Now that the Penguins are enjoying a two-day break from games, let’s check in on the first seven games as a whole to issue a stock report on the players. We’ll judge this on a number of qualifications, from raw stats, advanced numbers, how they look to the eye and general vibes over how things have gone in roughly the first two weeks of the 2026-27 season relative to expectations and the general sense of where the player was at about a month ago compared to how their season has gone to this point.
Stock Up
Sam Girard and Kaeden Korczak – Girard leads the Pens’ defensemen with six 5v5 points in the young season. He’s only level in goals (7-7 in 5v5 minutes), mostly due to a .870% on ice save percentage. Girard and his partner Korczak have done a great job of preventing high danger chances (lowest rate on the team, minimum three games) and have been active all over the ice. Individually and collectively they’ve performed well, carrying a hugely impressive 60.1% expected goals percentage. Some of those figures are bound to come down a little, it’s worth watching to see how much staying power they’ll have after a quality beginning.
Nick Robertson – The team leader in goals (4), Robertson has been noticeable regardless whether he’s been on the first or fourth line. He’s killing penalties a little bit and drawing a bunch of them too. That hasn’t been rewarded in a huge role yet, but there’s been a lot of good things happening when he’s been on the ice where the Pens have seven 5v5 goals with Robertson out there. That’s tied for the team lead among forwards with Sidney Crosby.
Ben Kindel – What sophomore slump? Kindel’s looked better than ever on the ice, often working with different wingers from game to game. His skating looks improved, the high IQ and hands are still there. This season has felt like seeing him take the next steps into becoming one of the top players on the ice, they’re relying on him more on the PK, he’s playing top power play time and been good in leading a line.
Sergei Murashov – Murashov allowed a howler late in the third period of his last game, which is a shame because he’s been tremendous up to that point. He about single-handedly kept the Pens in the fight against Columbus and has a .911 save% to start the season. Only once in the 2020’s (Tristan Jarry, 2021-22) have the Pens had a goalie stop that percentage of shots on the season.
Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte – The counting stats aren’t there for goals and assists, though both pitched in last night against Chicago by making plays. As to be expected, these two are getting a heavy dose of tough defensive starts and playing a ton of PK time. Also as expected, they’re winning their minutes consistently again, Dewar carrying a 5-2 5v5 score and Lizotte not far behind at 4-1. Reliable is such a compliment at this level and these two are the definition of it. You know what you’re going to get from them and they almost always deliver.
Spencer Stastney – He hasn’t played a lot (14:18 average in only two games) so it’s only a modest shout here more than a declaration of a big time impact, but Stastney jumped right into the team and has looked more than passable out there as a 6/7 type of defensemen who does everything decent. Can’t have any complaints, he should be just fine as a third pair player that can get through games when called upon.
Stock level
Evgeni Malkin – Blistering start with four points in the opening two games, Malkin’s skating well, looks engaged back-tracking for pucks and has only taken one minor penalty on the season. On the downside, that hot start has leveled off (one point in last five), his line hasn’t been overly effective at producing (he’s only been on the ice for three 5v5 goals) and his power play work has been lackluster. Add it all up and it about evens out.
Sidney Crosby – two goals in the last game should do a world of good, two points in the first six before that was very un-Sid like. At his age, maybe it just takes a while to get into gear and adjust to game speed.
Tommy Novak – Novak does have five points in seven games, which is a rate that’s always more than acceptable. Sometimes it feels like the sum of his totals doesn’t reflect as well for the moment to moment. Overall, about as expected for a middle-of-the-road supporting player – sometimes good, sometimes quiet. How long will he last at center while winning just 34.2% of his faceoffs?
Declan Carlile and Erik Karlsson – Could hear an argument to bump them up a notch, but for now we’ll stay here. Carlile, in his first major role, sure doesn’t play tentative or lack confidence on the ice, gotta give him that. His offense has kicked in too with two goals and four points to start the season. Karlsson has a point per game, which is good, but has endured some frustrating sequences with his passing and inability to accurately get shots on target. Overall the pair is doing well, a 56.8% xGF% is outpacing the 52.1% that Parker Wotherspoon had with Karlsson last season. Disclaimer now faithfully inserted here that it is still early yet and they could stand to bring down the 3.67 GA/60 (though while you’re driving a 5.14 GF/60, it’s easier to digest..)
Arturs Silovs – Silovs has a nice record (3-1-0, a shutout) but considering what we know now about the Flyers starting off so terribly, he’s also got a .857 save% and 3.62 GAA in his three starts after opening night. Mixed bag in the early going. Overall, about as expected from last year with the highs being high and the lows being low and not too sure of which version is going to show up on a given night.
Bryan Rust – Rust started off like a house of fire with a goal in each of his first two games, no points since (though his play on Crosby’s first goal was instrumental, even if not recognized on the scoresheet. Overall, just a decent start up to this point in his second season in a row of beginning the year on injured reserve. Whether it’s been blocking a shot at a key time or board work to start the aforementioned Crosby goal, Rust’s been coming through on the small details that might escape. As a first liner he needs to amp up the offense to reflect it.
Ville Koivunen – This is a tough grade, it’s good that Koivunen has been given some chances (played five games). Some shifts he will be active and show some positive flashes. Most the time he will not stand out that much. I don’t know what the Pens have here or what their plan is. Not sure if they do either at this point while seeing if he’s going to sink or swim in the NHL lineup. So far, I think treading water is about the best you can say, which isn’t saying a lot. Then again, a non-answer is going to become a strong signal in and of itself at some point. We might not be there quite yet but the onus is on Koivunen to earn a spot and give reasons to stay in the lineup.
Kris Letang – The results are there (3-2 score at 5v5). There are some danger warnings flashing (4.5 xGA, .959% on ice save percentage) that could be ominous as the season rolls along. The Pens are managing his minutes (19:53 average ice time) but then again Letang’s 17:41 ES average is only seconds behind the team leaders of Girard (17:48) and Karlsson (17:44). They probably could stand to reduce that further, but someone has to be out on the ice. By hook or crook, if the puck is staying out of his own net for late-stage Letang, things are no worse than alright.
Trevor van Riemsdyk – This might be grading on a curve for playing on his off-hand, but van Riemsdyk has been mostly fine. Gotten into some trouble at times, but he’s been great on the PK (team-high 3:10 average per game). He’s been as advertised as a veteran defenseman who will be generally be solid, if unspectacular. He’s only around to chew through minutes and play a hard role, unfortunately got hurt already.
Stock down
Elmer Soderblom – This might not be of his doing, but Soderblom’s often been the first guy out of the lineup. He’s only played in 2/7 games and not done much while out there. All the depth and talent has squeezed him out, at least to this point, which is a shame considering how well he played at the end of last season. It doesn’t seem like at this point that regular playing time is on the immediate horizon.
Rickard Rakell – zero goals and only nine 5v5 shots in seven games while stapled to Crosby the whole time is a dreadful start. Rakell only has one 5v5 point so far. He hasn’t done much on the power play either. Slumps happen but this is his worst spell in years, when he was dealing with a shoulder injury that limited his shooting effectiveness. Surprisingly poor, but it is still early.
Egor Chinakhov – Like Rakell, perhaps a breakout is on the horizon for Chinakhov. We all know he has the skill. To date, he’s been a shell of the explosive, dynamic player who scored seemingly at-will for the Pens last season. Every player can’t be consistent in every stretch, so it’s worth seeing what happens while also calling the spade a spade in that Chinakhov hasn’t seamlessly continued on the great ascent he was previously on.
Hendrix Lapierre – Lapierre got a run of six-straight games and had faded away by the end to healthy scratch territory. Now that the team is mostly healthy and Kuzmenko is back, when’s his next shot going to be? Is he a center or winger? Can he help on the power play or penalty kill? Still a lot more questions than answers for him at this point.
Not listed
Andrei Kuzmenko – Doesn’t seem right to dig deeply into this case right now. Kuzmenko hasn’t played well, or that much, and there’s no knock on that with what he went through with the passing of his father. The question becomes how much does he get up to speed? Can he make some plays happen? Right now, he’s looked a beat off, but he deserves more time before getting into. The Pens were open about Kuzmenko hopefully stepping into the shoes of the departed Anthony Mantha, at this point maybe the best they can hope for is a Justin Brazeau type of signing based on what has been out there so far.
