Penguins 20-goal Scorer To Be Available Again in 2026 Free Agency

 

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in the midst of a rebuild, and general manager Kyle Dubas is sparing no one from his watchful eye. At the beginning of a rebuild, teams will try to trade their top veteran talent and keep core pieces to build around to help train the next generation of stars. That is, unless it's a full-blown teardown. 

One NHL journeyman may be the next to exit stage left, as the Penguins are poised to make some moves in July, and one could be Anthony Mantha. 

Mantha signed a one-year, $2.5 million average annual value deal (AAV) with the Penguins. The bonus-laden contract is set to expire just as soon as he continues to hit milestones, including scoring his 26th goal of the season (against the Colorado Avalanche), he may be set to collect $4.5 million by the end of the season. 

However, he's proven in a surprising Penguins team who are still competing for a spot in the playoffs, and according to MoneyPuck, they have a 78.6% chance of playing in the postseason. 

With recent acquisitions of players like Yegor Chinakhov and Elmer Soderblom, the Penguins are loading up for a future that doesn't include Mantha.

20-Goal Scorer Gets Paid In July?

After all is said and done, he'll be another veteran Kyle Dubas cuts loose as a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA). 

Mantha's 26 goals and 52-point total in 67 games as a Penguin should draw a lot of buyers this summer. 

The only question is, what will his next contract look like, and will Dubas try to capitalize on his value before the season ends, should they fall out of the playoff race?

The 20th overall selection in 2013 has become a seasoned veteran in his NHL career, playing with the Vegas Golden Knights, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, and Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Now, he'll have to weather another season of free agency, where he'll have a better chance of selling himself to his next team, whether by trade or free agent signing. 

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