As the Pittsburgh Penguins prepare to start their season on Tuesday against former Coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers, two things are true: The glory days with their core – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang – are quickly coming to an end. And it’s time to start taking a rebuild a bit more seriously.
The performance by the Penguins in the preseason has been less than impressive. The team shows minimal control of the puck and almost no chemistry, despite winning most of their games. Even in their win against the Buffalo Sabres, the Penguins spent little to no time in Buffalo’s zone, and the Sabres had twice as many shots until late in the third period.
In reality, the real glory days that fans knew and loved have long been over. Neither Malkin nor Letang produce at the level they used to. Even Crosby, who still produces incredible stats, especially for his age, is in the early stages of slowing down.
The team has missed the playoffs now three seasons in a row. Last season, they finished in second-to-last in the Metropolitan Division.
But none of that is any secret to the Penguins’ fanbase. It is now just a matter of savoring the core while they’re still here. Malkin and Letang are more nostalgic figures than actual contributors to the team.
With the upcoming season potentially being Malkin’s last, and all of their expressed desire to retire together, the Penguins need to look at the big picture: When the core retires, who will keep the team afloat?
With this harsh reality the team is facing, an actual rebuild might end up requiring the team to tank.
Gavin McKenna is an up-and-coming prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft who is currently playing for Penn State. He’s looking at a number one overall pick. He could be exactly what the Penguins need to begin their redemption.
Is tanking fun to watch as a fan? Obviously not. Will it be incredibly sad to see some of the core players, specifically Crosby, spend their last seasons on a tanking team? Absolutely. But it’s a reality that fans need to face and learn to stomach.
After all, Mario Lemieux’s last seasons weren’t exactly glorious either. But look at what came out of them.
