Copyright yardbarker
The task is so daunting that GM Kyle Dubas is already willing to listen on most of his best players. The Penguins are widely regarded as one of the only teams truly selling at this point in time. The Blue Jackets and Penguins are seemingly heading in opposite directions. While 2024-25 was a start, this could finally be the year that the Blue Jackets start to sour past their I-70 counterparts. Let’s look at a few major storylines for the Penguins to start 2025-26. The Penguins are not going to go down without a fight. That’s especially true when the Big-3 are still around. Crosby, Malkin and Letang will do everything they can to keep the team competitive. Unlike Penguins’ teams of the past, they don’t have the depth that helped them win Stanley Cups. Any success this season will need to be because of the Big-3. And of course, there was the “offseason story” about Crosby’s future. It’s really not much of a story given his desire to play his entire career with the Penguins. But should the team fall out of contention, the murmurs will pick back up again. What about Malkin and Letang’s futures in that scenario? Do they have the same desire to finish out with the Penguins? This trade deadline could be one of the most interesting in recent memory should any of the Big-3 express a willingness to be dealt. The Other-3 The Penguins have three other players that many felt would be traded by now. Those are Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson. How will Dubas handle these individual situations? These three players should be able to help at least keep the Penguins competitive to start. All three would help a contender in a playoff run. The timing on potential moves will be interesting to watch. That is if they even come to pass especially in Rust’s case. A Team in Transition The Penguins used the 2025 NHL Draft to make a lot of selections. They added the likes of Ben Kindel, Bill Zonnon and William Horcoff in the first round. Dubas has the tough task of transitioning the team with legacy players on their roster. The 2025-26 season also marks the beginning of the Dan Muse era as head coach. He replaced the departed Mike Sullivan. Player development and teaching will be a major focus.
