Can Kris Letang Rediscover His Game?
Kris Letang has been a polarizing figure amongst Penguins fans since breaking into the NHL in October of 2006. Now, Letang wouldn’t become a full-time NHLer until the following season and didn’t become a number one defenseman until the 2010-11 season. But since that time, he has held on firmly to a spot on the right side of the Penguins’ top defensive pairing, and that role has never been in doubt until the 2023-24 season, when Erik Karlsson arrived via trade. Now, the questions surrounding Letang’s role on the top unit have less to do with Karlsson’s arrival and more to do with the fact that Letang’s game has slipped in recent seasons, and it is fair to ask if he should be on the Penguins’ first defensive unit.
Letang’s 2024-25 performance was below his career norms, as he scored just nine goals and 21 assists in 74 games. His -15 plus/minus was a significant drop from the previous year, along with the 100 turnovers he committed, marking the first time he reached triple digits in that category. The 100 turnovers are a glaring problem and highlight a significant issue for Letang, as his once-elite skating seemed to falter last season. He wasn’t able to create the space he was used to and often found himself carrying the puck under pressure more than in previous years. Throughout his career, Letang has been prone to defensive lapses, even at his peak. He also has a history of making questionable decisions with the puck, which has become even more evident now that his decision-making window has narrowed due to his difficulty in creating space for himself.
Now, that aging curve is undefeated, and it’s unfair to expect Letang to defy his age forever. However, his decline in play might not have been solely due to age, as the Montreal, Quebec native faced several health issues once again last season. Letang has battled a wild amount of injuries and health conditions throughout his NHL career, and he underwent heart surgery in mid-April to close a small hole in his heart that had previously caused strokes. Letang is expected to recover in time to start the upcoming season, and it is hoped that he will be fully healthy by then.
Letang has been prone to defensive lapses throughout his career, even at the peak of his abilities. In recent years, there has been a general decline in his defensive performance, partly due to aging and partly because the Penguins have overused and overextended him, especially since the arrival of Karlsson. Some might think that Karlsson’s addition would reduce some of the pressure on Letang. However, in reality, it changed his role, expecting him to be more of a defensive defenseman, which doesn’t suit his skill set, particularly given his age.
So, what can Penguins fans expect from Letang? Well, it’s fair to wonder how far north of 20 minutes per game he can play on a nightly basis. The 38-year-old has been a workhorse throughout his career, but given his age, health, and declining skills, he shouldn’t be playing as often as he currently does. He will undoubtedly try to condition himself to reach those minutes, but if the Penguins want to get the most out of Letang, they need to ease his workload. Letang probably wouldn’t love a reduced role, but if he wants to extend his career and make a greater impact, he might need to delegate some responsibilities to other members of the Penguins’ defense core.
The Penguins lack a strong defensive core; in fact, it might be the weakest in the entire league. However, they do have considerable depth on the right side, having acquired Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba this summer, and drafting Harrison Brunicke last year, who could be ready for the NHL. Now, none of those players can replace Letang when he is at his best, but Letang’s prime is behind him now, and it’s fair to wonder if any of those men can replace a worn-out Letang in part when exhaustion catches up to him.
There are some signs that Letang could bounce back. He still trains harder than perhaps anyone in the NHL and can skate well, logging significant minutes. How effective those minutes will be remains to be seen, but Letang can handle a decent amount of ice time. His speed should continue to help him be a major part of Pittsburgh’s transition game, especially if he spends a lot of time with the Penguins’ top line of Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell. Letang also remains an excellent passer and should continue to produce offense, even if other aspects of his game are more limited.
There will be challenges with Letang, and they are the same concerns the Penguins have faced in recent years. Letang has missed numerous games throughout his career due to illness and injury. There is always a risk that he could suffer another injury and miss significant time again. The Penguins have no direct replacement for Letang and need to have him in the lineup if they hope to be even average in the Eastern Conference.
Letang’s on-ice play has also become a concern as it has declined and he no longer shows the same consistency he demonstrated earlier in his career. This is expected, but since he has three years remaining on his contract, Pittsburgh is likely hoping he can improve his play again for at least another year or two. At the end of the day, Letang will be valuable to Pittsburgh. His hockey IQ should help mentor some of the younger players that the team will use this season, much like Sergei Gonchar mentored Letang early in his career. However, if Letang can adjust his game to his new reality and skill set, he could make the necessary changes to extend his career and remain in the Penguins’ top six for the next year or two. Letang has faced tough years before, battling major health hurdles, and he has always found a way to bounce back; however, this will be his biggest challenge yet.
Photo by Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Penguins Believed To Have Tried To Trade Up To Take Kindel
- The Penguins selected Benjamin Kindel with the 11th pick in the draft back in June, a pick that came as somewhat of a surprise given that most rankings had him safely in the back half of the first round. But Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that there were whispers that Pittsburgh was so sold on Kindel’s upside that they actually looked to move up into the top ten to make sure they landed him. Kindel had 35 goals and 64 assists in 65 games with WHL Calgary last season while adding 15 points in 11 playoff games which certainly would have helped his draft stock.
Penguins' Sale Could Affect Erik Karlsson's Future
The Penguins are entering the season with much of last season’s roster intact, but Erik Karlsson remains the most likely trade candidate. In a recent article on The Athletic, Josh Yohe highlights that despite being a three-time Norris Trophy winner, Karlsson’s $10 million cap hit, recent struggles, and no-movement clause could complicate any potential trade. Any trade would likely require Pittsburgh to retain a large portion of his salary, raising questions about whether the return would justify the cost.
An ownership change could further complicate a Karlsson trade. The new prospective ownership group, the Hoffmann Family, may be reluctant to inherit retained salary obligations, while Fenway Sports Group could hesitate to commit to such a deal if it remains the majority owner. The uncertainty leaves Karlsson’s future in limbo, even as the front office appears to believe moving him is ultimately in the team’s best interest.
As Yohe notes, Karlsson’s situation also ties directly to the development of prospect Harrison Brunicke. The 19-year-old impressed last year as the best defensive prospect in the Penguins system, scoring five goals and 30 points in 41 games for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. Still, with Karlsson, Kris Letang, Matt Dumba, and Connor Clifton on the right side, there’s no current path to NHL minutes. A Karlsson trade could open significant ice time and accelerate Brunicke’s rise, aligning with the Penguins’ stated goal of going younger this season.
Other notes from this evening:
- Despite qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens, Kent Hughes, is tempering down expectations for the team entering the 2025-26 campaign. Montreal gained a year of experience from last year’s playoff run and boosted its forward core this summer by adding Zachary Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues. Still, in an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Hughes was quoted as saying, “It’s great that the fan base is excited about it. As a general manager, you worry that the players don’t get too far ahead of themselves. It’s a little bit harder when people see you coming than when we sneak up on them.“
- After the objectively worst season of his NHL career, Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins has changed “everything” about his play this summer. In a post-skate meeting with Scott McLaughlin of WEEI, Swayman said, “I’m a completely different human being.” Last season, in his first as Boston’s de facto starter, Swayman managed a 22-29-7 record in 58 starts with a .892 SV% and 3.11 GAA.
Penguins To Bring Back Hall Of Fame
- After a 12-year hiatus, the Pittsburgh Penguins are reintroducing their Team Hall of Fame, announcing 10 new inductees. The list includes six former players and four former coaches or executives. Players Tom Barrasso, Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Kunitz, Larry Murphy, and Kevin Stevens, along with Scotty Bowman, Eddie Johnston, Jim Rutherford, and Ray Shero, were selected, per a team release. The release stated that the 10 honorees will be inducted over the course of the next three seasons. While the specifics of who will be inducted first have not yet been announced, the team is planning a ceremony for the first home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 25, per Triblive’s Seth Rorabaugh. Penguins GM Kyle Dubas personally called nine of the 10 inductees to inform them of the honor. In the case of Shero, who sadly passed away in April, Dubas called his sons, Rorabaugh adds.
Dubas: Penguins Have Had Calls From Teams Wanting To Reacquire 2026 Picks
- Penguins GM Kyle Dubas noted in an interview earlier this month on the Cam and Strick Podcast (audio link) that he received interest from a team looking to reacquire its previously-traded 2026 draft picks. While he didn’t identify which exact team was inquiring, Pittsburgh holds second-round picks next year from St. Louis and Winnipeg and a third-round pick from San Jose. Those three are particularly noteworthy as they are potential pieces that would be part of the required draft pick package for a potential offer sheet. Clearly, nothing is on the imminent horizon on that front but if teams are inquiring about getting their picks back, it’s something that at least one team could be eyeing.
Projecting Evgeni Malkin’s Future
Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin is entering the final season of a four-year contract, and it could be his final season as a Penguin. Not only that, the 38-year-old could be closing in on the end of his NHL career, which will no doubt see him enter the Hockey Hall of Fame in due time.
Malkin is no longer the superstar center he once was and has seen his game decline since inking his extension in the summer of 2022. That being said, he is still a capable top-six contributor for the time being and produced 50 points in 68 games last season (16 goals and 34 assists).
Malkin’s underlying numbers have also dipped in recent seasons, but he is still a positive contributor on the possession front with a 50.1 CF%. If Malkin can produce results that are similar to the last couple of seasons, he could still be an NHLer beyond this season, but it might not be with the Penguins.
Malkin has previously stated that he only wants to play for the Penguins (as per Josh Yohe of The Athletic), and if that remains true, Pittsburgh would likely need to offer him an extension to keep him in the NHL. Recent reports suggest that the Penguins don’t plan to provide Malkin an extension beyond this year.
While that seems possible if Malkin’s performance continues to decline, it might not be the case if he has a strong offensive season. Josh Yohe has mentioned multiple times that he sees the summer of 2026 as the period when Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas will become more proactive in rebuilding the team, and securing a top-six forward at a reasonable cost would be a significant step toward those efforts – if Malkin is still a top-six forward at that time.
Malkin could opt to go year to year and will likely need to consider his age, but if he’s still around, he would make an excellent mentor for some of the Penguins’ prospects expected to make the jump to the NHL in the coming seasons.
Malkin’s body might struggle with the demands of an 82-game season, but if the Penguins acquire more depth through trades and free agency, they could better protect Geno and improve his chances to produce with less physical stress. Malkin could move to the wing, as he did last season, playing alongside Sidney Crosby.
He might also drop lower in the lineup, potentially taking on a third-line centre role or playing on the wing of the third line with Thomas Novak. There would be plenty of options available, but they depend on Malkin’s ability to keep producing; otherwise, it would just be a nostalgia trip, and that’s something Dubas and Penguins management want to avoid.
The flip side of that coin is that Malkin is struggling, and his play continues to decline. He has never been the most responsible defensively, and his play away from the puck leaves much to be desired.
Malkin also has a history of taking less-than-ideal penalties, which would all become glaring issues if he doesn’t offset those shortcomings with strong point production. If that happens, it’s hard to see them extending Malkin.
Dubas has made it clear he wants the team to get younger, and holding onto a 40-year-old in decline would go against everything he has been working towards. Sure, veterans are necessary to guide rebuilds and retools, but they need to be productive as well; if not, they just take up space and block a more promising option.
If the Penguins chose not to extend Malkin, he would have options. There would probably be a team willing to take a chance on him, even if his performance were declining.
It would most likely be on a one-year deal for league minimum plus bonuses, but that would give him the chance to stay in the NHL. The more likely option for Malkin would be to retire and go back to Russia for a final farewell game in the KHL. Many Russian players have jumped over to the KHL to finish out their careers, but Malkin has previously stated that he wants to wrap up his playing days in Pittsburgh and maybe play a single game in his hometown in Russia.
No matter where Malkin goes or how the rest of his time in the NHL unfolds, he will be cherished in Pittsburgh for winning three Stanley Cups and giving Penguins fans countless highlights and memorable moments. There was a time when he was the best player in the world, and although that was a brief window, Malkin stayed among the league’s top players for more than a decade.
This upcoming season in Pittsburgh might be tough for Malkin and his teammates. Still, if the Penguins don’t trade Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson, they might surprise some people by getting a meaningful boost from younger players for the first time since early 2016.
Back then, the Penguins had an 18-month run that rivals some of the greatest ever, but with an aging core, that won’t happen again this time. Still, it could be exciting if Malkin can dial it back and produce a few more memorable moments before riding off into the sunset.
Photo by Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Emil Bemstrom Signs In Swiss National League
Aug. 22: Bemstrom has officially made the jump to Bern, confirming a one-year deal today.
Aug. 12: Pittsburgh Penguins unrestricted free agent Emil Bemstrom will continue his career overseas. He has signed with SC Bern of Switzerland’s National League, per Henrik Sjöberg of Switzerland’s HockeyNews and Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey. This will mark a return to Europe for Bemstrom, who grew up through the Swedish junior hockey pipeline and has experience in Sweden’s SHL and Finland’s Liiga.
Bemstrom played through his first full season in the minor leagues last season, to great effect. He cemented a spot on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ top line, and worked his way to 23 goals and 48 points across 48 games. Despite that, he was only able to manage one assist in 14 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The performance continued a wave of star scoring in the AHL, followed by underwhelming play in the NHL, which Bemstrom has been riding for much of the last four seasons.
The nifty forward made his NHL debut with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2019-20 season, after posting 35 points in 47 SHL games in the 2018-19 campaign. His career started off great, with 20 points, split evenly, in his first 56 NHL games. But Bemstrom opted to move to the Liiga for the first half of the shortened 2020-21 season, and while he scored 17 points in 16 games, his NHL scoring fell to a measly five points in 20 games following a return to Columbus. He’d continue on in a depth role for the Blue Jackets through the next two seasons – and even one-upped his rookie performance with 22 points in 55 games of the 2022-23 season. His NHL performances were coupled with tremendous efforts in the AHL, marked by 47 points in just 33 games between 2021 and 2024.
Hot scoring in the minor leagues and a clear ability to outplay his opponents continued to earn Bemstrom routine NHL minutes through the 2023-24 season. But he was never able to find a true groove and found himself relegated to the minor leagues for the majority of last season. He’ll now search for a bigger opportunity on the other side of the world. He brings a resume featuring 75 points in 242 NHL games, and 95 points in 81 AHL games, with him to Switzerland.
Bemstrom will join multiple NHL features on SC Bern’s lineup, including Swedish compatriots Hardy Häman Aktell and Anton Lindholm. Bern has lost in the quarterfinals of the NL’s postseason in each of their last four playoff appearances. They’ll hope the addition of a high-scoring veteran of North American pros will be enough to boost them over tough competition, like the ZSC Lions and HC Lausanne.
Sale Of Penguins To Hoffmann Family Gathering Steam
A few days ago, a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that a new prospective owner for the Pittsburgh Penguins had emerged in the Hoffmann Family of Companies. In a subsequent report from Jason Mackey and Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the two allege that there’s much more smoke than previously believed.
According to the article and the multiple sources listed, the Hoffmann Family has a decisive lead on the other interested group led by Mario Lemieux, and may have already encouraged the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) to sell their entire stake in the Penguins since the Hoffmann Family is willing to pay the $1.75BB, on line with Forbes’ valuation of the franchise. There has been considerable secrecy throughout the sale process. Still, the sources listed by Mackey and Vensel believe that the Hoffmann Family has already signed a letter of intent with FSG.
It’s important to note that a letter of intent doesn’t necessarily confirm a sale. It simply allows the interested party an exclusive negotiating window and allows them a deeper look into the organization’s financials in good faith. Still, if the Hoffmann Family is seriously considering the full $1.75BB price for the Penguins, it’ll be hard for another buyer to come forward with a better offer.
New Ownership Potential Emerges For Pittsburgh Penguins
Aside from the quality of their roster and potential moves of several veterans in the lineup, one of the main storylines from the Pittsburgh Penguins this summer has been that Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the majority owner of the Penguins franchise, is interested in selling a portion of the team. Up to this point, the former ownership group, led by franchise icon Mario Lemieux, has been the only entity to have expressed interest in purchasing the minority stake, and potentially even the majority share of the franchise should the opportunity arise.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, another interested party has emerged. The Hoffmann family, composed of David and his son Geoff, the owner of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, has thrown their hat in the ring for ownership of the Penguins. Although Forbes doesn’t know the exact net worth of anyone unless personally disclosed, they’ve projected Hoffmann’s net worth to be approximately $2 billion.
If that’s the case, Hoffmann would likely require external assistance instead of using his assets for a loan, considering the Penguins’ projected value is approximately $1.75 billion. Lemieux sold the team to FSG in 2021 for a reported $900 million, meaning that the franchise has nearly doubled in perceived value in four years.
It could come as a surprise that FSG would be willing to sell the Pittsburgh-based franchise only four years after its acquisition, but it’s not entirely without precedent for the ownership group. In 1999, the group purchased the MLB’s Miami Marlins for $150 million, and sold it in 2002 for an $8.5 million profit. Due to the exponential increase in the value of sports franchises in the current market, FSG would realize a significant profit if it opted for a full sale.
Still, there is no guarantee that FSG is willing to sell its entire stake in the franchise. Friedman reported that although Hoffmann is interested in purchasing a part of the Penguins, there is still much to be done, and the deal is far from completion. Additionally, considering his ties to the organization and his contributions to the franchise throughout his career, along with their previous agreements, Lemieux and his team might have the advantage despite the new competition.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Pittsburgh Penguins
Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those who don’t often see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2025-26 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia. We’re currently covering the Metropolitan Division, next up are the Penguins.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Current Cap Hit: $82,466,429 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Rutger McGroarty (two years, $950K)
D Owen Pickering (two years, $886.7K)
Potential Bonuses
McGroarty: $500K
Pickering: $250K
Total: $750K
The hope was that McGroarty would lock down a full-time spot last season but it didn’t happen. Instead, he spent most of the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but showed well down the stretch which could give him a chance amidst a fairly deep group of depth forwards. Even if he does play regularly, he’s unlikely to hit his two ‘A’ bonuses.
Pickering might be in the mix on the back end but their offseason defensive depth additions make it likely as things stand that he starts in the minors. With 25 NHL games last season, he’s tracking towards a bridge deal, especially if he spends a good chunk of the year in the AHL.
Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level
F Noel Acciari ($2MM, UFA)
D Alexander Alexeyev ($775K, RFA)
D Connor Clifton ($3.333MM, UFA)
F Connor Dewar ($1.1MM, UFA)
D Mathew Dumba ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Kevin Hayes ($3.571MM, UFA)*
F Danton Heinen ($2.25MM, UFA)
F Blake Lizotte ($1.85MM, UFA)
F Evgeni Malkin ($6.1MM, UFA)
F Anthony Mantha ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Ryan Shea ($900K, UFA)
G Arturs Silovs ($850K, RFA)
F Philip Tomasino ($1.75MM, RFA)
*Philadelphia is retaining an additional $3.571MM on Hayes’ deal.
Potential Bonuses
Mantha: $2MM
Let’s face it, this is quite the long list and that’s by design for GM Kyle Dubas who is setting up for maximum flexibility over the next couple of summers.
One part of that flexibility will be the end of Malkin’s contract. A deal that took way longer than expected to hammer out, giving him four years at the age of 35 seemed to carry some risk but it has held up alright as he has notched 200 points in 232 games over that stretch although he is slowing down now. With that in mind, he might not provide a particularly strong return on this final season but overall, they did reasonably well on this contract. Malkin’s future with Pittsburgh and the NHL in general will be in question after this as the Penguins might not want to keep a player who would be 40 on a team that’s trying to rebuild while Malkin may not want to go elsewhere after spending what will be 20 years with the Penguins. If he does, a one-year pact with lots of performance bonuses will be the deal other teams will offer.
The hope was that a change of scenery for Hayes might get him going after a tough year in St. Louis but instead, his role was reduced further and his performance dipped more. It’s hard to see that changing but his track record is still good enough that he could land around $3MM or so on another short-term deal as long as this season is around how he did last year. Mantha comes over from Calgary following an injury-riddled year that caused him to miss the final 69 games due to ACL surgery. When he’s on, he can be an effective top-six piece but has done so sporadically to the point where he needed a one-year deal last summer coming off an inconsistent season. If he rebounds, he could get back to the $4MM range but that’s far from a given. His bonuses are fairly simple; he’ll receive $250K at every ten-game increment he plays from 10 to 80.
Heinen was acquired from Vancouver as part of the Marcus Pettersson trade last season and did okay with his new team. He’s capable of putting up decent production from a bottom-six role which earned him this contract last summer but he’s not far removed from having to take a PTO either. If he hovers around the 30-point mark again, he could command a similar price tag to this on the open market next summer. Acciari’s first two seasons in Pittsburgh haven’t lived up to expectations. More of an impactful player offensively in 2022-23, his production the last two years hasn’t added up to that mark. He’s still a physical fourth liner who can kill penalties and win faceoffs but barring an uptick in output this season, Acciari is likely heading for a small dip in pay.
From a point-per-game perspective, last season wasn’t bad for Lizotte but the injury bug got him again for the second straight year. While he can be a 30-point player when healthy, he needs to show he can stay in the lineup for closer to a full 82 games to have a shot at besting this deal next summer. Tomasino had some decent moments after being picked up from Nashville. It’s too early to say that he could be part of their longer-term plans which is why the one-year pact made sense for both sides. He was non-tendered to avoid arbitration rights in June before re-signing and that could be his fate again unless there’s an uptick in his production. Dewar also went through the non-tender process six weeks ago but, like Tomasino, quickly re-signed. After seeing low minutes in Toronto, he fared better down the stretch but will need to be more of a third liner than a fourth if he wants to get to another level in terms of his contract instead of going year-to-year at only a bit above the league minimum.
Dallas signed Dumba last summer, feeling that he could still be a serviceable second-pairing player. That didn’t happen. Instead, he struggled in a very limited role before being scratched entirely in the playoffs and traded away with draft compensation for taking on the final year of his deal. It’s possible that he rebounds but it’s also possible that he has a very limited role again. At this point, he’d be hard-pressed to reach half of what he’s making now. Clifton wasn’t able to establish himself as more of a third-pairing option with Buffalo in his two seasons with them before being moved in an offseason swap as well. He’s a more reliable option than Dumba at this point and his market should be okay next summer, just with a price tag closer to the $2MM mark instead of more than $3MM once again.
Shea is a success story from Group Six free agency. While not many of those players find better opportunities elsewhere, he did just that, going from never seeing NHL action in Dallas to playing in 70 games with Pittsburgh over the last two seasons, landing him two straight one-way deals. With still a limited role, it’s hard to see him going much higher than this but it’s still a nice turnaround for someone earmarked as a full-time AHLer just a couple of years ago. Alexeyev hardly played at all last season, leading to a non-tender from Washington. He’ll need to at least establish himself as more of a viable sixth option or he could be heading toward two-way offers moving forward. He’s still arbitration-eligible but unless he breaks out and has a big year, he’s a safe bet to be non-tendered again next offseason.
Silovs was brought in via a recent trade with Vancouver to take a run at a full-time NHL backup spot. He had that going into last season with the Canucks but struggled mightily. However, he had a solid year with AHL Abbotsford before playing a key role in their Calder Cup victory, making it unlikely he’d slip through waivers. If he can establish himself as being at least a suitable full-season backup, doubling this price tag with arbitration rights is doable.
Signed Through 2026-27
F Justin Brazeau ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Sidney Crosby ($8.7MM, UFA)
D Erik Karlsson ($10MM, UFA)*
F Thomas Novak ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Parker Wotherspoon ($1MM, UFA)
*-San Jose is retaining an additional $1.5MM on Karlsson’s contract.
Crosby is quietly beginning a new contract with the Penguins this season although it’d be easy to miss that considering he has had the same cap hit since 2008, a price tag he has provided significant surplus value on. At 38, he might still provide plenty of value on this contract coming off a 91-point season which shows he still has plenty left in the tank. He’s been featured in plenty of trade speculation given that he’s nearing the end of his career and the Penguins aren’t close to contention but with full trade protection, Crosby will get to decide his fate. But no matter where he winds up (and staying in Pittsburgh remains the overwhelmingly likely outcome), he’s a safe bet to continue to provide positive value money-wise.
Novak was brought over near the trade deadline in a trade with Nashville. He didn’t come close to reaching the 40-point mark for the third straight year, instead barely amassing half of that despite some solid underlying numbers. If he can even get into the mid-30s offensively, this deal should hold up well given the high demand for centers. Brazeau was a full-time minor leaguer just a couple of years ago and only has one full NHL season under his belt. However, he did well enough to land this deal in free agency. If he puts up another couple of double-digit goal campaigns, he should be able to push past $2MM in 2027.
Karlsson hasn’t been able to come close to reaching 100 points again as he did in his final season in San Jose but he has remained one of the better offensive blueliners in the NHL. His defensive warts notwithstanding, he’s someone who can still handle big minutes and while his price tag is an overpayment for his current performance, it’s probably only a few million above market value at most. If he’s still an above-average offensive threat two years from now, a two-year deal even at 37 could be doable, albeit at a significantly lower price tag. Wotherspoon had his best showing last season with Boston, holding his own in 55 games with the Bruins to earn the first seven-figure deal of his career. If he can remain a capable third-pairing player over his time on this contract, doubling this price tag could be doable.