Everybody counted the Pittsburgh Penguins out in 2026, but they got off the mat and proved them wrong. They are back in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and they have their eyes set on a deep run. It’s all thanks to general manager Kyle Dubas, who collected all the right players to make the magic happen. Many people doubted this roster, but Dubas’ island of misfit toys did the impossible in 2026. These players became heavy contributors to the second-best team in the Metropolitan Division.
Acquired in the middle of the season, Elmer Soderblom has come to Pittsburgh and brought grit to the lineup on the fourth line. Since arriving in the Steel City, Soderblom has five goals and five assists in 20 games played, far exceeding his output in Detroit to start the season. With the Red Wings, he posted two goals and one assist in 39 games. Dubas gave up a third-round pick to bring the big 24-year-old to town, and it has paid off. Deep teams win in the playoffs.
Dubas got clowned by couch general managers for selecting Ben Kindel 11th overall in the most recent NHL Draft, but it’s safe to say he is getting the last laugh on that one. At 18 years old, Kindel played 77 games and posted 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points. Nobody expected him to stay with the NHL club for the whole season, but he made himself a mainstay of the lineup. The kid plays years beyond what his actual age shows. Now it’s time for him to have his signature moment in the playoffs.
Egor Chinakhov was acquired midseason, and the Penguins have turned him into a star. He’s become a fan favorite in Pittsburgh. To start the season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Chinakhov played 29 games and had only three goals and three assists. Since getting to the Steel City, he has 18 goals and 18 assists in 43 games. Columbus messed up. They handed their division rival a bona fide goal scorer in return for a second and third round draft pick, Danton Heinen. Chinakhov is only 25 years old, and he needs to be a Penguin for a long time.
When the Penguins signed Anthony Mantha to a one-year contract for $2.5 million, it was severely overlooked. He had the best year of his career in Pittsburgh, scoring 33 goals and 31 assists for 64 points at 30 years old. It’s the first time in his career that he has scored more than 30 goals, and he is the ninth Penguin since 2006 to accomplish the feat. Mantha is in for a big payday this offseason, and he deserves it. Hopefully, he stays in the Steel City. It would be tough to let a 30-goal scorer go, unless Auston Matthews is on the way.
When Pittsburgh hired Dan Muse to be the 23rd head coach in franchise history, nobody knew who he was. It felt like an odd hire at the time, but now it looks like a genius move from Dubas and company. The Penguins believed in him, and he hasn’t let them down. Muse has led them to a record of 41-25-16, good enough for second in the metro and a playoff spot. He is the eighth coach in franchise history to win 40 or more games in his first season behind the bench. Dubas made a great hire to lead the boys into battle.
When he took the job, Dubas was given a seemingly impossible task to return Pittsburgh’s core to the playoffs while also building a nest egg for the future. They scapegoated him in Toronto. Three years later, his replacement is already fired while Dubas’ Penguins are heading to the postseason. Life is good in Pittsburgh. Dubas collects misfit toys, and Muse turns them into gold.
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