Penguins’ season-ending loss should be final curtain for Crosby‑Malkin‑Letang era

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 1-0 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night ended their season, and it likely ended one of the greatest eras in franchise history. For two decades, the same trio of stars has driven the Penguins’ success, but now it’s time to turn the page for good.

One of the NHL’s worst franchises from 2001-05, Pittsburgh’s fortunes turned in a major way when Sidney Crosby joined the team as a rookie in 2005-06. Those fortunes improved even more a year later when Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang entered the fold as budding stars.

Since then, the Penguins have done as much winning as any other team in the league. Since Crosby’s rookie campaign, Pittsburgh has won 903 regular-season games, second only to the Boston Bruins in that span. That success has extended to the playoffs, where the Penguins have won three Stanley Cup championships under the reign of Crosby, Malkin and Letang.

Individually, they’ve piled up one accolade after another. Letang is a six-time All-Star and a Masterton Trophy winner. Malkin has a Hart Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy and two Art Ross trophies on his resume. Crosby is a top-10 player in NHL history, and he has an overflowing trophy case to back up that claim.

The run those three have been on is remarkable, and it will be remembered forever, both in Pittsburgh and across the league. It also needs to end this summer.

For much of the 2025-26 season, the veteran Penguins looked rejuvenated under first-year coach Dan Muse, and the team entered the postseason as favorites against the rival Flyers in the first round. That’s when the team’s age really began to show. Philadelphia, with a roster full of young legs, was quicker. Too often, the Penguins’ offense, which ranked among the NHL’s best in the regular season, looked toothless in the face of the Flyers’ relentless pressure.

The reality of the situation is that, in the regular season, the Penguins’ top six scorers were all 31 or older. That was the case for six of the top seven scorers in the postseason. A core of that age doesn’t bode well for the championship window, which has been shut for a while now.

General manager Kyle Dubas has been laying the groundwork for the next chapter since getting hired in 2023 — acquiring one second- and third-round pick after another. And it’s time to kick that process into high gear.

Mired in mediocrity

The Penguins haven’t won a playoff series since 2018, when they defeated the Flyers in the first round before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals in the second round.

Even when Pittsburgh missed the playoffs in three straight seasons from 2023-25, it wasn’t quite bad enough to get a premium draft pick. The Pens haven’t made a selection inside the top 10 since they took Jordan Staal at No. 2 overall in 2006.

If the Penguins are going to return to Stanley Cup contender status, that probably has to change. According to The Athletic, the prospect pool ranks right in the middle of the pack at No. 16, which makes sense because that’s where the team has been for the last eight years — not good enough to lift Lord Stanley but not bad enough to find franchise cornerstones at the top of the draft.

The Penguins built this modern core through the draft with Marc-Andre Fleury (No. 1 overall), Malkin (No. 2 overall) and Crosby (No. 1 overall) as top-two picks. Letang was the only outlier at No. 62 overall. For Pittsburgh to land players of that caliber again, it must stop clinging to the past and embrace the future.

Decisions on aging veterans

Some combination of Erik Karlsson (35), Bryan Rust (33) and Rickard Rakell (32) should be on the trade block this summer. Karlsson is entering the final year of his contract, and the other two have two years remaining at reasonable cap hits. Decisions on a couple more franchise legends may be tougher.

If he chooses not to retire this summer, Malkin is set to hit free agency. Despite battling injuries, the 39-year-old forward bounced back for 61 points in 56 games and a plus-14 goal differential at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.

A decent portion of that success, however, was fueled by high on-ice shooting and save percentages. Expecting Malkin to maintain that level of production at 40 years old would be a risky wager. Pittsburgh got a preview of that as Malkin really struggled defensively against the Flyers. With Malkin on the ice against the Flyers, the Penguins surrendered 3.55 xGA/60, one of the worst numbers on the team.

Letang’s situation is more complex. He has two years left on his contract at $6.1 million per season, and he has trade protection in the form of a 10-team approved trade list. Still, the Penguins would be wise to move on if they can find a trade partner.

As good as the Penguins were throughout the regular season, the 39-year-old Letang underperformed relative to his teammates. His five-on-five expected goals share of 50.1% ranked 21st among 25 Penguins with at least 200 minutes of ice-time. His minus-2 goal differential was tied for 22nd.

Just as with Malkin, Letang felt the effects of Father Time in the postseason. Letang and defensive partner Samuel Girard looked out of sync in the defensive zone at times, particularly early in the series as Pittsburgh dug a 3-0 deficit.

According to PuckPedia, the Penguins are projected to have almost $46 million in salary cap space this offseason, so signing Malkin to an affordable one-year deal and retaining Letang for at least one more season wouldn’t be disastrous roster management. It would, however, be an example of the franchise postponing the next step in its rebuild.

Sidney Crosby’s future

The future of Crosby will be one of the hottest topics around the NHL this offseason. The Pittsburgh legend has one more year left on his contract at $8.7 million, and he’ll be eligible for an extension on July 1. He’ll also be 39 when the 2026-27 season begins, and he may want another shot at the Stanley Cup.

Like Malkin and Letang, Crosby has shown a bit of decline, but there’s no denying he still has some gas in the tank. Despite suffering a knee injury at the Olympics, Crosby still managed to pile up 74 points in 68 games, and he compiled a plus-11 goal differential at five-on-five while playing tough minutes.

Crosby could certainly help the Penguins if they want to make another playoff push in 2026-27, but the roster would need a major facelift to resemble a true contender. Is Pittsburgh willing to risk another middle-of-the-pack finish in hopes of giving Crosby a slim chance at making a deep postseason run?

On the other end of the spectrum, if the Penguins are going to shoot for a lottery pick, Crosby is good enough to will them out of a top-10 pick on his own. There would also be a question of whether No. 87 would be willing to endure a miserable season — perhaps his last — just to remain a Penguin for his entire career.

Because of his full no-movement clause, Crosby won’t be going anywhere without his approval. But if the right team comes calling, Dubas might have to speak with his captain and franchise icon about a change.

Crosby has been extremely loyal to the Penguins, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play out the remainder of his career in Pittsburgh regardless of the team’s Cup chances. One day, the No. 87 will be lifted into the rafters, and Crosby will be immortalized with a statue outside PPG Paints Arena.

All of that will happen regardless of whether Crosby plays his final game in a Pittsburgh uniform, and Dubas must kick the rebuild into overdrive. This should be a very interesting offseason for the Penguins, and Crosby will be at the center of it all.