Pittsburgh has pushed back into the playoff picture on the strength of a dangerous attack, a revived blue-line engine in Erik Karlsson and a possible new answer in goal. The Penguins snapped a three-year postseason absence in Dan Muse’s first season behind the bench, and the 2026-27 campaign will test whether that surge can carry through personnel changes and another demanding Metropolitan Division race.
Pittsburgh Penguins 2026-27 Outlook: Finishing Chances, Karlsson and the Crease
SEO Title: Pittsburgh Penguins 2026-27 notebook: Karlsson, Silovs and Chinakhov
SEO Description: Pittsburgh enters 2026-27 after ending its playoff drought, with strong scoring metrics, Erik Karlsson’s all-around game, Arturs Silovs’ opportunity in net and Egor Chinakhov’s shooting threat.
An attack built around the hard areas
The Penguins generated more high-danger shots than any NHL club last season, putting 740 on net from the most threatening areas. They converted 144 of those chances into goals, fourth-most in the League, and finished third in overall scoring at 3.54 goals per game.
That profile helped fuel Pittsburgh’s return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it also leaves a void after Anthony Mantha departed for the New Jersey Devils on a two-year deal July 15. Mantha led the Penguins with 24 high-danger goals, a total tied for fifth across the NHL.
Among returning players, Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell each produced 16 goals from high-danger territory. Rakell paced the club with 90 high-danger shots, placing him in the 97th percentile among NHL forwards. Crosby, who turned 39 on Aug. 7, remained a major driver of possession, recording a 46.2 percent offensive-zone time share that ranked in the 94th percentile among forwards.
The attack was not limited to the crease. Pittsburgh tied for sixth with 90 mid-range goals, shared eighth place with 698 mid-range shots on goal and ranked 10th in offensive-zone time percentage at 41.4. Its power play clicked at 24.1 percent, good for seventh in the NHL.
With Mantha gone, the established core of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Karlsson and Kris Letang will again be central to sustaining that offensive pressure.
Silovs has an opening in net
Arturs Silovs made the most of his playoff opportunity even as Pittsburgh fell to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games in the Eastern Conference First Round. The 25-year-old posted the best high-danger save percentage in the postseason at .909.
Silovs won two of his three starts and surrendered five goals overall in those games, stopping 77 of 82 shots for a .939 save percentage. Stuart Skinner’s July 1 signing with the Winnipeg Jets has opened a path for Silovs to claim Pittsburgh’s starting job.
Sergei Murashov also offered a promising, if limited, regular-season sample. The rookie posted a .870 high-danger save percentage over five games, a mark in the 99th percentile.
Karlsson remains a driver from the blue line
Karlsson enters his 18th NHL season at age 36 after recording 66 points in 75 games, eighth among League defensemen. His production was supported by elite skating, puck movement and shooting data rather than merely power-play totals.
- His top skating speed reached 23.74 mph, in the 99th percentile among defensemen.
- He registered 19 bursts above 22 mph, fourth among NHL defensemen and again in the 99th percentile.
- His 40 shot attempts between 90 and 100 mph ranked fourth in the NHL.
- He produced 14 high-danger shots on goal, six mid-range goals, 44 mid-range shots, 81 long-range shots and six long-range goals.
- His six goals from long range were tied for fourth in the NHL.
- He covered 34.41 miles while on the power play and posted a 45.4 percent offensive-zone time share.
Those categories placed Karlsson at or above the 90th percentile at his position. The three-time Norris Trophy winner, honored in 2012, 2015 and 2023, is still seeking his first Stanley Cup.
He will chase it alongside a veteran Pittsburgh group that knows the route. Crosby, Malkin and Letang won championships together in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Their challenge is to keep the Penguins in the Metropolitan mix with the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes and an improved Washington Capitals club.
Chinakhov brings a different kind of release
Egor Chinakhov’s arrival from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a Dec. 29, 2025 trade gave Pittsburgh a fast, hard-shooting top-six option. From his Jan. 1 Penguins debut through the end of the regular season, he scored 18 goals, third on the team. His 16 even-strength goals matched Mantha for the club lead during that span.
Chinakhov led all NHL forwards in average shot speed among skaters with at least 100 attempts, averaging 65.49 mph on 282 shots. His hardest shot measured 99.03 mph, fifth among forwards.
Despite playing 72 games, the 25-year-old also logged 29 long-range shots on goal, 11 mid-range goals and 51 mid-range shots. He generated 193 skating bursts over 20 mph, placing him in the 94th percentile among forwards.
That blend of speed and a heavy release made Chinakhov an immediate contributor after the trade. His first full season in Pittsburgh gives the Penguins a realistic breakout candidate as they prepare for the next puck drop of 2026-27.
