Pittsburgh Penguins face tough choices—to pursue Gavin McKenna or make a playoff push?
With the 2025-26 NHL season looming on the horizon, the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking into a crossroads—and it will shape their future for decades to come. One road is the prospect of Gavin McKenna, the biggest hyped draft prospect since Connor McDavid.
The other is the temptation to get a last playoff push out of an aging core headlined by Sidney Crosby.
Pittsburgh Penguins face the Gavin McKenna dilemma
The dilemma? The Pittsburgh Penguins may not be bad enough to acquire Gavin McKenna or good enough to mount a meaningful Stanley Cup charge. That "mushy middle" will leave them stagnant, and in a season where several franchises are publicly rebuilding, remaining static may prove to be the worst move of all.
Pittsburgh Penguins' roster upgrades make tanking ambitions difficult
On the surface, the Pittsburgh Penguins' roster isn't filled with Stanley Cup confidence.
They still lack answers on the net and an exposed blue line—or so it seems if Erik Karlsson is traded ahead of opening night on Oct. 7. But up front, the Pittsburgh Penguins have quietly improved.
Penguins' Dream Prospect? Gavin McKenna Commits to Penn State
Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust are having career years and should continue to be productive alongside Crosby. Scoring depth is provided by free-agent acquisition Anthony Mantha, and Tommy Novak should help the offense with a healthy season after sitting out much of his time with Pittsburgh last year.
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There is also a crop of young players vying for spots on the roster. Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty showed promise at the end of last season, and Tristan Broz, Avery Hayes, and Filip Hallander might bring the kind of depth and energy most bottom-of-the-barrel teams never see.
With modest gains in net—provided by the addition of Arturs Silovs and the growth of prospects Joel Blomqvist and Sergei Murashov—Pittsburgh is perhaps too competitive to slip into the bottom five, even without an intentional push for victories.
Competition for Gavin McKenna will be intense
The actual issue with any Penguins tanking scheme? Other teams are much more interested in losing. The Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken, and San Jose Sharks all seem set to suffer another miserable season, while clubs such as the Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks, and New York Islanders are mired in their respective transition phases.
If Kyle Dubas wants McKenna, Pittsburgh would need to make drastic changes—perhaps trading Karlsson, Rakell, or Rust—to fall far enough in the standings.
Also read:
Sidney Crosby's enduring greatness: How the Pittsburgh Penguins icon continues to rewrite NHL history
For the time being, the Penguins' path is uncertain. But with the clock running out on Crosby's career and McKenna as a possible franchise-altering acquisition, the pressure is building on Pittsburgh to choose a lane—and stay there.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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