Roster Battles Emerging for the Penguins: Red Wings Game Will Make Choices Clear

The 2025/26 season is almost here for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and while many expect them to take a huge step back this year, there's still plenty of great talent on this roster, mostly from the veterans that have led them to plenty of success over the past decade.

The spots of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and others are all solidified, but given that it's pre-season, there's plenty of spots that aren't yet locked up, and with the team looking towards a rebuild, there are some young talents ready to step up and take those roles on.

Ahead of a matchup with the Detroit Red Wings, the Penguins have announced their lines, and while there's some veterans in the lineup, for the most part, this is about their young names who could potentially step up and secure a spot on the opening night roster.

Among those fighting for a spot are Avery Hayes, Sam Poulin and Alex Alexeyev, all of whom have earned their chance in recent years, and on Monday, they'll look to do exactly the same for the season ahead.

With so many intriguing players set to battle it out for roles in the bottom-six in Pittsburgh, it's unclear who of these players will end up earning those spots, but for a team that's looking to rebuild, getting these young players in and fighting for their spots is always a good way to create competitiveness in camp.