3 Pittsburgh Penguins Not Expected Back in 2026-27

The Pittsburgh Penguins have their backs against the wall. The Pens have been owned by the Philadelphia Flyers through three games of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series, and there's no doubt Kyle Dubas is going to make some significant roster changes this summer.

The Penguins exceeded expectations this season as Dan Muse could be in the running to win the Jack Adams award as coach of the year. Regardless of Muse's impact, there's some changes looming on the roster based on contract statuses, and change of direction.

Kevin Hayes

The veteran forward is a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, and despite his character in the dressing room, Dubas is likely going to be moving on from Kevin Hayes. At $3.5 million AAV against the Penguins cap this season, don't expect to see Hayes land much more than a league minimum deal this offseason. He appeared in just 28 games this season, scoring eight points. 

Noel Accairi

Despite the kind of teammate Accairi is, he's not expected back with the Penguins next season. The grinding forward is a pending unrestricted free agent coming off a $2 million AAV deal, and while Dubas and him go way back to their Toronto Maple Leaf days, the Penguins are in need of getting faster and younger, and Acciari is someone they need to replace in their bottom six.

Stuart Skinner

It wasn't known if Skinner was going to be a very short-term rental and flipped at the trade deadline, but once the Penguins went streaking, Dubas decided he'd keep a goalie that was in the last two Stanley Cup Finals. Unfortunately, Skinner hasn't been able to step up in a major way against the Flyers, and without a contract for next season, and with the Penguins having goaltending depth waiting in the wings, looks like Skinner is heading for free agency July 1. 

Photo crdit:  Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images