Penguins fans get the Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews teases they want

The uncertain future of Pittsburgh Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin is unquestionably the biggest topic hovering over the club ahead of Memorial Day. 

Pockets of Pittsburgh fans who post on social media and call into local sports-talk programs have passionately made it known they want Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas to bring Malkin back for at least one more season. That said, those supporters would likely forgive Dubas for letting Malkin leave if the executive managed to acquire either Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

For a mailbag published on Friday, Penguins insider Josh Yohe of The Athletic didn't entirely slam the door shut on the idea that either McDavid or Matthews could be sharing a dressing room with Sidney Crosby and fellow Pittsburgh icon Kris Letang this coming fall. 

Could Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews push for a trade to the Penguins? 

"Do I think either one will ever play in Pittsburgh? No. Is it nice for fans to fantasize about? Sure," Yohe wrote. "Would Pittsburgh be pretty high on both of their lists if a trade materialized? I bet it would, especially for McDavid, who has many close friends in nearby Erie, Pa., from his years playing junior hockey there. It’s also only a five-hour drive to his hometown of Toronto. He doesn’t strike me as a guy who wants to play in a huge market, even though he’s from one."

Both Crosby and Letang are under contract and, thus, likely won't want Dubas to embrace a full teardown after Pittsburgh became one of the positive surprises of the 2025-26 season en route to qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

Meanwhile, McDavid only signed a two-year contract extension this past offseason and sounded quite down on the Oilers after they were bounced from the playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round. As for Matthews, he inked a four-year extension in 2023 but could decide this summer that he wants a change of scenery. 

Are the Penguins a realistic landing spot for either Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews?

Yohe noted that McDavid and Matthews may both prefer to play in a media market located in the United States rather than Canada. Additionally, one would think the idea of having Crosby as a teammate for even a season or two would appeal to both McDavid and Matthews, not to mention many others around the league.

"The Penguins do have some real, young talent on the way, loads of cap space, a good general manager and a good coach (Dan Muse)," Yohe added. "The Penguins also do right by their superstars. So, for players like McDavid and Matthews, the Penguins organization has a lot to offer. The real question might be, would Pittsburgh have enough to offer? Its prospect pool is growing, which would help its cause."

It's thought the Penguins' new owners won't want to be seen among paying customers as the "bad guys" who didn't keep Malkin a one-club player through the end of his NHL career. Allowing Dubas to complete a blockbuster trade for a proven superstar could make those owners the toast of the town, but it remains unknown if Dubas truly wants to go down such a road this offseason.