Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is reportedly ready to make serious roster changes if the team doesn’t find its groove this season… and soon.
After a surprise playoff appearance last spring, the Penguins are just 5-6-1 after 12 games to start the 2026-27 campaign, sitting sixth in the Metropolitan Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference by points percentage.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Dubas is already taking calls on some of the team’s top veterans, including Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell.
“What I can tell you is there’s new ownership in Pittsburgh, but the focus remains on getting younger,” Dreger said on Insider Trading. “The difference is, it’s more complex from a management perspective because even though Dubas is listening on players like Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell, he’s working with a cash-strict budget, not just the NHL’s salary cap.
“The players are aware of this situation, and teams around the NHL are also aware that Dubas is open for business.”
The Penguins are entering a major transitional phase, not just because Fenway Sports Group recently sold the team to David Hoffman and his family — which could bring new financial restrictions — but also because of how their roster is constructed. Almost all of their typically starring contributors, who are all at least 33 years old, have had poor starts to the year and are nearing the end of their contracts.
Penguins’ stars 2026-27 totals
| Player | Age | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Karlsson | 36 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 12 |
| Evgeni Malkin | 40 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| Sidney Crosby | 39 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Kris Letang | 39 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Bryan Rust | 34 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Rickard Rakell | 33 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Of the rumored available players, the 36-year-old Karlsson is performing best and is the only player on the team to hit double digits in points while also scoring at a point-per-game pace. The slick Swede is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $10 million cap hit, and he is coming off his best season with the Penguins, posting 66 points (15g, 51a) in 75 games last year. He also has a no-movement clause, allowing him to veto any potential deals.
Rust and Rakell are likely the easier pieces for the Penguins to move because of their age, lack of long-term superstar status, and the extra year on their contracts. Rust, 34, is expected to miss several weeks with a lower-body injury but was productive in the games he played this season, and Rakell has picked up his scoring pace, with three points (2g, 1a) in his last three games.
The two have near-identical contracts, with Rust due $5.1 million through the 2027-28 campaign and Rakell due $5 million through the same year. According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, Pittsburgh has reportedly been trying since the summer to move Rakell, who has an 8-team no-trade list, but without success.
Letang, 39, is signed through next season on a $6.1 million cap hit and will be harder to move because his deal, like Karlsson’s, includes a full no-movement clause. The once high-scoring defender has settled into the 30-35 point range in recent seasons, so his 0.5 point-per-game start this season puts him on his best scoring pace since the 2023-24 campaign.
While Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are already likely safe due to their legendary status with the club, their contracts also include full no-movement clauses. However, both players are set to become unrestricted free agents after this season, and there has been little news or talk about contract extensions since the season began.
The Penguins have picked up the pace a tad in recent games, winning their last two over the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators by a combined 7-2 score. They’ll look to make it three straight wins on Thursday night against the Utah Mammoth.
