NHL Rumors: Penguins Intend to Keep Two Star Players This Offseason

Thursday, March 19, 2026
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Anthony Mantha celebrates after scoring goal in 2026 game.

At the start of the season, it felt like Erik Karlsson and Anthony Mantha were probably not going to finish the season in Pittsburgh.

Karlsson looked like a likely trade candidate because of his contract, and Mantha seemed destined to be flipped at the deadline as a short-term prove-it signing. 

With the Penguins in a playoff spot at the deadline, and now, that obviously didn't happen. Now, both players might be sticking around even longer.

According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, the Penguins want both veterans on their opening-night roster next season.

Penguins want Erik Karlsson to stay in Pittsburgh

Karlsson’s turnaround has been one of the biggest developments of Pittsburgh’s season. 

The raw offense was never the issue, but under Dan Muse, the 35-year-old has looked far more complete. He has 52 points in 63 games, with 43 assists that rank among the top totals for defensemen, and his all-around impact has looked much stronger than it did during his first stretch with the Penguins. 

Last year, he recorded a similar 11 goals and 53 points but in 19 more games played (82).

Yohe went as far as to suggest that instead of trading Karlsson this summer, Pittsburgh may be more inclined to keep him and could even think about another short extension down the road. That would be a wild turn of events.

Karlsson has one more year remaining on his eight-year, $92M contract, carrying an $11.5M AAV.

Again, that would have sounded wild a few months ago. 

Karlsson carries a massive cap hit, and there was plenty of noise about the Penguins trying to move him once his value rebounded. 

But the rebound has been real. His possession numbers have improved, his defensive play has stabilized, and he continues to be a game-breaker from the blue line, scoring a crucial game-tying goal in the dying minutes against Carolina to send the game to overtime on Wednesday night.

Anthony Mantha has become a Penguins priority

Mantha’s situation has shifted just as dramatically. 

He signed a one-year, $2.5 million prove-it deal after an ACL injury wrecked much of his previous season, and all he has done is become one of Pittsburgh’s most important forwards. 

The 31-year-old has piled up 26 goals and 53 points in 68 games, putting him among the team’s top scorers and giving the Penguins badly needed size and finishing ability in the top six.

That smashed his previous career high in goals and points, which he previously set back in 2018-19 with 25 goals and 48 points in 68 games.

Yohe made it clear he does not expect Pittsburgh to let Mantha simply walk away in free agency. The Penguins may not want to get dragged into a huge bidding war, but they are expected to make a real effort to keep him. 

Given how well he has fit with this group, that makes perfect sense.

Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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