The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading into the 2025-26 season with full intentions of having a youth movement on their NHL roster.
But, of course, a lot of that is dependent on who returns to the NHL roster next season.
As of now, there are four pending-unrestricted free agents - forwards Matt Nieto, Boko Imama, and Joona Koppanen as well as defenseman Matt Grzelcyk - and five pending-restricted free agents - forwards Connor Dewar, Philip Tomasino, and Vasily Ponomarev and defensemen P.O Joseph and Conor Timmins - who may or may not return.
But, barring any other moves in the trade market or free agency, here is a breakdown of which returning players remain under contract, how many roster spots - as things stand now - will be open for youth to fill, and which young players have the best shot at the NHL roster.
Who is already under contract?
Here are the NHL players - and their contracts - who are currently set to return next season, according to PuckPedia data:
Forwards
- Sidney Crosby: $8.7 million (UFA 2027)
- Evgeni Malkin: $6.1 million (UFA 2026)
- Bryan Rust: $5.125 million (UFA 2028)
- Rickard Rakell: $5 million (UFA 2028)
- Kevin Hayes: $3.75 million (UFA 2026)
- Tommy Novak: $3.5 million (UFA 2027)
- Danton Heinen: $2.25 million (UFA 2026)
- Noel Acciari: $2 million (UFA 2026)
- Blake Lizotte: $1.85 million (UFA 2026)
Defensemen
- Erik Karlsson: $10 million (UFA 2027)
- Kris Letang: $6.1 million (UFA 2028)
- Ryan Graves: $4.5 million (UFA 2029)
- Ryan Shea: $900,000 (UFA 2026)
- Vladislav Kolyachonok: $775,000 (RFA 2026/UFA Group 6)
Goaltenders
- Tristan Jarry: $5.375 million (UFA 2028)
- Alex Nedeljkovic: $2.5 million (UFA 2026)
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Total number of contracts on the books for next season: 16
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How many spots will youth fill?
Well, if you're doing the math, if all 16 current returning contracts are accounted for at the start of the 2025-26 regular season - and if no pending-UFAs or RFAs return - the Penguins will have seven open roster spots.
But there's a good chance that, at least, a few pending-RFAs may return, and the team is likely to sign a few players in free agency. So, realistically, the Penguins should have anywhere between two and four spots for the taking.
And - lucky for them - they have some youth talent who should be battling for those spots.
2 Prime Penguins Breakout Candidates For 2025-26 SeasonThe Pittsburgh Penguins are currently retooling their roster as they look to become a playoff team again. Because of this, the Metropolitan Division club will be hoping that some of their young players will take a notable step forward in their development next season.
Who will be in the mix for a spot on the NHL opening night roster?
If you ask whoever the next head coach of the Penguins - or POHO/GM Kyle Dubas - this question, they'll tell you something along the lines of, "everyone is in the mix."
While this does hold some weight - and, occasionally, veterans get waived or jettisoned in some form to make way for youth - the reality is that there, more than likely, will only be a few spots wide open.
Here are some players to look out for in training camp:
The frontrunners
- F Rutger McGroarty: McGroarty technically did break camp last season and spent three games with the NHL club before getting optioned back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - but he really shined in his five-game stint at the end of the season on the top line alongside Crosby and Rust, recording a goal and three points in five games before a foot injury ended his season. He should have an inside track at making the team from the jump.
- F Ville Koivunen: Like McGroarty, Koivunen showed that he belonged at the NHL level at the end of the NHL regular season. He was nearly point-per-game with seven assists in eight games and split time between Malkin's and Crosby's lines - both of which he thrived on. He is, by all accounts, the heaviest favorite to land a forward spot on the opening night roster. And he's earned it.
- D Jack St. Ivany: Don't discount St. Ivany, who had a poor start to the 2024-25 season that led to a demotion in November. Unfortunately, he was out of action in WBS for nearly two months with an injury, but - upon return - he played quite well. With the right side being as thin as it is beyond Karlsson and Letang for the Penguins, St. Ivany has as good a shot as any in cracking the roster.
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- D Owen Pickering: Pickering, 21, earned a long look at the NHL level last season, registering a goal and three points in 25 games to go along with a minus-5. He saw some top-four minutes on a pairing with Letang, and - although his play fell off a bit before he was re-assigned to WBS - he showed he is more than capable of playing at the highest level.
The dark horses
- F Avery Hayes: Forget about Hayes at your peril. The 22-year-old winger recently signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins, and he put up 23 goals and 42 points in 60 AHL games last season. He's feisty, he's clutch, and he's getting better and better each year, so don't discount the possibility of an impressive training camp earning him a spot.
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- F Filip Hallander: Now in his second stint with the Penguins' organization, Hallander, 24, is coming off of a breakout season for Timra IK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He registered 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games and earned SHL Forward of the Year honors, and his strong two-way game shined as well. Hallander has the potential to be an NHL mainstay, especially if he has a strong training camp.
- F Tristan Broz: Unfortunately, a long battle with mononucleosis kept Broz, 22, out for two months during his first professional season. But he still recorded 19 goals and 37 points in 59 games, and the Penguins were impressed with his growth at the center position. His production slowed a bit post-recovery from mono, so - as long as he is healthy - he should have a shot at the NHL roster at some point next season, even if not straight out of camp.
- D Harrison Brunicke: Brunicke, 19, also missed a signficant portion of his junior season with the Kamloops Blazers due to a broken wrist. But he was the standout in training camp last season, and he impressed in a 10-game AHL stint at the end of the season for WBS, even working on the second pairing during the team's two playoff games over more seasoned veterans. If he has a training camp anything like last season - he was specifically named by Dubas as someone who could compete for a spot - he may just earn himself a nine-game NHL trial this time around.
The "long shots, but don't discount"
- F Sam Poulin: Realistically, players like Poulin and Valtteri Puustinen should have a leg-up on some of the younger guys because of production and prior NHL experience. Poulin had 19 goals and 43 points in 57 AHL games last season, but he was playing third-line minutes by season's end. Unless he is a standout at training camp, he's probably in the AHL. But he's still young enough at 24 that he could break out in a big way.
- F Mikhail Ilyin: Ilyin, 19, just signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Penguins on Saturday, and he was just the eighth teenager in KHL history to record at least 30 points in a season last year. There's a good chance that Ilyin will return on loan to the KHL's Severstal Cherepovets next season, but if he comes to North America, he will certainly be one to watch with his keen hockey sense, playmaking ability, and creativity.
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- F Atley Calvert: Learn the name, because the 22-year-old undrafted Calvert was quite the buzz in the organization last season. He registered 13 goals and 36 points in 38 ECHL games with the Wheeling Nailers before his AHL call-up, after which he turned in nine goals and 14 points in 26 games. He can score some goals, and he's flying a bit under-the-radar. Don't count him out.
- G Joel Blomqvist: The only reason Blomqvist is in this spot is because there are two goaltenders on the NHL roster who are, essentially, blocking any real chance of Blomqvist making the opening night roster. By all means, Blomqvist should be starting NHL games next season, but that largely depends on what happens with Jarry and Nedeljkovic. An injury that kept him out for most of the end of the AHL season didn't help his case, either.
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