NHL Power Rankings: Penguins facing some tough decisions on star players amid slow start

We're just over one month into the season, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are three games below .500 and 15th in the Eastern Conference. This slow start could create some very tough decisions for general manager Kyle Dubas.

On the heels of a resurgence in 2025-26, the Penguins haven't quite been able to recapture that magic yet, and there's a good chance Father Time has something to do with that. The core of this team is one of the oldest in the NHL, and not even Sidney Crosby can remain an elite superstar forever.

If the Penguins continue to occupy the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Dubas will face tough decisions. He has a handful of stars on expiring or soon-to-be-expiring contracts, and those players could be very attractive to other teams. Erik Karlsson seems like and obvious trade candidate. As does Rickard Rakell.

But if there was a fire sale, would Dubas go as far as shipping out a franchise icon?

Notable Penguins contracts

Evgeni Malkin (40) -- 1 year, $5.5 million

Sidney Crosby (39) -- 1 year, $8.7 million

Kris Letang (39) -- 2 years, $6.1 million

Erik Karlsson (36) -- 1 year, $10 million

Bryan Rust (34) -- 2 years, $5.13 million

Rickard Rakell (33) -- 2 years, $5 million

Look, it's still very early, and there are reasons to believe a turnaround is coming. The Penguins' five-on-five numbers are far better than the results indicate, and Crosby is fully capable of shaking off a slow start and hitting another level.

If things don't improve, though, things could get very interesting in Pittsburgh. As the Pens sink, here are the updated NHL Power Rankings.

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