s been no indications that the Penguins have even considered talking to him about an exit strategy. But, you never know what could happen over the long summer. The clock is ticking on Karlsson’s career and time remaining as an elite defenseman, he doesn’t have a Stanley Cup and while Pittsburgh was (and may be yet again) a decent/good team, they’re hardly serious championship contenders. Karlsson just finished eighth in points among defenders this season, there would be external interest if he was available. Does he want to make himself available? That’s the big question, the answer is unknown, and perhaps unlikely to get resolution during this off-season.

Tier 3: Young, valuable players
This group of players are either off limits or close to it, because the Pens know them well enough to know what they have

Ben Kindel – The current crown jewel for the Pens’ future after a dazzling age-18 season. Surely he’ll be asked for in possible trades by other teams and just as surely that will be a quick and complete pass from the Pens.

Egor Chinakhov (RFA) – Looks like he has star potential, probably worth keeping around to see if that can happen in Pittsburgh.

Arturs Silovs (RFA) – Showed he can be a capable 1A/1B type for next season. Maybe the Pens seek an upgrade or more veteran partner for Sergei Murashov next year, but they’re probably just fine with keeping Silovs around for another season.

Elmer Soderblom – It’s a bit of a stretch to fit in this category, but Soderblom gave the Pens a lot to feel excited about in the future.

Tier 4: Veteran core
Could these players be available? Sure. But they’re likely to be key supporting players next season that the Pens value. However, if Pittsburgh really wants to shift into a new direction, it’s not like they wouldn’t at least listen to trade offers.

Bryan Rust – His name is bound to be in some level of the rumor mill but there’s no reason to expect or think the Penguins are in a hurry at this point to trade a heart-and-soul player who scores nearly a point per game and is a leadership figure.

Rickard Rakell – Rakell would be an interesting case study for just how aggressively the Penguins want to get younger this offseason. He’s got to have decent value in a trade, but he’s also got immense value for the lineup considering his stint at center and bouncing around all over the top-six last year while retaining effectiveness and production.

Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar – Seems natural to lump these two together since both recently signed extensions of matching salaries. Makes a quick trade look very unlikely. You never truly know but odds have to be heavily slanted to them staying in Pittsburgh for a bit.

Parker Wotherspoon – Wotherspoon is a player the Penguins need to find one or two more of as effective, low-maintenance top-4 options, not send the one they have out the door this offseason.

Tier 5: Who would want them?
Likely to be safe because it’s not like anyone outside the league is seeking them

Ryan Graves – Graves does have three years left on his contract, which could make a trade more palatable trade situation since other teams might have similar term left on a player that isn’t working out for them. A buyout won’t work based on how Graves’s is structured, so who knows. Might be at least another year of NHL/AHL limbo for him.

Caleb Jones – 2025-26 featured a major ankle injury, a major shoulder injury and a positive test for a banned substance. Can’t imagine anyone in the league is calling up to acquire this guy.

Filip Hallander – blood clots shutting down his season in November makes him an unlikely target for other teams.

Ilya Solovyov – Nothing against Solovyov, but this is the only category he somewhat fits into. Almost every team has a 6/7/8th unestablished defender in their organization.

Tier 6: Keep your Friedman/Seravalli social media alerts ready..
Players who fit the mold of recent Kyle Dubas flipping

Tommy Novak – Novak isn’t exactly young (29), did pretty well last season with 42 points and is an affordable player whose contract is up after 2026-27. He can help a team but isn’t a bedrock, foundational player. This is the exact profile that Dubas has tended to move on from. It might not be this summer since Novak would be valuable to the Pens if he returns in the fall, but in trying to predict the unpredictable known as what Dubas trades, Novak checks an awful lot of boxes as a trade chip.

Sam Girard – Girard had a strong reputation and an uneven finish to the season with the Pens. He’s a mobile defenseman who can move the puck, and that is always in demand. The Pens have plenty of ability to retain salary on the one-year remaining on his deal if that would help a suitor. Pittsburgh might want to see more from Girard and hope he’s better for them when he gets more acclimated, but he’s also the type of veteran that tends to go in-and-out of the organization these days.

Justin Brazeau – The Pens bought low on Brazeau last summer, do they now try to sell high? He’s a huge forward on a cheap deal that showed some scoring touch with the 17 goals last season. Pittsburgh practically has a young clone of Brazeau in Elmer Soderblom, will that make Brazeau redundant to the point of moving on from?

Tier 6: Free Agent decisions, even though many are obvious
Pittsburgh has given out extensions to UFA players (Malkin, Dewar, Solovyov). But not any of these guys. Read into that at your own risk for how much or little of a priority they may be..

Noel Acciari – Wish he was a little younger, probably has aged out for a team that will be looking to get young players (Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Tristan Broz) into the NHL next season.

Anthony Mantha – Don’t expect this to be much of a decision, based on the Dubas press conference. Mantha will be cashing in on his big 2025-26 with a new team and likely huge contract. He earned it.

Kevin Hayes – Great guy, hopefully he is able to do what he wants if that means continuing to play somewhere else next season. If not, hopefully he remains active in the media space somewhere.

Stuart Skinner – Another player almost certainly out the door this summer. Here’s to wishing he goes somewhere that can use him like a 1B and he can get a little support and stability.

Connor Clifton – Physical and a good soldier, will probably have his journey take him somewhere new next season.

Ryan Shea – Of all the remaining unrestricted free agents, this is the one that you probably have to wonder the most about having a real shot to come back. Then again, Shea is the highest-scoring UFA left handed defenseman this summer (and sixth highest-scoring defenseman overall). He’s in-line for a good, if not really good, type of pay day – very much earned through years of grinding and finally breaking through. This is a real decision for the Pens, do they want to pay a market rate for a strong performer? If not, they’ll need a plan to replace him.

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