NHL Rumor Roundup: Will The Penguins Shake Things Up This Summer?
The Pittsburgh Penguins were expected to miss the playoffs when this season began.
However, the retooling club exceeded expectations, finishing second in the Metropolitan Division with 98 points.
Despite that solid regular-season performance, they were eliminated from the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers. That early exit has some observers wondering if GM Kyle Dubas will continue to retool his roster or make more significant changes.
Post-Mortem: What Should The Pittsburgh Penguins Do With Malkin And Skinner?
The Pittsburgh Penguins' potent offense vanished in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Now, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas faces important decisions with pending UFAs and the path forward.
Dubas will likely continue on his path of transitioning away from older veterans toward promising young talent.
Letting Malkin depart via free agency seems the most likely place to start. Despite the 39-year-old center's bounce-back season and his eagerness to stay, Dubas seems reluctant to get down to serious contract extension talks.
Malkin's departure could affect Crosby's willingness to play out the final season of his contract, but the Penguins captain would likely fulfill that obligation. Whether he'll stick around after that remains to be seen. He has a full no-movement clause, giving him the final say about his future.
Karlsson has a year left on his deal, and his trade value may have improved after his solid performance this season. He still has a cap hit of $11.5 million, with the Penguins carrying $10 million, but he will make $7.5 million in actual salary next season, with the Penguins paying off $6 million of that in a signing bonus on July 1. That will make him more affordable dollar-wise, but his no-movement clause remains a sticking point.
As for Letang, the 39-year-old defenseman has two more years left on his deal with an average annual value of $6.1 million and a 10-team trade list starting next season. It's doubtful another club will take the fading blueliner off the Penguins' hands.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 8:56 AM.