In this edition of NHL Wraparound's Summer Coolers, Neil Smith and Vic Morren dive into one of the NHL's most iconic yet most uncertain franchises: the Pittsburgh Penguins.

For the fourth straight season, the Penguins look like they'll miss the playoffs—despite having Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson still on the roster. With rookie head coach Dan Muse taking the reins from Mike Sullivan (now in New York), the team seems more focused on riding out legacies than chasing another Stanley Cup.

Is this the year that Crosby finally waves the towel and requests a trade?

🧊 IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] New coach Dan Muse takes over in Pittsburgh

[00:40] Key offseason additions: Brazeau, Mantha, Pinard, Alexeyev, Dumba, Cossa

[01:30] Major re-signings: Tomasino, Dewar

[02:00] The big drop: Alex Nedeljkovic traded to San Jose

[02:30] Crosby (38), Malkin (39), Letang (38), Karlsson (35): Aging and fading?

[03:30] Depth review: Ricard Rakell, Bryan Rust, Anthony Mantha

[04:30] This roster screams “lottery team,” not playoff hopeful

[05:00] Dubas had $13M in cap space—what did he do with it?

[06:00] Is Sidney Crosby open to a trade if things go south?

[07:30] Would you trade Crosby at the deadline if he asked?

[08:30] Why Penguins ownership may have misread the state of the franchise

[09:00] The unfortunate truth: This rebuild should’ve started two years ago

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

The Penguins are the NHL’s oldest team (average age: 31.5) and aren’t getting younger—or better.

No playoff series wins since 2017, and no signs that’ll change without a major shakeup.

New coach Dan Muse inherits a roster that feels more like a retirement tour than a contender.

Despite having $13 million in cap space, GM Kyle Dubas didn’t significantly improve the roster.

Sidney Crosby’s future looms large: If the team tanks early, could a blockbuster trade be on the table?

🎯 FINAL WORD:

The Penguins' once-proud window has long since closed. While Crosby, Malkin, Letang, and Karlsson will one day have statues, their time as legitimate contenders has clearly passed. This is a transition year—if not the start of a full teardown. And for the first time ever, Pittsburgh may need to ask: Is it time to trade Sid?

🔗 RESOURCE LINKS:

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🎤 Neil Smith: @NYCNeil

📘 Vic Morren: Vic on LinkedIn

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