Category Archives: Hockey News

Former Penguins Forward Signs Overseas

Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Greg McKegg has a new home for the 2025-26 hockey season.

McKegg signed a deal with the KHL's Shanghai Dragons on Monday. The Dragons announced the news via their official Twitter/X account.

McKegg played for the Penguins during the 2017-18 season, compiling two goals and four points in 26 games. He made his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2013-14 season, after being drafted by them in the third round of the 2010 NHL Draft. He remained with the organization through the end of the 2014-15 season. 

He spent the 2015-16 season and part of the 2016-17 season with the Florida Panthers before he was placed on waivers and then claimed by the Tampa Bay Lightning. After that, he had his brief stint with the Penguins in 2017-18 before bouncing around to the Carolina Hurricanes,New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Rangers again.

McKegg has played in 251 NHL games (regular season and playoffs), compiling 23 goals and 41 points. 


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Dan Muse And Mike Sullivan Set To Begin New Chapters On Opposite Sides

The Pittsburgh Penguins will open their 2025-26 campaign against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, and the game will hold extra significance for the head coaches on both sides. 

Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan will try to get a win against his former team after coaching the Penguins for the previous ten seasons. It appeared he would coach the Penguins for an 11th season once the 2024-25 season ended, until he and the team decided it was best to part ways. 

Penguins general manager and president Kyle Dubas explained during an April presser that there were times during last season when he felt that it may be time for a change.

“I talked to him every day throughout the year, worked with him every day throughout the year,” Dubas explained. "And there were times throughout the year where I started to think that it may just be time for a number of reasons. It's a lot to ask of somebody when they've done such a long and successful job here to be managing that and continue to transition the team through."

Once Sullivan was fired, the Rangers made him their top priority, as they had fired Peter Laviolette at the end of the season. They didn't live up to expectations and missed the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents' Trophy. Sullivan was hired less than a week after he and the Penguins parted ways and will try to return the Rangers to the playoffs this year. 

Sullivan missed the playoffs in his previous three seasons as Penguins head coach but helped them win two Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. He's the winningest head coach in the franchise's history. 

Dan Muse was an assistant coach with the Rangers for the previous two seasons under Laviolette before the Penguins hired him to replace Sullivan. He just finished up a grueling and competitive training camp and is ready for his first game as an NHL head coach. However, he's being a little bit coy about how much it means to go against his former team. 

"I'll see how it feels tomorrow. Honestly, I can't tell you. I don't know exactly how to feel until I'm there," Muse told reporters after Monday's practice. "You got some strong relationships there with the guys that I coached, and that will always be there. I think you always want to have those things in any stop that you have."

"I think the focus has obviously been for the last 4 months, this group and this team, so we'll see. I'm sure there will be some emotions that you have about being back at MSG, that first game as a head coach, but this is about the team. It's not about me, and it's like, the focus has been getting this group ready. The focus will continue to be on that. I think there's a lot of excitement there, just with the work that has been put in throughout training camp. I think that's going to be by far the number one thing on my mind all day tomorrow."

Penguins Announce Final 23-Man RosterPenguins Announce Final 23-Man RosterAfter a grueling few weeks of training camp, the Pittsburgh Penguins' roster has finally been solidified for the start of the 2025-26 season.

In addition to coaching some veterans, Muse will get to see some young players get their first taste of the NHL on Tuesday. Forward Benjamin Kindel and defenseman Harrison Brunicke both made the team out of training camp and will make their NHL debuts against the Rangers. 

Kindel got better as the preseason went on, and the Penguins are rewarding him after he earned a spot. Brunicke got close to making the team out of camp last year, but was able to do a little bit more to make it this year. Based on the lines during Monday's practice, Brunicke will be paired with Caleb Jones on the third pairing, while Kindel will be centering Tommy Novak and Philip Tomasino on the third line. 

Muse has been great at developing young players throughout his coaching career, and the Penguins are hoping that this trend continues during his tenure as head coach in Pittsburgh. 

Puck drop for Tuesday's game inside Madison Square Garden will be at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. It'll be the second game of the day after the Florida Panthers raise their Stanley Cup banner at home before they play the Chicago Blackhawks at 5 p.m. ET. The Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings will finish Tuesday's triple-header off at 10:30 p.m. ET. 


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Penguins Announce Final 23-Man Roster

After a grueling few weeks of training camp, the Pittsburgh Penguins' roster has finally been solidified for the start of the 2025-26 season.

On Monday, the Penguins - along with all 31 other NHL teams - were required to submit final NHL rosters prior to the 5:00 p.m. ET deadline. Pittsburgh did reduce its roster to 23 on Sunday after a group of players cleared waivers and were re-assigned to the AHL, but it was not official until Monday.

The roster features 13 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders, and it will include two top prospects in Harrison Brunicke and Ben Kindel, who are confirmed to be in the lineup Tuesday against the New York Rangers. They will be the first pair of teenagers to debut together for the Penguins since Jordan Staal and Kris Letang in 2006.


Here is the full 23-man roster for the Penguins to begin the season:

Forwards (13)
11 - Filip Hallander
16 - Justin Brazeau
18 - Tommy Novak
19 - Connor Dewar
39 - Anthony Mantha
41 - Ville Koivunen
46 - Blake Lizotte
53 - Philip Tomasino
55 - Noel Acciari
67 - Rickard Rakell
71 - Evgeni Malkin
81 - Ben Kindel
87 - Sidney Crosby

Top Prospects Brunicke, Kindel Confirmed To Make NHL Debuts In Penguins' Season OpenerTop Prospects Brunicke, Kindel Confirmed To Make NHL Debuts In Penguins' Season OpenerEven though rosters were trimmed to 23 on Saturday, there was no guarantee that the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to carry those exact 23 players into their season opener against former head coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Defensemen (8)
5 - Ryan Shea
24 - Mathew Dumba
28 - Parker Wotherspoon
45 - Harrison Brunicke
58 - Kris Letang
65 - Erik Karlsson
75 - Connor Clifton
82 - Caleb Jones

Goaltenders (2)
35 - Tristan Jarry
37 - Arturs Silovs

3 Big Penguins' Storylines To Watch in 2025-263 Big Penguins' Storylines To Watch in 2025-26With final NHL rosters submitted and the pre-season officially coming to a close, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be an interesting team to watch for a plethora of reasons in 2025-26. 

The Penguins will face former head coach Mike Sullivan and the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday before they come back home to face the New York Islanders in their home opener on Thursday. Prior to Thursday's game, there will be a celebration marking 20 seasons of the "Big Three" - Crosby, Malkin, and Letang - playing in Pittsburgh.


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It's The Calm Before The Storm For Sabres As Buffalo Aims To End Painful Playoff Drought

Lindy Ruff (center) -- (Timothy T. Ludwig, USA TODAY Images)<br>

For the Buffalo Sabres, it’s the calm before the storm. The NHL’s 2025-26 regular-season is about to commence, and with the new season comes a new set of expectations for the Sabres. And with this season’s Sabres, the expectation is urgent – this Buffalo team is either going to end the Sabres’ 14-year playoff drought, or there are going to be changes throughout the organization, including the firings of GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff.

It’s really that simple in Buffalo this year. Come Hades or high water, the Sabres need to make the playoffs. And it’s not going to matter what their excuses may be this season. There may be injuries; there may be bad puck luck; and there may be players who underachieve. None of it will make a lick of difference for Buffalo’s players, coaches and management if they fail to make the playoffs. No player will be safe. No coach will be, either. And the changes will start at the top.

That means Adams clearly will be the first to go if things don’t go according to plan in Sabres Land. Adams has had five years on the job, and if he can’t do something of positive consequence in his sixth season, it will be Adams’ last year running things in Buffalo. Adams has had more kicks at the can than many hockey executives, and without the type of results that will reward their fan base for continuing to support this Sabres team, Buffalo management is spinning its wheels and going nowhere.

The same thing goes for Ruff. He’s entering Year 2 of his second go-around as Sabres coach, and nothing short of Buffalo earning a playoff spot will assure Ruff of being Sabres coach at this time next year. These days, the first person to be thrown overboard in an under-performing hockey team is more often than not the coach. It’s the easiest way to try to re-set things, and in some rare cases, it works as a motivator of players. So Ruff could be the first to go if things go wrong early this season.

Finally, the same thing goes for Sabres players. It doesn’t matter who we’re talking about – nobody should feel safe in Buffalo’s dressing room if the Sabres miss the playoffs again. Either management will want to shop them around, they’ll ask to be traded, or both. Thus, Buffalo’s lineup will look significantly different in the 2026-27 campaign if the Sabres prove they’re not worthy of the investment in the ‘25-26 campaign.

Early Injuries To Key Sabres Players Can't Be An Excuse For Buffalo To Fail This SeasonEarly Injuries To Key Sabres Players Can't Be An Excuse For Buffalo To Fail This SeasonWe said it earlier this summer, on more than one occasion – if the Buffalo Sabres intend on ending their Stanley Cup playoff drought at 14 years, they can’t afford to let the injury bug take a major bite out of their roster. Obviously, that’s something that only the Hockey Gods can control, but the Sabres simply don’t have the organizational depth to withstand the damage if someone meaningful is sidelined for a notable stretch of time.

The biggest problem for the Sabres may be that they’ve exhausted their fan base with year after year of sub-par play. Indeed, since 2012-13, Buffalo hasn’t finished higher than fourth place in its division. And they’ve finished as high as fifth place only three times in that span. The rest is year-after-year of 6th, 7th and 8th-place finishes. That basically takes a blow torch to your fan base. Nobody wants to be associated with a perennial non-factor of a team. You start to shrink your customer total rather than increase it.

Meanwhile, there are so many good things that winning does for a team. You walk around with a legitimately rightful sense of pride in what you’ve been able to achieve. You generate genuine hope in an otherwise-cynical populace. You give people reasons to believe.

This is as clear-cut a make-or-break situation as exists in the NHL right now, and Buffalo has clear paths to two roads – one that leads to more excuses, more anguish, and more dismay; the other leads to a promised land of sorts. A place where other teams fear to tread. Right now, that’s not Buffalo.

Sabres Should Be Looking Into Trading For One Of These Maple Leafs Forwards-On-The-BlockSabres Should Be Looking Into Trading For One Of These Maple Leafs Forwards-On-The-BlockThe Toronto Maple Leafs are about to finish their 2025-26 training camp, and as it happens, the Maple Leafs are very deep at every position -- but certainly, the most depth they've got is on the wings. And as we'll exploain, we're telling you this because the Buffalo Sabres should be looking into acquiring into one of a few veteran Leafs wingers in particular: right winger/center Calle Jarnkrok, and left-wingers David Kampf and Nick Robertson.

If they can’t deliver their fans to the promised land of a playoff position – the bare-minimum when it comes to achievements as a team – the Sabres will be at a crossroads. Team ownership will have to know a 15th-year without playoffs cannot be met with the status quo. Bringing the same group of coaches, management members and players back next season without a playoff appearance this coming year would make the Sabres a laughingstock.

This is a zero-sum industry the Sabres are in. If you want to have stability and happiness, the only way you do that is by being on a winning team. And think, there’s now an entire generation of Buffalo hockey fans who’ve grown up not knowing what a Sabres playoff game looks like. That’s unacceptable, and that’s why the consequences have to be extreme if Adams, Ruff & Co. can’t get the job done.

The Sabres know full well they have to make the playoffs this year, or all bets will be off. They’re going to be under a giant microscope all season long, and they have a clear target all season long. If they don’t hit that target, Buffalo will see sweeping change across all areas of the organization. And everyone involved with the team will have only themselves to blame.

Ducks’ Opening Night Roster Highlighted by Sennecke, 3 Goalies

The Ducks’ opening night roster is set. With a full 23-man slate, 19-year-old Beckett Sennecke, the third overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, makes the team along with goaltenders Petr Mrázek and Ville Husso.

Sennecke’s inclusion on the opening night roster comes after he played in six of Anaheim’s seven preseason games, collecting two points (both goals). While it’s still unclear if he’ll stick with the big club full-time, he’ll at least be given an extended chance to make his mark.

If he can’t stick with the Ducks, Sennecke’s only other option is to return to the OHL. Due to age and being under contract, he cannot play in the AHL or transfer to the NCAA. But, if he is a healthy scratch for five consecutive NHL games, he can be sent on a two-week conditioning loan in the AHL.

Sep 22, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke (45) scores a goal against Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“I see him being like a wild card where you can use him in all situations, and he can play with anybody,” head coach Joel Quenneville said. “You’re sitting there if you’re playing in that role, in that line. You think that he’s not going to get enough ice time. But I still think he’s useful in other ways where he can play with top players and be a threat and be productive as well. He’s a good asset for us and I think the way he trained in training camp, he gave us a lot of options as a coach.”

“I feel like I keep getting better every game,” Sennecke said. “You get more comfortable the more games you play and I think that’s just kind of the trajectory I’m on.”

Sennecke found himself in many different roles throughout training camp, mirroring the “wildcard” moniker that Quenneville alluded to. He was out there for power plays, penalty kills (briefly) and played on all four lines at one point or another during preseason.

Oct 1, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wings Beckett Sennecke (45) and Yegor Sidorov (57) watch the play against San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) and defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin (85) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

More recently, he’s been on the fourth line with summer trade acquisition Ryan Poehling and bruising winger Ross Johnston. While Sennecke’s game is centered around offense, he said that he has the same hard forechecking element that Poehling and Johnston have.

“I can kind of play that role as well,” Sennecke said. “Those guys are fun to play with because you get the puck back pretty fast because they forecheck hard, so it's fun.”

Another move that stands out from Anaheim’s opening night roster is the presence of three goaltenders. Lukáš Dostál is entrenched as the new No. 1 after signing a five-year deal this past summer, but neither Mrázek nor Husso has put a foot wrong throughout preseason while competing for the backup role.

Sep 22, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) defends the goal against the Utah Mammoth during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Mrázek was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings this past June in the John Gibson trade while Husso was acquired last season—also from the Red Wings—and given a new contract just a day after the Gibson-Mrázek trade.

With teams always looking for goaltending help before the start of the season, perhaps the worry from the Ducks’ end comes from one of Mrázek or Husso being scooped off of waivers. The former has one year remaining on his contract ($4.25 mil AAV) while the latter has two years ($2.2 mil AAV).

Teams may be less willing to take on a goaltender with term (Husso), but potentially losing an asset that was recently acquired (Mrázek) to waivers would be a much worse look.

The San Diego Gulls’ goaltending squad is quite full already, with Tomáš Suchánek, Calle Clang and Vyacheslav Buteyets all present, though Buteyets and Suchánek could be loaned to the ECHL if one of Mrázek or Husso makes it down to the AHL.

After Tearing ACL, Tomáš Suchánek Is Happy to Be BackAfter Tearing ACL, Tomáš Suchánek Is Happy to Be BackIt's been a long journey for goaltender Tomáš Suchánek, who tore his ACL a little under a year ago during a summer workout.

The Ducks’ opening night roster does not include a seventh defenseman, a role which was briefly filled by Ian Moore before he was reassigned to the Gulls on Monday.

The Ducks may have felt that they do not yet need an extra defenseman with the team, with their first four games coming on the West Coast. A five-game, seven-day road trip follows that set of games, which will likely require a defensive call-up.

Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo figure to be the two remaining healthy scratches with one of Mrázek or Husso, although Nesterenko may have the upper hand if Sennecke comes out of the lineup.

Nesterenko had been filling the role of faux center during recent practices in light of Jansen Harkins’ long-term injury and has shown to be a useful penalty killer throughout preseason. His versatility could give him the edge versus the more offensive-minded Colangelo.

With their first game of the regular season on Thursday in Seattle, the Ducks will practice twice more before jetting off to the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday.

Related articles:

Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe on his Contract Extension

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek on LaCombe Extension

Comparing Mason McTavish's Contract to Similar Young NHL Players

Three Longtime NHL Players Released From Tryouts In 2025-26

All 32 NHL teams submitted their rosters for opening night, but not every player on a tryout earned a contract.

While Chicago's Matt Grzelcyk, Carolina's Givani Smith and the New York Rangers' Conor Sheary did earn contracts, most veterans on tryouts didn't.

With that in mind, here are three notable players that had been on PTOs this fall but were released and now have to try to earn a contract elsewhere or call it quits.

Jack Johnson, D, Minnesota Wild

Career stats: 1,228 GP, 77 G, 265 A, 342 PTS
2025-26 pre-season stats: 3 GP, 1 A, plus-2, 2 S

It feels like the tryout was the last chance for 38-year-old Johnson, a 19-year veteran who won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2021.

The Wild – a deep team on defense – ultimately didn’t have a place for Johnson, and it’s highly unlikely a team takes a chance on him now that his PTO didn’t get him the job he was looking for.

At best, Johnson can be seen as a third-pair, low-event, low-reward blueliner. Can he hang with veteran greybeards Brent Burns and Drew Doughty as an accomplished veteran who still has something to offer at the NHL level? Minnesota didn’t think so, but there may be a team willing to bring Johnson aboard if they run into health concerns on the back end. Otherwise, Johnson’s playing career may well be at an end.

Jack Johnson (Matt Blewett-Imagn Images)

James Reimer, G, Toronto Maple Leafs

Career stats: 525 GP, 225-187-65, 2.89 GAA, .910 SP, 31 SO
2025-26 pre-season stats: 1 GP, 7.36 GAA, .857 SP

Reimer is 37, and while it’s an accomplishment for him to have made 525 appearances in hockey’s top league, the fact the Maple Leafs chose to pick up Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cayden Primeau off the waiver wire tells you all you need to know about Reimer coming up short in training camp.

Reimer did not play well in the pre-season, allowing four goals on 28 shots in about 33 minutes of action. His choice to return to Toronto may be the chapter to bookend his NHL career.

The netminder was alright at the end of last season with the Buffalo Sabres, posting a 10-8-2 record, 2.90 goals-against average and .901 save percentage. But unless an NHL team suffers an injury to one of their netminders, there simply may not be another NHL opportunity for him.

Five NHL Veterans Who Cleared Waivers Years After Their Last AHL GameFive NHL Veterans Who Cleared Waivers Years After Their Last AHL GameA handful of NHL veterans found themselves on the other side of the waiver wire in the past week.

Robby Fabbri, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins

Career stats: 442 GP, 106 G, 110 A, 216 PTS
2025-26 pre-season stats: 4 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 PTS, 6 S

Only two years ago, Fabbri tied a career-best 18 goals and 32 points in 68 games with the Detroit Red Wings, but his totals fell to eight goals and 16 points in 44 games this past season.

For Fabbri’s $4-million cap hit, those numbers were a significant overpayment, and when free agency came calling this summer, there were few takers for the 29-year-old. While three points in four games are pretty decent, the Penguins want to play younger players, so Fabbri just wasn't a fit.

If Fabbri can't get a contract here, his best move may be to play professionally in a European league this season. He doesn’t have much, if any leverage contractually, and even the Penguins didn’t see a job opening for him right now. Beggars can’t be choosers, so Fabbri may ultimately choose a more significant payday in Europe than the best (or only) one he can get in the NHL.

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Nashville Predators Release Final Roster For Opening Night

Apr 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) celebrates his goal with his teammates against the Utah Hockey Club during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

With Opening Night just three days away for the Nashville Predators, the final roster coming out of training camp is set.

Nashville’s active roster consists of 22 players – 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders. Four of the players are rookies including Brady Martin, the Predators’ fifth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Forwards Joakim Kemell and Ozzy Wiesblatt, along with defenseman Adam Wilsby, are the other rookies to claim spots out of camp.

General manager Barry Trotz announced following Saturday’s pre-season overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes that the team has placed forward Matthew Wood (lower body) and defenseman Nicolas Hague (upper body) on injured reserve.

Forward Luke Evangelista, who signed a two-year, $6 million contract late Friday, has been designated as a non-roster player as he awaits immigration. This puts the Predators’ roster at 22 players, so Evangelista can be added once his immigration status clears.

The Opening Night roster will undergo its share of changes as the season progresses. Predators head coach Andrew Brunette will have more decisions to make once Wood and Hague come off injured reserve.

That scenario will create an interesting situation particularly with three rookies at forward. Martin can play nine games before either going back to the OHL for another season of major junior, or stay on the roster.

Wood was having a solid camp before taking a fall during the second period of the Predators’ Gold Star Showcase intrasquad scrimmage.

The complete roster is as follows:

Forwards (13)

Michael Bunting, Filip Forsberg, Erik Haula, Tyson Jost, Joakim Kemell, Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Martin, Michael McCarron, Ryan O’Reilly, Cole Smith, Steven Stamkos, Fedor Svechkov, Ozzy Wiesblatt

Defensemen (7)

Justin Barron, Nick Blankenburg, Roman Josi, Nick Perbix, Brady Skjei, Spencer Stastney, Adam Wilsby

Goaltenders (2):

Justus Annunen, Juuse Saros

Injured Reserve (2)

Nicolas Hague, Matthew Wood

Non-Roster (1):

Luke Evangelista (awaiting immigration)

The Predators start their 2025-26 regular season this Thursday at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Puck drop is set for 7 Pm CT.

3 Big Penguins' Storylines To Watch in 2025-26

With final NHL rosters submitted and the pre-season officially coming to a close, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be an interesting team to watch for a plethora of reasons in 2025-26. 

For starters, they are having two teenagers in Harrison Brunicke and Ben Kindel debut on their NHL roster for the first time since 2006. They are also in the midst of a rebuild with an uncertain timeline and with some veterans on the brink of retirement. And, of course, they have a few players in contention for Olympic spots at the Milan games in 2026.

So what are some of the biggest storylines that figure to follow the Penguins in 2025-26?


1. Who will be the first trade domino to fall?

It's no secret that three Penguins in particular - defenseman Erik Karlsson and forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell - are garnering a lot of attention in the trade market. That has been the case since the trade deadline last season, and it will - more than likely - continue to be the case into the season. 

With Rust on the shelf for now with a lower-body injury - and Dubas seemingly most hesitant to deal the veteran forward - it stands to reason that, if a big player is to be dealt by the Penguins this season, it will probably be one of the other two first.

Karlsson enjoyed a healthy, solid pre-season and camp, and Rakell has been experimented with at the center position and on the penalty kill - seemingly showcasing his versatility. They're also both vying to play for Team Sweden in Milan, and they will actually have the opportunity to play in Sweden with the Penguins as part of the NHL Global Series on Nov. 14 and 16.

Will one of them go, or will the Penguins continue to hold out?

Update On Penguins' Rumor Mill - Community PostUpdate On Penguins' Rumor Mill - Community PostTHN's Lyle Richardson provides an update on where things stand as far as the rumor mill and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

2. Will the youth push affect the Penguins' standings position?

The opening night NHL roster is indicative of the Penguins beginning to usher in a youth movement. And, depending on what happens on the injury front, that could be even more true as the season bores on. 

With Brunicke, Kindel, and Ville Koivunen - as well as Filip Hallander - beginning the season in Pittsburgh, it's fair to wonder how far the young guys can take them. They also have guys like forwards Avery Hayes and Tristan Broz, defenseman Owen Pickering, and goaltender Sergei Murashov waiting in the wings at the AHL level and likely first in line for a mid-season call-up. Rutger McGroarty is also out indefinitely with an upper-body injury and figures to return at some point. 

Will the young guys make this team better, should they stick around? Do Kyle Dubas and the Penguins continue to hold out on most of their youth this season in hopes of a long Calder Cup run at the AHL level? Or do the young guys populate the roster more and more as the season goes on, potentially providing a spark of energy?

No one expects much from the Penguins this season, and with a generational talent waiting in the wings for the 2026 NHL Draft, it will be interesting to see how much runway the Penguins give their talented but unproven young guns.

Top Prospects Brunicke, Kindel Confirmed To Make NHL Debuts In Penguins' Season OpenerTop Prospects Brunicke, Kindel Confirmed To Make NHL Debuts In Penguins' Season OpenerEven though rosters were trimmed to 23 on Saturday, there was no guarantee that the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to carry those exact 23 players into their season opener against former head coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

3. Is this it for Evgeni Malkin?

Among all the noise this season will be a bittersweet storyline for Penguins' fans - and everyone across the NHL - to follow. And that concerns the future of Penguins' legend Evgeni Malkin.

Malkin, 39, is entering the final season of the four-year deal he signed in the summer of 2022. His production has been declining for the past two seasons, and last year, he posted just 16 goals and 50 points in 68 games - which, for a player of Malkin's stature, is underwhelming.

Dubas said that the Penguins will reconvene with Malkin over the Olympic break to discuss plans for his future and whether or not he plans to play another season. In an interview during training camp, Malkin indicated that he is still undecided in that department, and he also reiterated that he wishes to finish out his career in Pittsburgh - even if a player like Brad Marchand won another Cup after being dealt by his longtime employer. 

“I hope I stay here,” Malkin said. “Like Sid, Tanger, Penguins forever, for sure. I hope we play great. I want to stay here, for sure.”

Even if the ball is entirely in Malkin's court on whether or not he finishes his career in Pittsburgh, the season he ends up having could determine whether or not 2025-26 is his farewell tour. It will certainly be a storyline to keep an eye on as the season progresses, and Penguins' fans will just have to wait and see whether the future Hall-of-Famer has anything left in the tank.

Evgeni Malkin Makes Feelings Known About Staying In Pittsburgh - Community PostEvgeni Malkin Makes Feelings Known About Staying In Pittsburgh - Community PostOn Friday, Pittsburgh Penguins' veteran center and future Hall-of-Famer Evgeni Malkin spoke with the Pittsburgh media about how, when, and where he envisions his career coming to an end.

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