The Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping to right the ship after missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season during the 2024-25 NHL campaign. However, that task is much easier said than done. The climb is set to get even steeper for Sidney Crosby, as he’s reportedly losing a key teammate with whom he lifted three Stanley Cups after next season.
The Penguins are one of the biggest candidates to finish at the bottom of the NHL standings next year. While they still feature Sidney Crosby on their lineup, there isn’t many beacons of hope aside from the 37-year-old captain.
Moreover, Pittsburgh is reportedly leaning toward offloading assets rather than acquiring new ones. The organization may be reluctant to admit it, but all signs point to it. The Penguins are entering a full rebuild sooner rather than later.
On that note, star and three-time Stanley Cup champion Evgeni Malkin is reportedly playing his final year in Pittsburgh during the 2025-26 NHL season. Whether he retires from the league altogether, or the 38-year-old signs with a new team is a whole other story.
Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period of the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena on January 22, 2024 in Tempe, Arizona.
“It’s not known if Geno Malkin is going to retire from hockey after this season, but from what I’ve heard, the 2025-26 campaign will be his final season with the Penguins. The Pens are not expected to offer him another contract with the franchise,” The Athletic insider Josh Yohe stated on his X account, formerly Twitter.
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Sidney Crosby's salary: Current contract and how much the Pittsburgh Penguins captain is paid
Tanking?
In addition to Malkin’s reported departure, the Penguins have been fielding calls for key players Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. It’s clearly looking like a plan to clear cap space—potentially at the cost of the team’s competitiveness.
Unsurprisingly, fans are already speculating that the organization might be laying out the red carpet for a generational prospect in next year’s draft class. Which might be just what the doctor ordered to aid the impending decision of Crosby’s retirement in the future. Fans in the City of Bridges don’t want to think about that, however. That is unless they are certain they’ve found their successor, which they might.
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Gavin McKenna, the projected first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, has been turning heads across the continent with his stellar WHL campaign. Just as Crosby arrived during Lemieux’s twilight, McKenna could step in alongside the veteran captain for a few years—before ultimately claiming the throne in Pittsburgh.
