The end is near for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
This upcoming season is expected to be Evgeni Malkin’s last with the organization. Sidney Crosby has two years left on his deal. Kris Letang will not be a free agent until 2028, but that date is quickly approaching.
According to NHL Insider David Pagnotta, the Penguins are shopping anybody and everybody not named Crosby.
While a bitter end is approaching in Pittsburgh, this is the right move for the franchise. As great as that trio has been over nearly two decades — winning three Stanley Cups and consistently terrorizing the Eastern Conference in the late 2000s and 2010s — it is time to move on.
Crosby is so competitive and so determined to win that he probably thinks he can still lead the Penguins to a Cup. It would be foolish to bet against him, but he’s also entering his age-38 season and does not have nearly the supporting cast to usurp the Florida Panthers.
General manager Kyle Dubas, who took the reins in August of 2023, has yet to get this project off the ground. Pittsburgh has recorded 80 and 88 points each of the last two campaigns, missing the playoffs both times as it navigates this awkward Crosby-Malkin-Letang farewell period.
None of those players are in their primes, but they could still contribute on top teams and bring an extraordinary winning pedigree to a new locker room.
Ultimately, it feels like the Penguins will defer to their stars and let them choose how they want the final days of their careers to play out. It would be the morally sound move, but one that lacks efficiency and viability.
