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Penguins Unlikely to Contend Next Season as Dubas Delays Shocking Playoff Timeline
After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 3rd straight year, Pittsburgh Penguins fans want to know when their team will realistically compete again - but what does Kyle Dubas have to say?
It's a feeling that fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins haven't been used to in quite a while. The team has now failed to claim a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 3rd straight year, which is now officially the longest postseason drought of captain and franchise icon Sidney Crosby's career.
Naturally, Penguins fans are wondering when they can expect their club to start competing again for the Stanley Cup.
While writing a fan-centered mailbag piece for The Athletic, Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe speculated that it's going to take patience on the part of Pittsburgh fans.
As he writes, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas is interested in building a club that can contend for years to come rather than just sneaking into the playoffs and likely being a 1st round appetizer for a superior team.
Realistically, however, they probably won't make the playoffs next season. At least, I wouldn't be surprised. Kyle Dubas has made it exceedingly clear that he's not interested in sneaking into a playoff spot. Rather, he wants to build a powerful team that can compete for championships annually.
Yohe then speculated that while the team may not be "aggressive" this summer, the summer of 2026 may be when the wheels really begin to get rolling.
It's an admirable goal, and when Dubas says he believes Pittsburgh fans would prefer the approach he's taking, I tend to agree with him. This approach, however, requires patience. I have long believed that the summer of 2026 is when the Penguins will make their move and turn extremely aggressive.
The summer of 2026 is when Evgeni Malkin's current contract comes to a close; if he decides not to return, that would open up considerable salary cap space.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 24 | 104 ANSWERS Penguins Unlikely to Contend Next Season as Dubas Delays Shocking Playoff Timeline Will the Penguins realistically challenge for a playoff spot next year? | ||
| Yes | 69 | 66.3 % |
| No | 35 | 33.7 % |
| List of polls | ||