Recent Moves Show Penguins Are Prioritizing Winning

Heading into the summer of 2026, the Pittsburgh Penguins were set to have 13 expiring contracts on the books. 

Well, they have reduced that number to 12.

On Monday, the Penguins inked pending-unrestricted free agent center Blake Lizotte to a three-year contract extension, the team announced. The deal comes in at an average annual value of $2.25 million, which is a raise on Lizotte's current contract that pays him $1.85 million annually. 

The 28-year-old from Lindstrom, Minn. has been a key part of the Penguins' lineup this season, registering five goals and 10 points in 35 games while being a key part of their penalty kill unit as well as a steady defensive presence. The Penguins went 1-8 without Lizotte in the lineup due to an injury during the month of December, and they are 6-2 since his return. 

In general, the Penguins are in a much better spot than most thought they would be in at this point in time. They're just one point out of a playoff spot with at least a game in hand on all but two of the teams above them in the standings, they're 7-3 in their last 10 games, and they have more forward depth this season than they've had in recent memory. 

And Lizotte's signing, even if small on the surface, is the latest in a line of moves that suggest the Penguins may already be in the process of changing gears. 

A few weeks ago - and just after an eight-game losing streak threatened to bury their season before the holiday break - the Penguins made a move to acquire winger Egor Chinkahov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was the first time the Penguins really went out and "bought" a player since the Jake Guentzel trade back in the spring of 2024, spending a 2026 second-round pick as well as a 2027 third - plus forward Danton Heinen - to get the deal across the finish line. 

Now, about two weeks later, the Penguins re-sign Lizotte, someone who very easily could have fetched a decent return for them at the trade deadline. Every contending team could use a player like Lizotte in their bottom-six, as he is fast, tenacious, elite defensively, and good on the forecheck. 

Going into the 2025-26 season, the Penguins - by many measures - were supposed to be near the bottom of the standings. With so many pending-UFAs and RFAs - and several more such as Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau, and Arturs Silovs added to the roster in some capacity - it became somewhat apparent that the team was probably hoping to flip some of these players for more assets and draft capital at the trade deadline. 

Well, at least that's what was assumed. Because, even GM and POHO Kyle Dubas said at conclusion of the 2024-25 season that the Penguins making the playoffs in 2025-26 would be "an accomplishment." But, intentionally or not, those very acquisitions, plus a few others, have all helped steer the Penguins toward contention instead of merely performing well while the team is bottoming out. 

So, perhaps the focus and the narrative has shifted a bit. 18-year-old rookie center Ben Kindel - drafted 11th overall in 2025 - has been a revelation at the NHL level this season and has certainly made an impact far sooner than anyone could have expected. 19-year-old defenseman Harrison Brunicke - although recently optioned back to his junior team - also began the season with the NHL club and showed flashes of potential. Rutger McGroarty, Filip Hallander, and Ville Koivunen have also seen a chunk of NHL ice this season between injuries and recalls. And there is more youth on the way.

The Penguins have managed to combine their youth and development movement, their long-tenured veterans, and those offseason acquisitions to foster a competitive team. Or, at least, a more competitive team than folks thought they would be. 

What the Lizotte signing - and the Chinakhov trade - signals is that the Penguins are prioritizing winning hockey games. Of course, signing an effective bottom-six forward for a relatively low cap hit, especially with the cap going up, doesn't seem like a big move on the surface. But the fact that the Penguins, once again, "bought" on a player - one they easily could have sold instead for future capital - says a lot about what their aims are for the rest of the season.

This is a better team with Lizotte on it. He helps them win hockey games, and Dubas and the Penguins know this. If asset collection was still the primary focus of this organization, they would not have bought on Chinakhov or extended Lizotte. That doesn't mean that they won't sell off any assets by the trade deadline - depending on where the team is at standings-wise - it just means that they won't sell players for the purpose of selling and collecting as much draft capital as possible.

Pittsburgh already has 15 picks within the first three rounds accumulated for the next three NHL drafts. If they want to, they can recoup more. But, as things stand now, they are clearly focused on winning this season because the team willed it so. And Dubas has rewarded his team's performance with the Chinakhov and Lizotte moves.

Now, we just have to wait and see how the Penguins respond and perform prior to Mar. 6.

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