Penguins’ 5 Breakout Candidates Entering 2026-27

Kindel’s rookie season gave the Penguins a lot to like. His 17 goals, 18 assists and 35 points in 77 games were strong production for an 18-year-old adjusting to the NHL, and his ability to play both center and wing gives head coach Dan Muse more lineup options. Pittsburgh needs that versatility because the middle of the ice behind Crosby still feels unsettled.

The next step is role clarity. Kindel has spent part of the offseason preparing in Vancouver, and his lineup fit could become one of the biggest training camp questions. If the Penguins trust him at center, his value jumps. If they keep him on the wing, he may have an easier path to offensive growth with less defensive burden.

Kindel does not have to become a star immediately. A jump into the 45-to-50-point range with more consistent two-way play would be a major win for Pittsburgh. On an entry-level deal, that kind of production would give the Penguins exactly what they need: young, cheap value in a lineup that cannot afford to lean only on veterans.

2. Egor Chinakhov

Egor Chinakhov may already look like he broke out, but 2026-27 will determine whether last season was the start of something real or just an excellent stretch after a change of scenery.

Chinakhov was one of Pittsburgh’s best stories after arriving from the Columbus Blue Jackets. His 18 goals and 36 points in 43 games with the Penguins were not depth numbers. They were legitimate top-six production, and his shot gave Pittsburgh a different kind of finishing threat.

The Penguins rewarded that surge with a three-year, $18.75 million contract, which changes the expectation. Chinakhov is no longer a low-cost surprise. He is now being paid like a player Pittsburgh expects to help drive the offense for multiple seasons.

That is what makes him a breakout candidate rather than a finished answer. If Chinakhov scores 25-plus goals and proves he can produce away from the immediate excitement of a midseason trade, the Penguins may have found one of their most important forwards for the next phase of the roster. If the shooting percentage falls and the production cools, his contract becomes harder to view as surplus value.

His skill set gives him a real chance. Pittsburgh still needs wingers who can finish plays instead of only extending them, and Chinakhov has already shown he can do that. A full season in a defined top-nine role could turn him from an intriguing success story into a core piece.

3. Sergei Murashov

Sergei Murashov is the highest-upside goalie in the organization, and that alone makes him one of the most important breakout candidates on the roster.

The Penguins’ goalie room is young, talented and risky. Artūrs Šilovs has the most NHL momentum, Joel Blomqvist remains in the picture and Murashov is the prospect who could change the entire plan if he is ready sooner than expected. Pittsburgh’s goalie situation is one of the team’s biggest swing factors because the group has upside without much proven NHL certainty.

Murashov’s case is built on his American Hockey League (AHL) work. His 2025-26 season included a .919 save percentage and 2.20 goals-against average in 38 regular-season games, numbers that put him firmly into Pittsburgh’s NHL conversation. His entry-level contract also gives the Penguins a major cap advantage if he wins a job.

The risk is timing. AHL success does not always translate cleanly, and young goalies can look ready one month and overwhelmed the next. Pittsburgh has to avoid rushing him just because the NHL crease lacks an established veteran safety net.

Still, Murashov has the kind of talent that can force a team to adjust. If he wins the backup job, pushes Šilovs or makes the goalie rotation a real competition, the Penguins’ entire floor changes. The team’s biggest goalie questions start with stability, and Murashov may be the name with the best chance to alter that conversation.

4. Nicholas Robertson

Nicholas Robertson enters the season with a new contract, a fresh start and a real opportunity to become more than he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Penguins signed Robertson to a two-year, $6.5 million contract, avoiding arbitration and giving him a chance to settle into a new organization. That deal does not guarantee a top-nine role, but it does show Pittsburgh is invested enough to find out whether his scoring translates with more trust.

Robertson is coming off career highs. His 16 goals, 16 assists and 32 points in 78 games with the Maple Leafs showed that he can produce in a limited role, especially as a shooter. The Penguins need more of that, particularly if they want to take some of the finishing burden away from Crosby, Malkin, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.

The challenge is fit. Pittsburgh’s forward group is crowded, and Robertson is not the only player who needs offensive opportunity. Chinakhov, Andrei Kuzmenko, Kindel, Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen all create pressure for spots. Robertson’s new deal raised a bigger role question, and training camp should begin answering it.

A breakout for Robertson would not have to be dramatic. A 20-goal season with steadier five-on-five play would make the trade and contract look smart. Anything beyond that would give Pittsburgh another legitimate young winger, which is exactly the kind of internal win this roster needs.

5. Owen Pickering

Owen Pickering has a different path than the forwards on this list, but the opportunity is real. Pittsburgh’s left side still does not feel settled, and that gives him a chance to make the blue-line picture more interesting.

Pickering’s NHL sample is still small. He played four games with Pittsburgh last season, and those appearances did not create a permanent spot. His contract expires after 2026-27 as a restricted free agent, and his cap hit remains low enough that any NHL progress would give the Penguins useful value.

The Penguins need that kind of value on defense. Samuel Girard gives them a legitimate left-shot option, but the rest of the side remains crowded with uncertainty. Ryan Graves has to prove he can still help, Declan Carlile and Ilya Solovyov are depth options and Pickering is the younger player with the most upside if he can take a step.

Pittsburgh’s left-side problem gives Pickering a path, but he still has to claim it. Size alone is not enough. He has to defend cleaner, move pucks quicker and show the coaching staff that he can survive NHL pace without being sheltered.

If he does, the Penguins get a cheap left-shot defenseman at a time when they need one. If he does not, the organization may have to keep searching for a more stable answer.

Penguins Need Internal Growth to Change Their Ceiling

The Penguins’ breakout candidates all represent different needs. Kindel could become a bigger part of the forward core. Chinakhov can prove last season was real. Murashov has the talent to change the goalie plan. Robertson could give Pittsburgh another young scorer. Pickering can help solve a blue-line imbalance.

That is a lot to ask from one group, but the Penguins do not need every player to hit their best-case outcome. They need enough internal growth to make the roster feel less dependent on older stars and short-term fixes.

Dubas has added options. Now Pittsburgh needs separation. The difference between a crowded roster and a better roster is whether players turn opportunity into production.

If two or three of these names break through, the Penguins become much more dangerous than they look on paper. If most of them stall, the team’s season could once again come down to Crosby carrying too much of the load.

That is why these five players are so important entering 2026-27. Their development could decide whether Pittsburgh’s retool has real traction or whether the Penguins are still waiting for the next version of the roster to arrive.