Which Penguins Could Get Extended Next Offseason?
The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently projected to have over $50 million of cap space going into the 2026-27 season. That number can and will change over the next calendar year, depending on the moves Penguins general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas decides to make.
Evgeni Malkin, Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Danton Heinen, Noel Acciari, Blake Lizotte, Connor Dewar, Matt Dumba, Connor Clifton, and Ryan Shea are all expected to be unrestricted free agents. Philip Tomasino, Arturs Silovs, and Alexander Alexeyev are slated to be restricted free agents.
Of the unrestricted free agents, Evgeni Malkin has the best chance to return next season, although speculation suggests he may retire. Malkin has not made any decision on his future and will likely take the Olympic break in February to think about it.
The Penguins are the only team he has ever played for, and he has gone on record numerous times saying he never wants to leave. He wants to retire as a Penguin and finish his career with Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, his longtime teammates and best friends. If he decides he wants to keep playing, it won't be hard for the Penguins to hand him a one-year contract with a decent salary. He'll look to improve upon last season with better linemates this year.
When it comes to the other UFAs, Dubas will look to flip a good chunk of them at next season's deadline. Mantha has a good case to be this season's Anthony Beauvillier after the Penguins got a second-round pick for him during last season's trade deadline. Beauvillier compiled 13 goals and 20 points while playing in a top-nine role. Mantha is coming off a torn ACL but did score 23 goals during the 2023-24 season.
Hayes, Heinen, Acciari, Lizotte, and Dewar are all depth forwards that contenders could look at to bolster their lineups at the deadline. However, of those players, Dewar might have the best chance to stay, mainly if he builds upon his late-season success from last year. He was a…
