It’s been a long season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. And their fans. And the media.
So, let’s have a little fun.
Hope sells, and Penguins fans are clinging to hope these days. With that in mind, what could the team’s roster look like two years from now?
For the sake of this exercise, let’s set our projection date as April 5, 2027, two years from today.
We have a few options to play with, none of which will come 100 percent true. But it’s surely good (albeit stressful) to be Kyle Dubas, the Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager, so let’s play the role. Let’s take a look at some options.
Forwards
So, there’s a lot to like here. Admit it, you’re impressed with my GM skills so far. Are the Penguins really going to make a run at Mitch Marner? I doubt it. But there are plenty of things to consider here. Marner still hasn’t signed a new deal in Toronto, and the closer it gets to July 1, the likelihood of his departure increases. Marner and Dubas have a relationship. We know Marner and Crosby get along great. And we know the Penguins have significant money to spend this summer. That would be some kind of a top line, would it not?
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The rest of the forward unit I’ve put together is pretty imposing. Jake O’Brien and Brady Martin are a couple of centers who could be available in the Penguins’ 2025 draft slots, should they have rights to the Rangers’ first-round pick in this draft. O’Brien is very talented and projects as a top-six center. So, too, does Martin (maybe), who will be selected a bit later in the first round. And do we really think Dubas is passing up a center with top-six potential who played for Dubas’ hometown Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds? The Penguins could very well have a couple of top-15 picks in this draft, and we’ll assume that for this model.
Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty should be regulars in the Penguins lineup next season. JJ Peterka greatly intrigues the Penguins, and it’s not like the Sabres are steering a stable ship, so maybe Pittsburgh can pry him away. The fourth line is a kids’ line if ever there was one, but there’s serious talent and tenacity there.
Trevor Zegras hasn’t been great the past couple of years. I sense he needs a change of scenery and that he’s a Dubas kind of guy. Rust is great for so many reasons, one of which is that he’ll still be a very good bottom-six player a few years from now.
Defensemen
This is a very, very young blue line. Probably too young. But I love the talent. Harrison Brunicke is going to be a really good NHL defenseman. Finn Harding was a steal in the seventh round, and I think he has a future as a legitimate NHL player. Owen Pickering isn’t going to be a star, but he has a future as a dependable defenseman. Keep your eye on Emil Pieniniemi. The third-round pick can really play.
Is that Mike Matheson’s name? Why yes, it is. Maybe Montreal will want to keep him, but this is an exercise rooted in fun, and nothing is more fun than the Mike Matheson Experience.
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Will Erik Karlsson still be in Pittsburgh at this point? I have serious doubts, but we’ll leave him on the roster for this model while removing Kris Letang. I think Karlsson and Matheson on the same blue is enough for any coaching staff to handle. Letang would be overload.
Goaltenders
Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomquist are the future, make no mistake. Not messing around here. Here’s guessing Tristan Jarry is traded or bought out by this point.
Forwards
I’m predicting that Tage Thompson will soon want out of Buffalo. Why wouldn’t he? A kid fourth line could happen since the Penguins have some real prospects on the way. The Penguins are a lot bigger in this model, which they need.
Defensemen
A nice mix of youth and experience, of jam and skill.
Goaltenders
Thatcher Demko will long have driven everyone in Vancouver nuts by this point. He’s got talent. A good one-two punch.
Forwards
So, let’s say Evgeni Malkin exceeds expectations next season. And the Penguins offer him a one-year deal, if he’s willing to play cheap, in the 2026-27 season. It’s plausible. Maybe Thomas Novak will stick. Maybe the young guys will be better than expected. And maybe it will be really hard for Dubas to rid himself of certain contracts.
Defensemen
Some contracts are harder to move than others. Jackson Smith is an intriguing defenseman in the 2025 draft who will go fairly early in the first round.
Goaltenders
I doubt Jarry will be on the roster by this time, but you never know. Tricky situation.
Forwards
It’s OK to be a dreamer. In the case of Penguins fans, it’s OK to wish for history to repeat itself, too.
Here’s the very top tier of most hyped prospects in hockey history (by age): Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Eric Lindros, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Connor Bedard and … Gavin McKenna. The Penguins have lucked out and gotten two of them. Could they get a third? Sure, anything’s possible. It would be the Penguins way.
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Pretty good second line, right?
O’Brien is a center whom Dubas likes a great deal in the 2025 NHL Draft. Some projections have Porter Martone sliding just a bit in this draft, and if that were to happen, it would behoove the Penguins to select him. Brock Boeser is always linked to the Penguins in rumors, so let’s just will it into existence.
Defensemen
A nice blend of youth and veterans. Letang is going to be very interesting moving forward. He doesn’t appear to be aging well.
Goaltenders
It’s about time that one of the Pittsburgh kids from the 2011 draft — John Gibson — makes his way home. Having a veteran presence with Murashov would probably be a good thing.
(Photo of Erik Karlsson and Sidney Crosby: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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