Penguins’ 5 Reasons for Pessimism Entering 2026-27

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a path to be better than expected, but they also have a path to fall apart quickly. That is the uncomfortable part of the 2026-27 season. President of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has added younger players, kept cap flexibility, and built more competition into the roster. The Penguins are more interesting than they were a few months ago. They are also still fragile.

A recent look at possible Eastern Conference bottom teams included Pittsburgh for a reason. The Penguins’ top returning scorers are older, the goalie room is unproven, and the roster still has several unresolved questions. That does not mean Pittsburgh is destined to finish near the bottom of the East, but it shows how thin the margin could be.

The Penguins have reasons for optimism. These are the five reasons for pessimism entering 2026-27.

1. The Core Is Still Old

Sidney Crosby remains brilliant, which is the biggest reason the Penguins can still talk themselves into being competitive. The problem is how much Pittsburgh continues to need from the same aging group.

Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell can all help, but the roster still leans heavily on players who are deep into their careers. Crosby can still drive the first line. Malkin can still create offense. Letang still carries major minutes. Rust and Rakell remain useful wingers.

That is a strong group historically. It is also a risky foundation now.

Crosby finished last season with 29 goals, 45 assists, and 74 points in 68 games, so he is not the concern by himself. The concern is expecting nearly every important veteran to hold up across an 84-game season. At some point, age shows up through injuries, defensive slips, reduced pace, or simple inconsistency.

The Penguins have spent the offseason trying to add support around that core. Still, if the older players regress together, the younger group may not be ready to cover the difference.

Pittsburgh can survive one veteran decline. It may not be built to survive several at once.

2. The Goalie Room Could Get Volatile Fast

The Penguins’ goalie situation has upside, but it is not safe. Artūrs Šilovs is the most NHL-tested option. Sergei Murashov is the high-upside prospect coming off a strong American Hockey League (AHL) season. Joel Blomqvist remains in the picture as another young option. That trio gives Pittsburgh possibilities, but possibilities do not always turn into stable NHL goaltending.

Šilovs’ one-year Penguins contract gives the team a short evaluation window. If he handles the largest role, the crease becomes much easier to trust. If he struggles, Pittsburgh may have to accelerate Murashov’s timeline or ask Blomqvist to become more than a depth safeguard.

The young goalie situation is one of the biggest swing factors on the roster because Pittsburgh is replacing veteran experience with a group that still has to prove it can handle a full NHL workload. Young goalies can change a season in a good way. They can also make every defensive flaw feel larger.

Murashov’s AHL work is exciting, but he should not be treated like a guaranteed NHL answer yet. Blomqvist’s presence helps, although needing him heavily would probably mean something else went wrong.

The Penguins’ biggest goalie questions all come back to stability. Without it, Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes could start leaking points early.

3. Center Depth Behind Crosby Is Not Settled

The Penguins have center options. They do not have enough center certainty.

Crosby keeps the top of the lineup stable, but the middle behind him remains a question. Malkin is no longer the automatic second-line center solution he was for most of his career. Tommy Novak, Blake Lizotte, Hendrix Lapierre, and Ben Kindel give Pittsburgh different paths, but none has fully claimed the role Pittsburgh needs most.

That uncertainty affects the entire forward group. Novak can bring skill. Lizotte has a clearer defensive identity. Lapierre gives the Penguins a younger option after signing a two-year contract with Pittsburgh. Kindel has the most exciting long-term upside, but asking a young player to solve center depth too quickly could create problems.

The Penguins’ center issue remains unresolved because the team is still sorting through fits instead of relying on a defined structure. That is a difficult way to enter camp, especially when the Metropolitan Division does not offer many soft nights.

If one of Novak, Lapierre, Lizotte, or Kindel grabs a clear role, this concern becomes more manageable. If the position stays unsettled, Pittsburgh may spend the season shifting pieces around without ever finding the right balance.