The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the 2026‑27 season with a crowded forward group that forces general manager Kyle Dubas to weigh development against immediate competitiveness. With 16 to 18 players vying for just 13 spots, the club must carve out a lineup that can still feature longtime pillars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust while giving emerging talent a chance to prove themselves.
A Logjam at Forward
Crosby, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin, Tommy Novak, Egor Chinakhov, Andrei Kuzmenko, Blake Lizotte and Nicholas Robertson are all but certain to make the roster, leaving only two openings among a pool that includes Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, Hendrix Lapierre, Justin Brazeau, Filip Hallander, Avery Hayes and Tristan Broz. The competition is fierce, and prospects such as Koivunen, despite a point‑per‑game rate in the AHL, have managed only two goals and five assists in 39 NHL games, underscoring the difficulty of translating minor‑league success to the big stage.
Dubas has built the situation around internal competition, a philosophy that he says will sharpen the team’s depth. Yet the same calculus cannot mask the defensive vulnerabilities that linger despite the abundance of forwards. The blue line currently lists just eight healthy defensemen and two goaltenders, a configuration that raises questions about the club’s ability to protect the net and sustain a reliable shutdown game.
The onus falls on players like Koivunen to add muscle in the offseason; otherwise he risks a fate similar to former Penguin Conor Sheary, who faded when physical limitations outweighed skill. Hendrix Lapierre, who has shown flashes of NHL potential, may find himself buried in the logjam unless the front office moves to trade or waive some of the expendable contracts.
Balancing Past and Future
Age, contract status and cap constraints make Brazeau and Hallander attractive trade chips, even though both possess NHL upside. The front office’s willingness to shift assets reflects a broader strategy: preserve the final years of Crosby’s career while carefully nurturing the next generation of talent. The ultimate goal for the Penguins is to remain competitive while laying the groundwork for a sustainable contender. Dubas’s emphasis on competition is clear, but the team’s defensive shortcomings may dictate whether the plan leans more toward short‑term wins or long‑term development.