Penguins Offseason Bets on Murashov Before Time Runs Out

Key Takeaways

- The Penguins went 41-25-16 for 98 points but lost to the Flyers in six games - their third straight postseason without a series win (NHL.com). - Evgeni Malkin turns 40 on July 31. Sidney Crosby is 38. The Cup window is almost shut. - Goalie prospect Sergei Murashov posted a .919 save percentage and four shutouts in 38 AHL games, then a .931 mark in 15 Calder Cup Playoff starts (WBS Penguins).

The Penguins offseason was always going to come down to one question. Can they squeeze one more playoff run out of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin before the window closes on the greatest era in franchise history?

Ninety-eight points. Second in the Metropolitan Division. On paper, the 2025-26 Penguins looked like a team built for a deep run. On the ice, they were exactly what the standings said: good enough to reach the playoffs, not good enough to survive them.

Penguins Offseason Reality: Another Early Exit

The 41-25-16 record bought Pittsburgh a playoff ticket and the 2 seed in the Metro.

It also bought them a date with the rival Flyers, who knocked the Penguins out in six games (NHL.com).

That is three straight postseasons without winning a single series. For a franchise with championship banners in the rafters, first-round exits are not a slump. They are a pattern. And patterns like that cost general managers their jobs if they do not get fixed.

The gap between the regular season and the playoffs is not subtle. This team can control a game in November.

When the checking tightens in April and every shift turns into a grind, the Penguins run out of answers.

How Much Time Do Crosby and Malkin Have Left?

Everything the front office does runs through two birth certificates.

Evgeni Malkin turns 40 on July 31. Sidney Crosby is 38 (NHL.com).

Two future Hall of Famers who built a dynasty together are staring at the final chapters of their careers. And everyone in the organization knows it.

Every signing, every trade call, every prospect promotion has to answer one question: does this give these two a better chance to win right now?

Because there is no rebuild coming. There is only the window, and it is closing.

Penguins Offseason X-Factor: Is Sergei Murashov Ready?

This is the single bet that could define the next decade of Pittsburgh hockey.

Murashov's AHL resume jumps off the page. He went 24-9-4 with a 2.20 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage. And four shutouts in 38 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The league named him to the AHL All-Rookie Team and the AHL Top Prospects Team (WBS Penguins).

Then the Calder Cup Playoffs started and the kid found another gear.

Fifteen starts. An 8-7 record. A 2.11 GAA. A .931 save percentage. One shutout. The win total sits just above .500. But those underlying numbers tell you the team in front of him was the problem, not the goaltender.

But the NHL is a different animal. Shooters are faster, the crease is more chaotic, and the mental grind is unforgiving. If Murashov is ready, the Penguins just found their next cornerstone. If he is not, the whole plan wobbles.

What Should Penguins Fans Watch This Season?

The Penguins offseason comes down to a race against the clock.

Crosby and Malkin have earned the right to compete for a Cup.

The front office owes them a roster that can win in April, not just survive until then. The 98-point season proved this core can still play. The Flyers series proved that is no longer enough.

So watch the goaltending. Watch whether Murashov can make the jump. And ask yourself one question: can the Penguins finally win a playoff series for the first time in three years, or has the window on this dynasty already slammed shut?