Kyle Dubas' plan to get younger is working as two veterans announce they won't be returning
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Anthony Mantha and Stuart Skinner heading for the exit isn't a setback for Pittsburgh.
It's confirmation that Kyle Dubas's low-cost reclamation model does exactly what it was designed to do.
Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports that both players are unlikely to return to the Penguins next season, with Mantha making clear during his exit interview that he intends to test unrestricted free agency on July 1.
Mantha signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Pittsburgh after tearing his ACL with the Calgary Flames in October 2024.
He responded with a career-high 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games, earning an additional $2 million in performance bonuses according to PuckPedia.
Skinner, acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in a midseason trade, posted a 2.99 goals-against average and .885 save percentage across 27 games in Pittsburgh.
He reportedly told friends he's already said his goodbyes.
The reclamation model is the point
Dubas has described his approach as buying scratch-off lottery tickets through low-cost signings, salary dumps, and professional tryout agreements.
Mantha hitting 33 goals on a $2.5 million deal isn't a player who got away.
He's proof the system produces results that attract the next wave of undervalued veterans looking to rebuild their market value.
That reputation compounds. Players around the league now see Pittsburgh as a place where a bounce-back season actually happens, and that gives Dubas a recruiting edge every July that doesn't cost a dollar against the cap.
The crease is already handled
Pittsburgh isn't scrambling to replace Skinner either. Dubas confirmed that Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist will compete for NHL roster spots next season, with restricted free agent Arturs Silovs expected to return after posting a .939 save percentage in three playoff starts.
Murashov has been dominant in the Calder Cup Playoffs, carrying a 1.99 goals-against average and .937 save percentage.
Letting Skinner walk isn't a gap in the plan. It was the plan all along.
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