Mar 30, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Avery Hayes (85) celebrates his goal against the New York Islanders with centers Ben Kindel (81) and Tommy Novak (18) and defensemen Connor Clifton (75) and Ryan Shea (5) during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images The Pittsburgh Penguins trade speculation has taken a turn.
For the first time in a couple of years, the Penguins made a move that has fans murmuring and figuratively scratching their heads. And it’s all creating a new set of questions about the immediate rebuilding plans.
The Penguins and general manager Kyle Dubas delivered a very affordable new three-year extension to Tommy Novak, which will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2029-2030 season. The move wasn’t wildly unpopular, but it wasn’t popular, either.
For most of the season, Novak was the Penguins’ second-line center but posted only 42 points. The shortcomings of his game made a lot of fans assume he was temporary, but the Penguins coaches and organization also see a lot of little details and value that made him part of the long term.
So what is the fallout of Novak’s extension–will it prevent other moves for young players? Other questions centered on the Penguins seemingly not being a destination team for players seeking a trade, and expectations for the coming season.
Penguins Q&A **Erik Karlsson was traded to the Pens on August 6, 2023. If the Pens were to trade Karlsson in August this year, who do you see as the top right-side defenseman after that trade?
— @GregSalzman There haven’t been any whispers of a Karlsson trade this summer, but a deal certainly makes sense. In fact, if Dubas were to keep Karlsson through the end of his contract and he walks next summer for nothing, that would seem to be bad business.
What happens in the wake of a Karlsson trade is a solid 2.0 question because Kris Letang would be more than willing to retake top pairing duties, but at 39 years old, obviously not as able to do so as just a couple of years ago. He is fighting a losing battle against time.
Indeed, in the fallout of a possible Karlsson trade, it would seem the duties would fall to a committee approach. Most likely, Harrison Brunicke would get a bump and power play time.
Kaedan Korczak would have a greater role, too. **Dan, with the Tommy Novak extension taking place, does Shane Wright to Pittsburgh seem more unlikely now?
I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of (the extension), especially being three more years after this season. — Sid4life87!
Shane Wright to Pittsburgh seems at best highly improbable, but it was that way before Tommy Novak signed a three-year extension. I appreciate the question, and I know that only I hang on my every word.
So, I’ll give PHN’s work a quick plug– this is one of those times when Dan’s Daily and a couple of our Live Chats contained important information. A few weeks ago, after Wright circled Vancouver as his preferred destination, those two teams engaged in cursory trade talks.
However, Seattle GM Jason Botterill reportedly asked for a whopper of a package in return. Seattle wanted one of Vancouver’s top defenseman prospects, Zeev Buium or Tom Willander.
Both are seen as potential high-end defensemen and were top picks. The Penguins don’t really have such a high-pedigree player, though PHN believes Brunicke is rapidly growing into a potential high-quality top-four defenseman with offensive upside.
Willander was Vancouver’s first-rounder in 2023, 11th overall, and could be a top-pair shutdown defenseman. Buium was acquired from Minnesota as a centerpiece in the Quinn Hughes trade.
Buium was taken 12th overall in 2024 and could be a sparkplug defenseman with big points and responsibility. Should Dubas meet that kind of ask for a center who slumped to 27 points last season?
No. In fairness, Wright had 44 points in his rookie year, but a big-time prospect for a change-of-scenery guy would be unnecessary gambling. If Seattle would lower the price and work with Dubas on some of the Penguins prospects, then it’s a different game.
Or, if Seattle was interested in one of the Penguins’ productive veterans and were willing to offer a sweetener to balance the guaranteed production against risk, the calculus could change. Still, Seattle’s original ask of that magnitude shows that Seattle plans to keep Wright unless they get a great offer.
**Who do you think will be the biggest surprise on the Pens next year? Good or bad — TurnoverDG Great question.
I think it’s quite important to temper expectations for goalie Sergei Murashov. Too many people are expecting a top-flight No. 1 goalie on Day 1.
The same can be said for Egor Chinakhov, whom a lot of people seem to be penciling in for 40 goals. On both guys, relax a bit.
They’re good, but don’t demand the world, especially for Murashov, who will be a 22-year-old rookie goalie. Statistically speaking, Evgeni Malkin is likely to suffer a drop from last year, which I don’t think fans are expecting, at least based on the outcry demanding his extension.
In terms of biggest good surprise, Kaedan Korczak might break out of his third-pairing label, and coaches will have enough options to free Sam Girard, who flashed some wheels and offensive prowess when he and Kris Letang weren’t sinking together last season. Also, Owen Pickering has a chance to be that guy by establishing himself sooner rather than later.
**I cannot understand everyone wanting to get rid of generational players we’ll never see again in our lifetimes. Especially for average prospects.
Can we just live in the moment and enjoy Sid & Geno? — Makingabuck3233 I don’t think anyone is clamoring to move on from Sidney Crosby, and the public outcry to re-sign Evgeni Malkin indicates that the paying public wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
But it is soon time to say goodbye to two of the core three, and those who are ready for that are prioritizing the logo instead of the nameplate. The Penguins need to shine their headlights forward, and players who aren’t part of the future are caught in the hockey netherworld between here and there.
For the fans who are ready to turn the page, it’s about getting to the future. Even if it means taking a step backward, symbolically, the Penguins need to move on after this season.
They need to focus the public’s attention on the future, and they need to show players