Penguins season preview: Muse will guide retool through youth movement

The 2025-26 NHL regular season begins Oct. 7. Leading up to the season opener, NHL.com is identifying six things to watch for each team. Today, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Last season: 34-36-12, seventh in the Metropolitan Division; missed Stanley Cup Playoffs

Coach: Dan Muse (first season)

Biggest challenge

Mixing the old with the new. Muse, 43, will be a head coach for the first time in the NHL after replacing Mike Sullivan on June 4. The Penguins continue to be led by forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and defenseman Kris Letang, and defenseman Erik Karlsson and forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell are also well-established. The future is just as important as the present in Pittsburgh. Forwards Rutger McGroarty, 21, and Ville Koivunen, 22, should land prominent roles and defenseman Owen Pickering, 21, could evolve into an NHL mainstay in his second season. The veteran core still has high standards despite the Penguins retooling through a youth movement.

How they make the playoffs

First, at age 38 in his 21st season, Crosby must at least come extremely close to his output from last season, when he led the Penguins with 91 points (33 goals, 58 assists). Even then, Pittsburgh has missed the playoffs the past three seasons with its captain reaching 90 points in each. Scoring past the top two lines must be more common, and the defense and goaltending have to vastly improve from allowing an average of 3.50 goals, tied with the Buffalo Sabres for 29th in the NHL.

Most intriguing addition

Anthony Mantha is likely to get a look at wing on the second line with Malkin at center after signing a one-year, $2.5 million contract July 2. The 31-year-old last played Nov. 5, 2024, and had ACL surgery after getting seven points (four goals, three assists) in 13 games for the Calgary Flames last season. He scored 23 goals in 74 games for the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights the previous season and, now fully healthy, could provide stability that's been missing next to Malkin.

Biggest potential surprise

Some wrote off Tristan Jarry after he was placed on waivers Jan. 15. The 30-year-old goalie had two stints with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League last season and was 16-12-6 with a 3.12 goals-against average and .893 save percentage in the NHL. Coming out of an open training camp competition with Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov, Jarry has a path to reasserting himself as the No. 1 by returning to his NHL All-Star form from 2020 and 2022.

Ready to contribute

McGroarty, considered Pittsburgh's top prospect, would go here if he wasn't out indefinitely with an upper-body injury sustained in the offseason. Instead, Koivunen could be even more of a focus after having seven assists in eight NHL games last season and 56 points (21 goals, 35 assists) in 63 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He already has experience playing with Crosby and Malkin, making him an easy candidate to slip into one of the top lines early this season.

Fantasy sleeper with EDGE stats

Rickard Rakell, F: He led the Penguins in goals (NHL career high 35) last season and was second in points (career high 70), even-strength points (51) and shots on goal (203) behind linemate Crosby (64 even-strength points; 227 shots on goal). Rakell brings strong hits coverage (116 last season; third on Pittsburgh) and is a potential fantasy bargain attainable outside the top 150 based on average draft position. Per NHL EDGE stats, Rakell led the Penguins in high-danger goals (22; tied for ninth in League) and high-danger shots on goal (88; 97th percentile among forwards) last season. -- Pete Jensen

Projected lineup

Ville Koivunen -- Sidney Crosby -- Rickard Rakell

Anthony Mantha -- Evgeni Malkin -- Justin Brazeau

Filip Hallander -- Tommy Novak -- Philip Tomasino

Connor Dewar -- Blake Lizotte -- Noel Acciari

Caleb Jones -- Kris Letang

Paker Wotherspoon -- Erik Karlsson

Ryan Shea -- Mathew Dumba

Tristan Jarry

Arturs Silovs