What’s Next For The Pittsburgh Penguins? 2026 Off-Season Plan

1. Let me know your expectations for the Pens this off-season

2. Patrick Laine to the Pens. I'd sign Mantha if the Pens can get him for 1 or 2 seasons only. OVECHKIN TO THE PENS?
   Penguins should trade Kindel, Horcoff (or Zonnon), Blomqvist, Pickering, and a 1st round pick for Auston Matthews. Feel free to throw in and exchange any players for Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen. Horcoff out of the trade and McGroarty in. Koivunen actually SUCKS and McGroarty might be a MID. Matthews playing with Malkin and Chinakhov would be BOSS. Matthews and 87 and the Pens are back.

3. Hi Mike, Victor here. I'm a big Pens fan from Langley City, BC Canada 🇨🇦. I would like to think between keeping up on a couple different Pens podcasts, reading anything from Josh Yohe, and all interviews with Kyle Dubas I am up to date on what's going on in the Pens world.

   If the playoffs showed us anything, it's that our defense needs to be upgraded and our center depth needs attention right away! Yes, some say "Get younger!" but with who, how quickly or not can that happen, and lastly looking at all our top scorers….they're all over 30 years old. Dubas has done an amazing job at restocking our farm and developing players, gaining draft picks, and finally using a couple of those picks to acquiring a couple young players with untapped talent in Chinakov & Solderblom! Chinakhov scored 19 goals in 41 games with the Pens and loved playing with Malkin. They have a whole year together so it'll be interesting to see if 1, Chinakhov can get 40 goals next season 2, most people believe Dubas will extend him this off-season and before July 1st due to another team offer sheeting Chinakhov. The question is on that sample size of a half year and at 25 years old does Dubas sign him for 3-4 years × 6$ mill or so or does he risk 8 years × 7.5$ mill because he'll be a multiple 40 goal a season player so lock him up before he turns into a 10$ mill a year player?

   The rest of the youth were somewhat disappointing last year as many people were hoping to see McGroarty and Koivunen to make the jump to the NHL but their stay was short lived by not playing well. There is hope for another couple players but that may not be in the next couple years. Most of the youth looks like support players at best, 2nd/3rd line players. There doesn't seem right now that there is any standout bluechip players coming up. So, going forward a trade for thar type of talent is next.

   Mantha was a complete no show in the playoffs and as good as his regular season was, when you also take in consideration his injury prone career, what do you offer…..I'd say 1 year or 2 years max at say 5$ mill. Now, after his year, his age, and knowing this will likely be the last time he'll ever get a chance at term in a deal, I believe he'll get offered a 4 year × 5$-6$ mill aav by a team missing depth scoring and is playoff bound.

   Goalies, the Pens have Murashov coming up and will be the 1a & 1b goalie duo with Silvos next year. Murashov last training camp was the best goalie by far but the worry was how long he's been in N. America and how many games he's played in a whole year. After this year in the AHL, and especially this Calder Cup run they are on where in 12 games his gaa is less than 2.00 and save % is .936 he's basically placed himself as an NHL player next year!

   Dubas holds things close to his chest and is hard to read, but I do believe he'll be in discussions with teams to make a big splash on the defensive defenseman who can move the puck (if that dman has offensive abilities too great) and a center (still hoping and praying it's Robert Thomas especially because every great sniper needs a great setup man so Chinakhov 25 years old needs Thomas 26 years old) With a stronger defense and a better offense this team may be a Cup contender in the east. Blessings, Victor 🙏

4. Mantha absolutely no-showed, and looked frightened to play in the post-season. He goes. Acciari, although having an awesome season, needs to go so Pitt can bring up Avery Hayes to play with Lizotte & Dewar. Third line will be Kindel, Brazeau, and Soderblom to start the season. I think Novak, and Rakell might end up being trade bait, along with our first round pick, and maybe a prospect like Rutger McGroarty.

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