Five Pittsburgh Penguins Players Who Might Not Be Back Next Season

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a lot of work to do this offseason with their roster. They do not have a few of their stars signed for next season, and beyond that, they need to decide what direction the franchise is going to move in now.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been in the Stanley Cup Playoffs every season since 2007. They have the longest playoff streak going with 16 straight appearances in the playoffs and they have been one of the top teams of the era with three championships to their name.

That being said, it is not all perfect in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have not won a series since 2018, and they have been taking a step back as of late. While they continue to find a way to get done in the regular season, they cannot win in the playoffs as of late.

This year showed their struggles as they were up to three games to one against the Rangers only to end up losing in a game seven. This team still has Crosby, Guentzel, and Malkin but there are a lot of players aging on this roster.

The Penguins are running out of time to win with Sidney Crosby. While his current deal runs for three more seasons, the 34-year-old has a lot of players around him that need to be signed and could be on the move this offseason.

Let’s jump in with the most probably player that could be on the move this offseason.

1. Kris Letang

Kris Letang might be 34 years old, but he arguably still could be making the big money for at least another three to five seasons in the NHL. Letang is coming off a productive season putting up 68 points in 78 games with the Penguins.

He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion still playing 25 minutes a night on average. He is exactly what a team needs to win and he could be a big benefit to a team looking to elevate their play going into a new season with a new opportunity to win.

If there is one thing the New York Rangers prove this season it is that just one or two pieces could be the difference between rebuilding and contending, so teams might be more optimistic to add Letang to a five-year deal worth 7 or 8 million where as Pittsburgh wants to opt for a three-year deal.

Letang can still be an elite defenseman in the NHL, and the next guy on this list is still one of the best around.

2. Evgeni Malkin

Next up is another candidate that could leave Pittsburgh in Evgeni Malkin. Malkin like Letang might want a longer deal than three seasons and his best bet to get that would be on a different team. the 35-year-old put up 42 points in 41 games showing he is still an elite star in the league.

Malkin not coming back to Pittsburgh would make sense due to the fact that it would give him control of his own destiny. For so long in Pittsburgh, his name has been brought up in trade rumors, moving teams would give him an opportunity to choose which team he thinks could win and offers the best situation for him.

While bringing back Malkin and Letang might be a goal for the Penguins ownership, doing just that doesn’t guarantee a championship anytime soon as the depth around the stars is what the issue is.

3. Brian Boyle

Brian Boyle is 37 years old and just underwent knee surgery a few weeks ago. He couldn’t find a home team ahead of the season so he took a professional tryout contract with the Penguins that ended up turning into a contract and a spot on the roster.

This season Boyle put up 21 points in 66 games for the Penguins. He was a fine depth piece for the roster scoring 11 goals all year. While I am sure the Penguins have a spot for Boyle and that he is not going to ask for a lot of money, they might want to opt to start bringing in players that could be a part of the long term plan instead of someone who is just going to be on the team for another season or two.

Boyle also might be better off chasing a championship with a different team depending on how this offseason. Even if the Penguins do decide to sign Boyle again, do not expect it to be until later this offseason.

4. Louis Domingue

Three netminders. Louis Domingue, Casey DeSmith, and Tristan Jarry. Jarry has one more year on his contract while DeSmith and Domingue are both unrestricted free agents this offseason at the age of 30.

Domingue stole the show in the playoffs playing in six games for the Penguins. During that time he put up a .898 save percentage and at times looked like a real option in net for the Penguins.

While I do think some team will choose to sign him to a contract based on his success in the playoffs. The Penguins should have learned from making a rash decision on a player after a limited amount of time in the postseason. DeSmith and Jarry are the Penguins guys in the net and they did fine this season.