4 predictions for the Penguin’s 2025-26 season – Hockey Writer – Pittsburgh Penguin
As the busy part of the NHL offseason gradually ended, the focus seemed to be on the league training camp, the Pittsburgh Penguins continued to find themselves in a location trying to “rejoin the tool” while earning a chance for Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin and Evgeni Malkin and Evgeni Malkin and Evgeni Malkin and Evgeni Malkin. General Manager (GM) Kyle Dubas made some moves, including hiring a new head coach, Dan Muse, to find the future toward the future. What are the predictions for the team on the ice after another busy offseason for the Penguins?
Rutger McGroarty & Ville Koivunen 40 points per minute
After making his NHL debut last season, Rutger McGroarty won a spot in the opening roster before being sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) of the American Hockey League (AHL) and returning to the season at the end of the season, neither he nor Ville Kooivunen are expected to compete in the game, which is not just competition in the game for the 2025-26 season, but can be played in the 2025-26 season. For McGroarty, having more confidence into the camp after a strong AHL level campaign and a strong Penguin win should help him find ways to play a more prominent role in the lineup. The fact of doing so is that he is playing for a coach who has history. Muse coaches McGroarty on the US National Team Development Program (USNTDP) and is known for its young players. McGroarty’s all-around game and offensive skills hope to translate into the entire season at the NHL level this season.
Related: Pittsburgh Penguin’s Top 15 Prospects: 2025-26 Pre-Season Edition
Koivunen stood out when he entered the Penguins’ roster. He seemed to have built a strong chemistry with Crosby and watched home in the NHL at the end of last season. He has an offensive game that can help him become a playmaker or goal scorer, as long as he puts the puck on the stick. Hopefully, he and McGrotty can bring sparks to the grouping forward and have good reason to believe they can. If things are as expected, it is not impossible for two players to reach the 40-point plateau.
Tristan Jarry’s web playback gets better…but the numbers don’t show
One of the biggest downfalls the Penguins have encountered in the past few seasons is the game between the pipelines. Tristan Jarry signed a long-term extension ahead of several leaves but has been trying to find his consistency. He spent some time with Wilkes-Barre Scranton (12 games) before being brought back to the big clubs that were more than the last month of the season. He does show the glitter of a webmaster who is Penguin signed, but still struggles with his game at times. He will seek to re-enter himself this season, especially among potential clients such as Arturs Silovs, Joel Blomqvist and Sergei Murashov, where everyone may knock on the door to pick up his job.
Jarry’s game and figures last season weren’t 100%, because the Penguins’ defense in front of him certainly didn’t help. I totally hope he will be the goalkeeper the organization expects him to be, but the problem will be that the defense is still not the biggest goalkeeper. Dubas made some moves for the ice’s back-end, including adding Connor Clifton (trade with the Buffalo Sabers) and Parker Wotherspoon (free agent), but it is not expected to change the overall defense significantly. Overall, I predict Jarry will have a steady season in the network, but the face value statistics will mislead him in a negative way.
Veterans continue to move before trade deadlines
If things aren’t going in the right direction for the Penguins, it means they’re watching the playoffs outside, which is a good possibility that they do have some players in the roster and the playoff teams may increase. Players like Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Anthony Mantha, Erik Karlsson and maybe even Jarry are all likely to be moved if they slipped in the season. As the organization looks for the future and has players who become the assets of other teams, it’s easy for Dubas to continue to add future assets to his organization. Whether it comes in the form of more draft picks or younger players, he shows that he is not afraid to take action to help build the future. I totally hope that by the upcoming season, at least two of the aforementioned players will trade from Pittsburgh.
Missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, the Penguins are a lottery team
The current way the lineup is built, the Penguins are more likely to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs again and become the lottery team. After a promotion in the past year’s lottery, there are more opportunities for players like Gavin McKenna or stud guard Keaton Verhoeff to be possible. While missing the playoffs again will sting for fans and organizations, there is a chance to add players like the two mentioned who can be the main work of the future, which will be a big step in the direction of becoming a playoff contender again (although maybe a few more seasons).
The 2025-26 season prospects may not be the greatest
Things may not be the greatest for the Penguins and their fans in this upcoming season, but players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and so on are sure to give fans an exciting moment throughout the season. If things end up being bad for the organization’s performance, then they can still look at the future, and players like McGroarty, Koivunen and Murashov can also be researched.
