Breaking Down Recent Pittsburgh Penguins Offseason Rumours

Penguins Rumours

Marco Rossi – A Young Centre Poised To Be a Star

One of the biggest names linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins in rumours recently is centre Marco Rossi. The former ninth-overall pick in 2020 is coming off a productive 24-goal, 60-point season. Rossi is also an RFA, giving the Penguins the chance at a cost-controlled asset. He fits the mould of the players Dubas has consistently said he wants to bring in – mid-20s NHLers.

Currently a member of the Minnesota Wild, the biggest knock on Rossi may be his size. He stands at just 5’9 and 192lbs. Yet, players like Cole Caufield have shown that smaller players have a place in the league. The team has a high draft pick this year at 11. However, most mock drafts have the organization taking a defenceman like Jackson Smith or a winger like Viktor Eklund at this position. With a dearth in their centre group, paying a high price (Such as the Rangers’ first round pick/Rickard Rakell or some combination package) may be worth it for a team hoping to turn things around before Crosby hangs up the skates.

Nic Hague – A Rock-Solid Defenceman

6’6 defenceman Nic Hague seems to be set as the next cap casualty of the Vegas Golden Knights. The team faces cap troubles and have an interest in free agent Mitch Marner. The Golden Knights have a tall hill to climb in signing RFA defenceman Hague. Hague, 26, fits the Penguins’ mission statement of acquiring NHL-calibre players in their mid-20s. Similarly to Rossi, Hague is an RFA, allowing the Penguins to potentially negotiate and complete a deal they find appropriate.

A former second-round pick, Hague has six seasons of NHL experience with the Golden Knights, with a. Stanley Cup on his resume to boot. His point totals are relatively low, with just 83 points in 384 games. However, his true value comes in his stabilizing presence and size. He’s capable of shutting down opposing talent and could slot in nicely on the left side long-term. With reports of Golden Knights defenceman Alex Pietrangelo missing much of the 2025-26 season, Hague isn’t likely to come cheap. While his asking price won’t be as high, Dubas would still need to part with considerable assets to acquire Hague.

Erik Karlsson – A Failed Experiment in Resuscitating a Contender

The Erik Karlsson experiment in Pittsburgh seems primed to go out with a whimper rather than an intended bang. Through two seasons, the once elite defenceman has fallen in performance in recent years. Playing all 82 games in each of his first two seasons with Pittsburgh, Karlsson scored 56 and 53 points respectively. These totals are already slightly down from his usual point-per-game totals in the NHL over his career. Where Karlsson has really struggled, though, is defensively. The aging Karlsson and Letang duo were relied upon to help guide the Penguins defence. With both players aging, the plan backfired. Especially considering the organization has failed to make the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.

Even with the salary cap going up in each of the next three seasons, Kyle Dubas will be hard-pressed to find a team willing to take on all $10 million of Karlsson’s cap hit with the Penguins, owed to him for two more years. It’s likely Dubas would have to get creative in a move to trade him. However, Karlsson still holds substantial value at a reduced cap hit. The Seth Jones trade may be a good comparable, where the Chicago Blackhawks offloaded Jones to acquire a first-round pick and goaltender Spencer Knight from the Florida Panthers. Notably, Jones’ cap hit was $9.5 million per season, from which the Blackhawks retained $2.5 million to aid the Panthers in their cap structure. A deal in this vein could provide valuable assets to a rebuilding Penguins team that has already amassed a wealth of draft picks over the next three seasons.

Final Thoughts

A tear-it-down rebuild seems less and less likely for the Penguins. Kyle Dubas has already the team up with a ton of assets over the next three seasons, hoping to obtain players that can be mentored by the teams veterans, and develop into the next crop of Penguins stars. In working towards this version of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team has been rumoured to be interested in players like Rossi and Hague, both of whom could make a significant impact on the team in their respective role. Meanwhile, players like Erik Karlsson and forward Rickard Rakell exist in a more redundant role, too good for a rebuilding team, and needing crafty moves to maximize their values to a contender. With a busy offseason approaching, it’ll be interesting to see what kinds of moves the Penguins pull the trigger on.