Analysts Project Penguins' Season: Gavin McKenna is In Sight

The 2025/26 NHL season is set to be another thrilling, competitive one, but for some teams, there's very little optimism for success heading into the new campaign, especially the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Despite Sidney Crosby still being a star, this team just doesn't have the depth of talent that's needed to compete at a high level on a nightly basis, with many seeing them as a bottom tier team in the league this season.

Unsurprisingly, the Penguins potential struggles come ahead of a season in which there is a generational prize at the end, with Penn State's Gavin McKenna expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a superstar moving forward.

Now, The Athletic have taken a look at the Penguins chances ahead of the new campaign, and according to the writers, the Penguins are likely to finish 30th in the league this season.

That would give them a fantastic shot at landing McKenna, but if not, this is expected to be one of the most top-heavy drafts in years, with many analysts seeing at least 8 top tier stars coming out in the 2026 NHL Draft.

There will hopefully be some positives for the Penguins, with the team looking to add more young names such as Avery Hayes, Sergei Murashov and Vasily Ponomarev among others all seeking a spot in the NHL, but overall, it appears that nobody around the NHL sees much competitiveness in this squad.