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.
The Crosby Era Begins
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.
Why The Era Must End
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.
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.
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.
Building Through 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.