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[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Looking at the Penguins’ salary cap situation in 2025-26

Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images

The Penguins are heading into the summer with nine potential free agents and a projected $24.5 million in cap space.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are projected to rank top ten in cap space among NHL teams when free agency opens in three weeks.

Here’s a look at the Penguins’ cap situation ahead of the June 27-28 NHL draft and July 1 beginning of unrestricted free agent signings.

Like the rest of the league, the Pens will benefit from the upcoming rise of the salary cap, which is projected to increase by $7.5 million to an upper limit of $95.5 million next season.

The Penguins currently have five restricted free agents in Connor Dewar, Philip Tomasino, Vasiliy Ponomarev, Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Conor Timmins.

The Pens will also have four players hitting unrestricted free agents in Matt Nieto, Boko Imama, Joona Koppanen and Matt Grzelcyk.

Without any of those players re-signed, the Penguins are heading into the 2025-26 campaign with 18 active roster players signed and what PuckPedia projects as $24.5 million in cap space.

That’s good for the 10th-most cap space in the NHL, according to PuckPedia.

puckpedia.com

puckpedia.com

Dubas hasn’t committed to wanting to bring any RFAs back. He told DK Pittsburgh Sports’ Taylor Haase on June 7 that the Penguins still needed to “stack those guys up versus what’s going be available on the market, and for how much, and make the best decisions for the club.”

The Penguins GM also didn’t commit to pursuing Grzelcyk, but said the team “has made it clear” to Imama they want him to return, per Haase. Imama played last season on a one-year, $775,000 deal.

Cap space available could also change before the 2025-26 season if players like Kris Letang, who underwent heart surgery in April, or Imama, who underwent bicep surgery with a four-to-six month recovery timeline in late March, start the season on LTIR.

After July 1 signings like Ryan Graves and Tristan Jarry went wrong for the Penguins, it sounds like Kyle Dubas will be more cautious about using this space to make a splash when free agency opens next month.

Kyle Dubas indicated when speaking with The Athletic’s Josh Yohe earlier this week that he plans to use that space on extending trade acquisitions rather than signing free agents. As Yohe wrote about Dubas’ plans:

Dubas and the Penguins have a bushel of draft picks and several veterans they’re willing to trade. In return, they hope to acquire young, talented players who, for whatever reason, are no longer proper fits on their teams.

If the Penguins are aggressive in the next month, it’s likely to be on the trade market more than in free agency.

“Yeah,” Dubas said, confirming that he’ll potentially be busy on the trade market. “Trade, (then) sign guys for longer range (after they’ve been acquired). UFA isn’t a good place to find good value.”

Dubas can consider longer-term contracts given the upcoming expiration of several contracts currently restricting the team’s salary cap.

Eight current contracts (notably including Evgeni Malkin’s) are set to expire ahead of the 2026-27 season, leaving the franchise with a projected $53.8 million in cap space, per PuckPedia.

puckpedia.com

It is not yet clear if Malkin will be back for the 2026-27 campaign. He did tell The Athletic’s Rob Rossi in February that he would be back for another season after 2024-25, and that when he eventually retired it would be with Pittsburgh.

PuckPedia’s numbers reflect the projected rise of the salary cap over the next few seasons, which is estimated to jump to $104 million in 2026-27 and $113.5 million in 2027-28, according to a January NHL Players’ Association memo obtained by ESPN.

Those numbers could change based on outside factors, ranging from tariffs impacting exchange rate between the U.S. and Canada and the collective bargaining agreement currently being negotiated by the NHL and NHLPA ahead of the current CBA’s September 2026 expiration.

But the current expectation is for the cap to continue rising, giving Dubas the projected space to continue an almost complete rebuild of this roster over the next few seasons.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/6/10/24446225/looking-at-the-penguins-salary-cap-situation-in-2025-26

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Mario Lemieux, Ron Burkle trying to buy Penguins back?

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Old owners might be trying to get back in the game

Pierre LeBrun had a juicy bit of information:

Hearing from sources that the group of Ron Burkle, Mario Lemieux and David Morehouse are investigating the possibility of buying back the Penguins from Fenway Sports. Burkle and Lemieux sold the Penguins to Fenway in 2021. Fenway has been looking to sell a partial share. Will be…

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 11, 2025​

Hearing from sources that the group of Ron Burkle, Mario Lemieux and David Morehouse are investigating the possibility of buying back the Penguins from Fenway Sports. Burkle and Lemieux sold the Penguins to Fenway in 2021. Fenway has been looking to sell a partial share. Will be interesting to see where this goes…

LeBrun followed up:

The Burkle/Lemieux/Morehouse group declined comment via a representative.
Also hearing that Fenway is already talking to another group. So lots of moving parts in all this. https://t.co/BII89YYvXK

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 11, 2025​

Fenway Sports Group bought the Penguins in 2021, in a deal that closed on December 31st for approximately $900 million dollars. It was a good investment at a good time, the Penguins were value was placed at $1.75 billion in the latest Forbes rankings in fall 2024 in the midst of franchise values exploding across the NHL.

It was reported earlier in the year that FSG was looking to sell a minority stake in team.

Lemieux and FSG have had an interesting relationship, with Lemieux controlling a very small percentage of the team. Unlike from his retirement in 2005 to 2021, Lemieux is almost never seen at games any longer, with tensions believed to be high regarding how a dispute of Lemieux Group minority owners was handled by the conglomerate and former owner.

It remains unknown if Lemieux, Burkle and company would seek a controlling interest or a smaller share, but there’s no doubt the franchise legend looking to get back involved with the franchise will provide intrigue in the future.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/6/11/24447594/mario-lemieux-ron-burkle-trying-to-buy-penguins-back

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

On this date in Penguins history: June 12th, a great day for Pittsburgh hockey

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Two of the Penguins five Stanley Cup titles were won on June 12th.

June 12th is a great day in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise as two of the team’s five Stanley Cup titles were won on this date.

In 2009, the Penguins pulled off what seemed like the impossible and went into Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and beat the Red Wings in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, winning the franchise’s first championship in 17 years.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Max Talbot scored the biggest goals of his career when he beat Chris Osgood twice.

From there, the Penguins hung on for dear life to beat the veteran-led Red Wings 2-1 as Marc-Andre Fleury made a late diving save on a shot from Nicklas Lidstrom to seal the victory for Pittsburgh.

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Seven years later, after years of early playoff exits and disappointments, the Penguins came up big with another road in the Stanley Cup Final, beating the Sharks in San Jose to win the title in 2016.

Photo by MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images

This time around, it was a different type of feel as the Penguins clinched the victory.

In 2009, the Penguins hung on for victory, holding off a ferocious comeback attempt from the Red Wings.

This version of victory was in much more of a dominant fashion. Brian Dumoulin opened the scoring for the Penguins before Logan Couture tied things up for San Jose in the second period, followed by a remarkable shift and goal from Kris Letang, who put Pittsburgh back on top.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The Penguins held onto this lead, stifling the Sharks during the third period, only allowing them to get two shots on goal in the final frame of the game and series.

With two titles won on this date, June 12th definitely has a special place in Penguins history as a great day for hockey.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/6/12...y-june-12th-a-great-day-for-pittsburgh-hockey

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Trade or pass: Looking at the NHL’s trade boards for potential Penguins matches

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The Pittsburgh Penguins figure to be active in the trade market this offseason. Let’s see if there are some potential matches.

Now that the Pittsburgh Penguins have their head coach in place, attention is going to be shifting to the roster that Dan Muse is going to be working with when the 2025-26 season begins. The Penguins are not expected to be overly active in free agency, but do figure to be heavily involved in the trade market. That could mean selling off their own veterans as part of their transition phase (Erik Karlsson ... we’re looking at you), or trying to turn some of their supply of draft picks into more immediate/near-term NHL help.

We have already talked endlessly about the players on the Penguins roster that could be dealt, so let’s take a look at some of the outside options that they might be in the market to acquire.

Specifically, let’s look at some of the various NHL offseason trade boards and see who might be a good match and who should be avoided.

Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
Age: 25
Contract status: One-year remaining at $7.75 million, and then one more year of restricted free agency before UFA status

Good match for the Penguins? The possibility of Robertson being available for a trade seems .... kind of baffling .... but there is plenty of smoke around his name going into the offseason. He is one of the best players on one of the NHL’s best teams and is still very much in the prime of his career. If the Penguins were even remotely close to contending I would say “shut up and take my draft picks” and want the Penguins to do whatever they could to acquire him.

Players this good, still in their prime, do not become available very often.

But with the Stars in the middle of a salary cap crunch, Robertson due for a new contract, and the Stars going through some stuff after another Western Conference Final loss the idea is at least being presented.

I love Robertson as a player. I think the Stars should keep him (beyond this season). And if they don’t, teams should be lining up to fight for the right to trade for him.

But the Penguins shouldn’t be one of those teams. Even though Robertson is still in a prime age and is a salary cap steal this upcoming season, his next contract will be significant, and acquiring him would likely cost multiple first-round picks and a top prospect. The Penguins are not in a position to be trading any of their three first-round picks over the next two years (and certainly not their 2026 pick ... or that Rangers pick if it is in 2026), or a Rutgery McGroarty or Ville Koivunen, for one player in their mid-20s that’s about to see their price skyrocket.

The price in terms of assets would likely just be too high for where the Penguins are this offseason.

Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild
Age: 23
Contract status: Restricted free agent

Good match for the Penguins? In terms of likely cost it’s a better match than Robertson, even if Rossi isn’t as good of a player.

The Wild seem to have lost some faith in Rossi after reducing his role in the playoffs and don’t seem willing to match his asking price as a restricted free agent. At this point it almost seems like it’s a matter of when, and not if, he gets traded this offseason.

For me it would ultimately come down to price — both in terms of trade assets and what Rossi is going to command.

I know he’s smaller and doesn’t fit the “let’s get tougher to play against” mindset that Kyle Dubas seems to have this offseason, but he’s a slick offensive player that is likely still improving and could be a significant part of the next good Penguins team. With Evgeni Malkin likely entering his final season you’re going to need a No. 2 center sooner rather than later. Could Rossi be that sort of player?

This is at least a call you make and see if the asking price is within reason. I don’t know if it would be. But it would 100 percent be less than Robertson’s asking price, while still potentially bringing you a long-term fit.

Bowen Byram, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 23
Contract status: Restricted free agent

Good match for the Penguins? Byram hasn’t yet become the star that he was projected to be when he first broke into the league, but 1) he’s still only 23, and 2) he’s also still one heck of a player. His 1.31 points per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play were 14th among NHL defensemen this past season despite playing on a pretty lousy team.

The left side of the Penguins defense is a short-term and long-term black hole of talent, and Byram could step into the lineup tomorrow and be their best option on that side while also being a long-term fit.

He’s good. He’s productive. He’s also probably going to be in extremely high-demand given the lack of quality defensemen on the free agent market.

The Penguins should be interested from a hockey standpoint. But the asking price is going to be a likely deterrent.

JJ Peterka, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 23
Contract status: Restricted free agent

Good match for the Penguins? The vibes in Buffalo have to be absolutely rancid for them to have players like Byram and Peterka that are in their early 20s and on the trade block. Very grim, bleak situation.

As for Peterka, I put him in the same category as Robertson: Love the fit from a hockey standpoint, love the player, but the asking price is probably going to be beyond what the Penguins should be paying at this point.

Isaac Howard, Tampa Bay Lightning
Age: 21
Contract status: Unsigned former first-round pick

Good match for the Penguins? Okay, now we’re talking. The reigning Hobey Baker Award winner does not seem likely to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he is very much on the trade block. Dubas showed a year ago that he is willing to make a move on players like this when he acquired McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets, so it’s definitely worth kicking the tires on Howard.

There seems to be a pretty wide range of opinions on his NHL upside (some people love him; some people don’t), but he’s a talented player that could add to the prospect depth.

Matias Maccelli, Utah Mammoth
Age: 24
Contract status: One year remaining at $3.425 million and then a restricted free agent

Good match for the Penguins? Maccelli’s first two years in the NHL were pretty impressive from an offensive and play-making standpoint. During his first years in the league he was averaging 1.54 assists per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play (18th in the NHL) and 0.88 primary assists per 60 minutes (43rd in the NHL). Then in year three everything sort of bottomed out for him, his production dropped and he found himself as a regular healthy scratch. Now he could find himself out of Utah entirely.

The Penguins have 20 picks in rounds 2-5 over the next three seasons. The more picks you make, the more likely you are to find a future NHL player. But part of the reason you collect that many picks is so you can also take a flier on a talented player that might need a change of scenery. If you could get him for one of those mid-round picks .... I would be all over it.

Rebuilding isn’t just about selling off veterans for draft picks and prospects. Sometimes it’s about taking on cheap reclamation projects. Maybe you rebuild their value into something you can trade for a bigger return in the future. Maybe you find a player that can be a long-term fit. Maybe it fails and you end up with the same result as most mid-round picks — nothing.

Lukas Reichel, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 23
Contract status: One year remaining at $1.2 million and then restricted free agent

Good match for the Penguins? Speed and talent are not lacking for him, but consistency certainly is. Everything I just said about Maccelli also applies here. I don’t know how much urgency the Blackhawks would have in moving him given the status of their own rebuild, but Frank Seravalli has him at No. 23 on his most recent trade board. I think he’s worth calling about to see if a coach that excels with teaching the game can bring something out of him with a fresh start.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/6/12...s-trade-boards-for-potential-penguins-matches

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Checking in on some mock drafts

Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images

Here’s who the experts have the Penguins taking two weeks out from the draft.

We are just two weeks out from the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft and mock drafts are starting to pour in from different outlets from across the hockey media sphere.

Across the board on these mocks, the consensus has emerged that defenseman Matthew Schaefer will be going first overall to the New York Islanders followed by Michael Misa at No. 2 to the San Jose Sharks. After that, the selections become mixed with various players being chose from the third pick onwards.

What this means for the Pittsburgh Penguins is who is available for them to select when they are are up No. 11 will depend on how they first ten picks play out and which rout they choose to go once they are on the clock is anyone’s guess.

One quick note before we dive into the mocks. All have the Penguins picking at their assigned No. 11 slot, but all have the New York Rangers holding onto the No. 12 pick, meaning the Penguins will only get one selection in the first round.

The Rangers have until 48 hours before the draft to make its final decision on whether to transfer the No. 12 pick this season or hand over their 2026 pick to the Penguins.

Now, let’s get into the selections.

Corey Pronman, Scott Wheeler, NHL Staff; The Athletic​

The Selection: Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD, Barrie (OHL)

All three of the most recent mock drafts from The Athletic are being grouped together as one since all three have the Penguins selecting OHL defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson with the No. 11 pick. Aitcheson is a name many readers may be familiar with already since he was highlighted here on Pensburgh last week.

Aitcheson profiles as a physical defenseman who possess the skills to be a top four defenseman in the NHL. Pronman has him listed right at No. 11 in his latest prospect rankings and he came in at No. 14 on Bob McKenzie’s consensus big board.

From Pronman:

Aitcheson adds significant physicality to Pittsburgh’s system while also having the size, mobility and skill of a top-four NHL defenseman.

From Wheeler:

Going into the combine, Lynden Lakovic is a name I kept hearing a number of the teams in the 11-19 range liked. Then he did well in his interviews, by the sounds of it. I think he’s going to go higher than people think, and I think the Penguins are the start of where he’s in the mix. But lefties Aitcheson and Jackson Smith make a lot of sense for their pool, which has emerging righty Harrison Brunicke but little coming on the left side. The Penguins also spent time with both at the combine.

From The Athletic NHL Staff; Josh Yohe:

The Penguins’ system is improving greatly, but it’s still nothing special. Kyle Dubas is in “take the best player available” mode because the Penguins need help everywhere.

Their blue line is a particular problem, especially at the NHL level. Aitcheson can help. That he provides such a physical dimension only helps. The Penguins need size and physicality more than just about any NHL team. This is a pick that would make plenty of sense. — Josh Yohe

Adam Kimelman & Mike G. Morreale; NHL.com​

The Selection(s)
Kimelman: Brady Martin, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Morreale: Jackson Smith, D, Tri-City (WHL)

Over at NHL.com, deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman and senior draft writer Mike Morreale teamed up on the site’s most recent mock draft with each selecting a different player for the Penguins at No. 11.

Kimelman went forward for the Penguins here, meeting the required Kyle Dubas/Soo Greyhound quota in the process with Martin. Morreale stuck with defense in line with The Athletic, but went with Smith since he had Aitcheson off the board. In our draft prospect previews, McKenzie has Martin at No. 12 on his board with Smith coming in at No. 10.

From Kimelman:

Martin doesn’t have the prototypical power-forward size but plays far bigger, and his tenacity and competitiveness are among the best in this year’s draft class. He made a strong final impression on scouts by helping Canada win the gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Under-18 Championship with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in seven games. At his best he should be a big contributor on the power play and penalty kill.

From Morreale:

With good speed and movement through the neutral zone to lead the rush, Smith (6-3, 195) had 54 points (11 goals, 43 assists) in 68 games. A fan of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski, Smith can run the first unit on the power play or penalty kill, can finish hits, and take charge in transition. Pittsburgh could use more young depth on the back end.

TheScore​

The Selection: Roger McQueen, C, Brandon (WHL)

Not to spoil anything, but of all the selections made by the Penguins in these mock drafts, Roger McQueen is the highest ranked according to Bob McKenzie, coming in at No. 8 on his big board. McQueen was featured last month in our draft prospect preview.

If McQueen were to drop down to the Penguins at No. 11, he’s certainly a player they will take a long look at considering they want to add size according to reports. McQueen stands at a towering 6’5” and is pushing 200 pounds. He could be a force up the middle for the Penguins for years to come.

From TheScore:

Pittsburgh swings for the fences and lands McQueen, who’d be long gone if he hadn’t missed significant time to heal a spinal stress fracture. The slick 6-foot-5 center only played 70 games over the past two WHL seasons, and his draft year was almost a write-off. McQueen is forceful, gets to scoring areas, and doesn’t need much space to make creative, deceptive moves or bury the puck.

Jordan Orth; The Hockey Writers​

The Selection: Carter Bear, LW, Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Offense rules the day for the Penguins over at The Hockey Writers with them selection Silvertips leading scorer Carter Beat at No. 11 overall. Bear was tearing up the WHL before going down with a lacerated Achilles tendon that ended his season before the WHL playoffs.

What the injury does to his draft stock remains to be seen, but Bear is expected to make a full recovery. He led the Silvertips with 82 points before going down and his absence played a big role in them missing out on winning the WHL title and a shot at the Memorial Cup. He was recently profiled here at Pensburgh, coming in at No. 13 in our rankings accoridng to Bob McKenzie.

From Jordan Orth:

The Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves in a spot where they could add at any position, with their farm system still on the upswing. Taking a defenseman like Jackson Smith or Kashawn Aitcheson was not out of the question here, but being able to add a player of Carter Bear’s skill set offensively ultimately led to this pick. Bear has the offensive game and mindset to be either a playmaker or a goal-scoring threat, which the Penguins are in need of outside of Rutger McGroarty. He has the ability to play down the wing or at the center position, too. He may take a bit longer to get to the NHL, but the upside that he has makes him the selection at number 11.

Sam Russell; Bleacher Nation​

The Selection: Roger McQueen, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

It’s a second helping of Roger McQueen for the Penguins at No. 11, this time courtesy Sam Russell at Bleacher Nation. As mentioned above, McQueen fits the mold of what the Penguins are rumored to be looking for in the draft. If he does slip down the board a bit on draft night you could very well hear his name called by Kyle Dubas.

From Russell:

Roger McQueen did miss a good chunk of the season thanks to a back injury, but he has great size (6’5″, 192) and a big shot to go with a high motor. He competed in all the combine testing and looks healthy.

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Just two weeks out from the 2025 NHL Draft, and who the Penguins could land at the No. 11 pick remains up in the air which is to be expected when the consensus of who goes where ends as early as second overall. Much of the Penguins fate will be determined by who goes where ahead of them and what’s left on the board when they go on the clock.

No one knows for certain which players will slide and which will climb, but regardless of the unknown, it feels like the Penguins will be getting a good prospect that bolsters the system one way or another.

One thing to keep in mind is the New York Rangers at No. 12. No one seems to have any clue what plans they have for that pick and they have until Wednesday, June 25 to make a final decision on keeping that selection or handing it over to the Penguins. That decision could certainly change the calculus of how Dubas operates and it will certainly change some of the mock drafts we highlighted above.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/6/13...son-martin-smith-bear-mcqueen-dubas-prospects

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Penguins bring back Boko Imama on one-year contract

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

One year deal worth league minimum, but somehow a little more

Kyle Dubas had often repeated a willingness to re-sign forward Boko Imama, so it’s of little surprise when the news broke Friday afternoon that the team has done just that.

The Penguins have re-signed forward Boko Imama to a one-year contract.

The contract will run through the 2025.26 campaign and carries an average annual value of $775,000 at the NHL level.

Details: https://t.co/4h6aG6vOxR pic.twitter.com/LPNsRdDXEu

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 13, 2025​

From the team:

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Boko Imama to a one-year contract, it was announced today by President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas.

The contract will run through the 2025-26 campaign and carries an average annual value of $775,000 at the NHL level.

Imama, 28, spent the 2024-25 season split between Pittsburgh and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League. The 6-foot-1, 221-pound forward scored one goal in 16 games with Pittsburgh, and added three goals, two assists and five points in 24 games at the AHL level.

The Montreal, Quebec native has spent the past nine seasons (2017-25) splitting time between the NHL and AHL. Imama has appeared in 31 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Arizona, recording two goals. During his AHL tenure, he has played in 334 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Belleville, Tucson and Ontario, tallying 77 points (32G-45A).

Prior to turning professional, Imama spent five seasons (2012-17) in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with Baie-Comeau and Saint John. During his time in Saint John he served as assistant captain for two years and helped lead them to a QMJHL Championship (2017). During 276 regular season games, he scored 123 points (71G-52A), and added 24 points (9G-15A) in 51 playoff games.

Imama was a hit in Pittsburgh this past season as a minor league call-up. He provided the team some energy, toughness and his positive attitude and spirit helped earn him the team’s nomination for the Masterton trophy. Imama appeared in 16 NHL games and 24 down with AHL Wilkes-Barre.

The good news for Imama is that the team’s interest in him also garnered him a premium salary. While Imama’s salary cap hit will be a league minimum $775,000 for time spent in the AHL, he’s getting a pretty generous guaranteed salary of $525,000 — regardless of whether he’s playing in the NHL or the minor leagues.

The #LetsGoPens re-signed 28 y/o UFA F Boko Imama to 1 year deal

NHL 775K
Minors 450K
Guaranteed 525K

1G in 16 NHL GP, 5P in 24 AHL GP

Rep'd by @walsha @OctagonHockey https://t.co/y5BBlstrNU

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) June 13, 2025​

Imama got in two fights with Pittsburgh, and asked for about a million more scraps that opponents declined. They’ll have him back in the fold and ready to go again when the team needs that added boost or energy or a tough guy to protect them in 2025-26.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/6/13/24448910/penguins-bring-back-boko-imama-on-one-year-contract

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Penguins sign prospect Melvin Fernstrom

David Reginek-Imagn Images

Winger prospect won Swedish rookie of the year last season

The Penguins took care of another piece of business on Friday, signing 19-year old Swedish prospect Melvin Fernstrom to a standard three-year entry level contract.

The Penguins have signed forward Melvin Fernstrom to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Details: https://t.co/zrVQJj4TRj pic.twitter.com/W4GgPPFyvy

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 13, 2025​

From the team:

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Melvin Fernstrom to a three-year, entry-level contract, it was announced today by President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas.

Fernstrom, 19, split the 2024-25 season with Örebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League, the top professional league in Sweden, and their J20 Nationell team. In 48 games with the SHL team, the 2025 SHL Rookie of the Year scored eight goals, nine assists and 17 points, all of which ranked first among league rookies. Meanwhile, in 12 games with their J20 Nationell team, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound forward scored 11 goals, seven assists and 18 points.

Over the course of two years from 2023-25, the Balsta, Sweden native appeared in 54 SHL games with Örebro HK, tallying 17 points (8G-9A). Additionally, over three years from 2022-25, Fernstrom suited up in 66 games with the J20 Nationell team, scoring 42 goals, 40 assists, 82 points and was a plus-33. Fernstrom appeared in 13 playoff games with the J20 Nationell team, scoring eight goals, nine assists and 17 points. His best season with the J20 Nationell team came during the 2023-24 season, when his 31 goals led the league and helped his team secure a silver medal in the league championship.

Fernstrom has represented his native country on the international stage as well. The forward earned a bronze medal with Sweden at the 2024 World Under-18 Championship, recording eight points (3G-5A) in seven games. He also participated in the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, registering five points (3G-2A) in four games.

Fernstrom was originally selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the third round (93rd overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. The Penguins acquired the forward from the Canucks on January 31.

Kyle Dubas talked about the SHL rookie of the year a bit in May.

Melvin Fernstrom wins Rookie of the Year in the Swedish Hockey League. The 19-year-old had 17 points in 48 games, including 11 in the last 19.

Pittsburgh acquired the forward from Vancouver in the Marcus Pettersson/Drew O'Connor trade. This is what Kyle Dubas said at the time pic.twitter.com/bZENaivYui

— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) May 18, 2025​

He’s not mistaken about being an offensive-minded scoring winger. Fernstrom has a wicked shot.

Given Fernstrom’s young age (19), he can still be assigned back to Sweden for 2025-26 and have the start of his entry level contract slide up a season and not begin until 2026-27. That might be the smart play considering Fernstrom still spent time in the Swedish junior league last season and could use a little more seasoning and experience before he will be ready to make a move towards competing for an NHL roster spot.

Fernstrom’s future development will go a long way towards being a sneaky key in determining how well the trade he was involved in pans out from the Pittsburgh perspective. The Pens sent Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor — both impending free agents — to Vancouver for a New York Rangers first round pick and Fernstrom. (Plus Danton Heinen and Vincent Desharnais, the latter two veterans included to offset salary). The Cancuks have re-signed both Pettersson and O’Connor to multi-year contracts. Now the Pens will shift into development mode to try and make something of their futures-based return.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/6/14/24449101/penguins-sign-prosepect-melvin-fernstrom

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

The biggest Penguin killers in the NHL for 2024-25

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Who caused the most pain for the Pens this season?

This is one of my more fun to write summer pieces: which opponents feast on the Penguins? It’s a good blend of memory, confirmation bias and also some surprises along the way. Here’s some prior year works if you want to check on it from over the years:

Penguin killers 2019
Penguin killers 2022
Penguin killers 2023
Penguin killers 2024

For 2023-24, it was a couple of superstars in David Pastrnak and Nikita Kucherov that took the overall title by each scoring seven points in just three games a piece against Pittsburgh. That isn’t a huge shocker, Kucherov won the Art Ross trophy that season with 144 points. Pasta wasn’t too far behind in fifth place (though at 110 points, he was fairly far behind by that metric). The worst line for the Pens to see that year was when Detroit used Alex Debrincat, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond; each Red Wing recorded six points a piece in three games against the Pens. One of the biggest surprises or players that didn’t really fit was Philadelphia’s Tyson Foerster. Foerster scored 20 goals in 2023-24, fattening his season with four goals in as many games against Pittsburgh (he’d score only 16 in the other 73 games of the season).

Who are the main offenders in the 2024-25 season? Let’s check nhl.com and see!

Surprise, surprise, it was another year of Kucherov showing well against the Pens this season by producing six points in three meetings. But Kucherov was dethroned this year by Vincent Trocheck and Nathan MacKinnon’s performances of seven points versus the Pens. MacKinnon wins the tiebreaker since as an out-of-conference opponent he only got two cracks at the Pens, compared to division-rival Trocheck getting four games.

MacKinnon was at his most dominant with a five-point game (1G+4A) in a Colorado 6-2 win over the Pens in December. In recent prior seasons the Avalanche were always shockingly a good matchup for Pittsburgh, who found a way to dig deep and compete against a strong Colorado team. That trend went completely out the window in 2024-25, Colorado swept the season series against the Pens, outscoring them 10-3 in the aggregate.

Trocheck always seems to have a little fire in the belly against his hometown team, it was a down year for him with 59 points this year, but he recorded seven of them against the Pens.

Philadelphia’s Bobby Brink was the “one of these names in the top-10 don’t quite look like the others” type of performance out of no where with five points in four games against the Pens this season. Brink did have a pretty good first full season in the NHL with 41 points in 79 games, the best night of the season coming with a four-point game in February for the Flyers against the Pens. Teammate Noah Cates took over in Foerster’s stead for the surprise goal-scorer lead of four goals in four games against Pittsburgh (Cates only scored 12 goals in the other 74 non-Pittsburgh games this season).

If the Pens are scouting Bowen Byram as a potential addition this summer, they won’t have far to go to find good tape on him. Just look at the games against Pittsburgh, no NHL defender produced more points (5) than Byram against the Pens in 2024-25.

The old Red Wing line still found plenty of space against the Pens this season for the second year in a row. Larkin (three points in three games) was good, his frequent partners in Debrincat and Raymond (five points a piece) still lit Pittsburgh up. Playing young, fast, skilled teams has been a major challenge for the Pens and the stats of the top Detroit players illustrates that.

Here’s the scoring list from 2021-22 to current in the recent post-COVID seasons.

It’s a great thing the Pens only have to see Connor McDavid twice a year. McDavid “only” managed to put up 0G+3A in his two matchups against Pittsburgh this season but remains the leading recent scorer against Pittsburgh over the past few years.

Penguin goalies, defenders and coaches alike can rejoice that Chris Kreider was sent to the Western Conference in a trade to Anaheim. Kreider put up 2G+1A in three contests against the Pens this season and has been darn near worth a goal per game when he plays Pittsburgh. Surprisingly only one of his 12 goals coming while on the power play at that. Similarly, the Pens won’t have minded seeing Brock Nelson ink a contract extension with Colorado considering how much damage he’s done to the black and gold over the years.

New Jersey’s Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt are among the scoring leaders too, they get a boost from frequently playing the Pens but have been a big reason that Pittsburgh has seemingly had so many problems with the Devils lately. You don’t have to go far to see why, some of their top players are showing up consistently on the scoreboard.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/6/15/24449195/the-biggest-penguin-killers-in-the-nhl-for-2024-25

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Malkin’s Final Bow?

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

All signs point to 2025-26 being Evgeni Malkin’s final season with the Penguins.

All good things must come to and end, and having Evgeni Malkin in a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform for almost two decades has been one of the best things to ever happen to both the franchise and the player. Sadly, it appears the end is nigh for Malkin and the Penguins.

This news doesn’t come as a complete shock knowing the 2025-26 season will be Malkin’s 20th in the NHL and he will be 39 years old when the puck drops in October. He’s also entering the final year of a four-year contract and will need a new deal next offseason or he will hit free agency.

On Monday, Josh Yohe published a report in The Athletic detailing where things stand between the future Hall of Famer and the only franchise he has ever called home. Yohe doesn’t sugarcoat the situation and gets right to the heart of the matter in his report.

From The Athletic:

PITTSBURGH — Evgeni Malkin will return for his 20th campaign with the Penguins next season.

It will be his last in Pittsburgh.

While it remains unclear if future Hall of Fame center will retire following the 2025-26 season, the Penguins are not expected to offer him another contract with the franchise, sources within the organization said.

Again, this news will not come as a great surprise given the circumstances, but if Malkin does indeed intend on playing past this season, seeing him wearing another team’s jersey may be tough to stomach for fans.

Of course there is no guarantee Malkin laces up the skates in 2026-27, but if he does he could very well head back home to Russia for a farewell tour with him home town club Magnitogorsk of the KHL. It should also be noted that when he’s not living in Pittsburgh, he owns a home in Miami, making the Florida Panthers a possible destination if he intends to continue his NHL career past next season.

Whatever Malkin’s plans are post 2025-26, they play out away from Pittsburgh unless there is a sudden change of heart from the Penguins, however, that does not seem likely to happen short of an out-of-this-world 2025-26 season from Malkin.

Again, per Yohe in The Athletic:

What is apparent to the Penguins’ front office, however, is that Malkin is declining and, at his age, isn’t likely to have a late-career resurgence. Malkin still showed flashes last season, but the Penguins, who are very much pushing a youth movement, do not believe that bringing him back after he turns 40 is sensible.

While seeing Malkin leave will be the closing of an important and successful chapter in Penguins history, we still have next season to enjoy one last ride with Geno. Yohe digs into what plans the front office is putting together to make sure Malkin’s last hurrah in Pittsburgh is one worth celebrating.

Yohe reports that the Penguins are planning on giving Malkin solid linemates to work with, starting with the newly acquired Tommy Novak who Malkin told the front office is someone he is interested in playing with. Novak was brought over from Nashville at the trade deadline but only played in two games before losing the rest of his season to injury.

What remains to be seen between Malkin and Novak is who plays wing and who plays center. Both players can and have played both, giving the Penguins options on which route to take with plenty of time to make any final decisions.

Who fills out the budding Malkin-Novak line remains to seen, but the Penguins will look at all options available to them to help give Malkin the best chance as success in his final run with the franchise.

While it was always inevitable that Malkin’s time in Pittsburgh was going to come to a close at some point, now that the moment is nearly here, it’s hard to swallow the reality that his era of Penguins hockey is beginning to end.

Whether or not Malkin fully hangs up the skates at the end of next season won’t diminish his standing as a legend in Pittsburgh. Three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe, two Art Ross trophies, a Hart Trophy, a Calder Trophy, and numerous career milestones make him one of the most decorated players in franchise history.

We have 82 more games to enjoy No. 71 in the black and gold. Let’s all enjoy one last ride with Geno and cherish every moment.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/6/16...-26-nhl-season-novak-dubas-stanley-cup-crosby