Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Jason Robertson RE-UPS in Dallas, what's next for the Penguins?

Episode Date: July 22, 2026

Jason Robertson officially re-signed with the Dallas Stars on a one-year deal, so who will the Penguins' next target be this summer? Patrick and Hunter begin the show discussing the news that Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars agreed to a one-year deal, meaning the biggest fish is off the market. So, who do the Penguins target next? One potential reclamation project out of Seattle could be on their radar, but will the cost be too high? (0:00) While we still have an entire season and trade deadline to go, Patrick and Hunter take a look at some of the Penguins' pending unrestricted free agents for next summer and talk about who they think might stay, who might be traded, and who they may just let walk in free agency. (13:40) Finally, the Penguins and the Mario Lemieux Foundation may have let it slip that the Penguins are going in a different direction when it comes to alternate jerseys this year, but will they be popular...not to these two co-hosts. (25:28)  Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMto play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.   OdooGreat organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.  IndeedNow, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcastright now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Penguins fans, our long national struggle has come to an end for now. Jason Robertson officially signs a one-year deal with the Dallas stars. So what will come next for Kyle Dubus in the Pittsburgh Penguins? We get into it in an all-new Locked-on Penguins. You're Locked-on Penguins, your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins, part of the Locked-on podcast network, your team every day. Welcome in to the Wednesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am one of your hosts, Patrick Damp.

You can find me on most social media platforms at Synonym 4Wet, joined as always by the one and only Hunter Hodes. You can find Hunter on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. You can find the show on Twitter at L-O-U-U-Square penguins, and you can find us on TikTok at Locked-on Penguins. Before we jump in, today's episode is brought. to you by O-Doo. Great organizations win because operations matter,

and that is why you should get O-D-O-D. Try for free today at O-D-O-com slash locked-on. That's O-D-O-O-O-com slash locked-on more on them later. Today, it's never too late to look at the next off-season. So we're going to play a little game of sign them, trade them, or let them walk when it comes to the pending UFAs. We also have gotten maybe a little bit of a hint of what this year's alternate jerseys might be for the Pittsburgh Penguins. But before we do any of that, we have to begin the show with the story of the summer up to this point that has finally reached a conclusion.

The Dallas stars and Jason Robertson have agreed to a one year $12 million deal that walks him right to unrestricted free. agency. While that doesn't mean that the penguins are officially out on him, it does mean that the chance for him to become a penguin either happens at the deadline if things aren't working out in Dallas or if he happens to make it to July 1st, 2027. So that's about it for now with Robertson. So Hunter, we begin the show with this question. With this saga in the rearview mirror, what comes next for the Pittsburgh. Gee, I don't know. Not psychic, man, but there's the family guy reference for today's show.

Three minutes in, we got to do a Stewie reference with him and Brian from Family Guy. But in all seriousness, this feels like I'll deal with this later energy from Dallas. Okay, we got to do a one-year contract, 12 million. for the season. We'll deal with that potential long-term extension next year because that's when he's eligible, starting on January 1st. Remember, Pat, they're going to have some cap space next year because Tyler Sagan's contract is coming off the buck.

So Dallas would be like, okay, we can just give him that money and obviously a little bit more as well. Now, I still think he probably resigns there just because when you look at free agency, you look at the players that are not getting there anymore. that's really what I'm basing this decision off of. Plus, I think he still wants to be there. I think that is his preference right now, and I still think going forward it will be as well.

So I'm still curious to see how this plays out, but I do ultimately think, well, my prediction is that he's going to sign a long-term contract there next year at some point when he's eligible before July 1st. However, Pat, if he does get to July 1st, everyone knows how Dubas is going to be going after him there, and he won't have to give up any assets to get him. So that's if he gets to free agency next year.

But I still think he probably re-ups in Dallas at some point next year, especially as they're getting the Tyler Sagan money off of their books. But now that this is over, at least right now, this can lead to Kyle Dubus doing other things this offseason if he chooses to. We talked about Elias Pedersen. We don't need to talk about that anymore. I think we've talked a little bit about Shane Wright. We know Seattle has him out there.

I think that's the type of player that makes sense profile-wise for the Penguins, but they also have such a huge logjam at Ford that if you're making that deal, you're probably sending at least one to two forwards out in either that deal or separate deals. Because if you're just bringing him in for futures, that makes your logjam even more. And I also think the price for Shane Wright is probably going to be a bit higher than they want to pay right now. So there's that you have to deal with as well. But overall, I think this does lead to Kyle Dubus looking at other things if he wants to this offseason. Now that Robertson is back in Dallas for one year, not going to get moved the rest of this off season.

If he does get traded, Pat, it's like you said, it will be around the trade deadline. But even then, they're going to be, I think, one of the best teams in the league next year. So I don't think he's going to get traded. The only way he leaves it, I think it's via unrestricted free agency. That's kind of where I am too. also don't think he makes it to that point just because you brought up. Sagan comes off the books. They have an overage charge of a little over $2 million on their cap for this upcoming season that goes away next year. They're going to have a lot more money next summer than they did this

summer. And that's going to make it very easy for them to bring him back long term. So I do think this ends with him remaining in Dallas. So I do think as much as Dubus in the past, Penguins covet him, it's probably not going to happen unless there is a fraying of the relationship in Dallas. As for the Shane Wright part of it, that is the train I have been on all off season because I also want to build on it today with kind of what you said to that point of if you go out and get them, the price is going to be high and you're probably going to have to move roster players off the roster to get him. And while I don't know if the penguins have the type of assets they need to get

Shane Wright out of Seattle, I also think this is a trade that if you are to make it, I would not be upset if the snap reaction by everybody is that you lost it. because these are the type of swings that the penguins need to make right now. We know that they are going, and this isn't just a thought about Crosby and Malkin and some of those guys who are going to talk about later on in the show, we know that the penguins are going to try to model themselves after the hurricanes. They're not going to do a full frame-off restoration rebuild. They're not going to strip this thing down to the bone and start over.

They are going to try to do what Carolina has done in the sense that they're going to stockpile assets. They're going to take on reclamation projects. So if you look at Seattle and you think and you know that Shane Wright does not want to be there anymore and Jason Botterall and company are asking for a lot, this is a swing I'm okay with taking because if it works, you have potentially one of your top. guys for the next eight to 10 years. If it doesn't, you can let them go somewhere else. Yes, you lose a lot of assets, but you're not in a position right now where if you let a bunch of assets go, including roster forwards that aren't signed long term, it doesn't hurt you as bad as you think it will. They just have so many forwards right now where it's like, okay, right now, where does he fit? I just really don't see an area unless again, you're moving a folder

two out in that deal or separate deals maybe another forward gets moved out in a different deal again i just think there would have to be so many moving parts for that to work price wise i think it might be more than the igor chinat cob trade which at the time and i came on the show and said it felt like a little bit much and then when we obviously saw him take off i was like yeah i don't really care about that anymore considering how good he was for the penguins but i think they're going to be looking seattle that is they'll be looking for a bit higher than that price. That's a trade that they want to make on their terms. Like, yes, Shane Wright has said that he wants out.

The agent is working with him and the team to try to find a destination for him. Penguins would make sense. But I think Seattle, they're not going to rush this. They want to make sure they get what they feel is fair value. And they're not going to feel like they're being held hostage. They're not just going to be like, okay, we'll take the first deal that we get. No, they're going to want to take their time with this and get. legit value that they feel like can help them now and into the future because this is a team

that wants to take a step going forward they they have a fan base that's hungry you know they tasted the playoffs a little bit early on they've taken some steps back since they haven't really been able to get that high star player they've tried a bit at times they try with panera and they try with robertson both didn't work they're going to try to do that again and help out even if it's not here with Shane Wright, does he maybe go out in a trade that they can get a star player to go to Seattle? That's something that I've thought about as well. So again, I do think the price for him it's going to be higher than some fans may think. But those are my main thoughts on Shane Wright. I know I haven't really discussed it too much on the show, but I like him. I think the profile makes a lot of

sense. I just really don't see a fit for him in the lineup right now considering how many forwards they have. For sure. It would be a move that you would be a move that you would have to move roster players out to make it make sense. But I also look at him and I still very much am of the belief that it's not a Shane right problem. It's a Seattle problem. That franchise since its inception has continued to spin its tires and just kind of be there. Like I say that I know it's disrespectful, but they haven't been anything since they've entered

the league. They've just kind of been in the middle. They haven't been bad. They haven't been good. They have just kind of existed. And I think a player like Shane Wright with as good as he was in his draft year, in the amount of potential that he has, really seems like the kind of player that to bring this full circle

about what I was saying about the Penguins rebuild, he feels like that kind of player that Carolina has taken chances on in the past few years where high draft profile, good pedigree, comes into Carolina, fits in seamlessly, and becomes maybe not exactly what everybody expected him to be when he was drafted, but at the very least, becomes a lot better than he was with his previous team. So to me, that is the player. If I'm the Penguins and I'm Kyle Dubus, I'm doing a lot of homework on and doing a lot of talking to Seattle with for a potential move.

But that is going to do it for this first segment. When we come back, Penguins, they've got some pending UFAs next summer. And we're in the dog days of summer. So we got to talk about something. So we are going to talk about all of those UFAs when we come back right after this. Before we do that, though, we've got to tell you about today's sponsor. And that is Odu. Running a business shouldn't feel like your.

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instead of managing software. The best organizations know that success isn't just about talent. It's about having everyone working toward the same goal. And that's true in sports, just as it is in business. Think of the penguins from this past season. They had a vision. They stuck to it. And what do you know, it led to a return to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Whether it was the Chinikov trade, the hiring of Dan Mews, or signing a few reclamation projects. Everyone was pulling in the same direction and what do you know back in the playoffs. Great organizations win because operations matter. That is why you should be using Odu. Try for free today at Odu.com slash locked on. That's O'D OO.com slash locked on. We are back on the Wednesday edition of the Locked On Penguins podcast, Patrick Damp and Hunter Hode's here with you. Like I said in the toss, it's never too early to start looking at next off season. The penguins in total will have seven unrestricted free agents. And just as a note, we're going to exempt Sidney Crosby and of Gennie Malkin from this discussion because we don't

know if this will be Gino's last season in the NHL. And as for Crosby, he will be a Pittsburgh penguin until he no longer desires to be a Pittsburgh penguin. And that is that on that. So let's start then, Hunter, with the biggest name. Eric Carlson, a resurgence last season. Unquestionably was the team MVP, 75 games, 15 goals, 66 points. But by the time we get to July 1st, 20, 27, he will be 37 years old.

So here's the question and the name of the game. Sign them, trade them, or let him walk. If you're out of the race by the deadline, I say trade him, get the value that you can from him and just say, hey, thank you very much. This has been fantastic, but, you know, we're out of the race at this point. Not going to resign you. We're going to get the value that we can for you at this point. you haven't won a Stanley Cup yet,

so you can try to go do that on your new team and then potentially sign with a different team on July 1st. That's if they are out of the race. If they are in the race, I think they will keep him, and I know some people are like, well, you risk losing him for nothing. I understand that,

but if they are in a playoff spot at that point, I think they will keep him for the rest of the season and kind of have him as, you know, a rental for the rest of the season and then figure out what to do with him once we get to the end of the season. season. There is a scenario where they potentially keep him, but that really depends on him. He obviously has loved his time as a penguin, but again, he's never one of Stanley Cup yet.

I think he might want to try to find a team that he has a good chance of doing that with by the time his career ends in a few years. So honestly, Pat, with Carlson, he's the only, he's the only player of the ones that we're going to talk about where I would say all options are really on the table where you could be signed him potentially if you really want to stay here trade him especially if the penguins are out of their race and then you let him walk if you are in a playoff spot at that at that time and you know whatever happens there happens so no that one is a bit tricky if i had to like rank them in order i'm going to go he walks on july one because i think they're going to be in the race at that point number two he gets traded

Number three, he resigns. I think in our audience is going to hate this. I think it's very player dependent. I think it really depends upon what he wants to do. And that's not just because of the no movement clause. I think that on a comparable but not totally similar level, it's like Sid and Gino where you are a living legend. Like whatever you want to do is what you want to do.

You've earned that to this point in your career. If you want to come back, we will work something out for you to come back. If you want to go chase a Stanley Cup, we will trade you to that team and make it work. And if you want to test the market on July 1, best of luck. We think you deserve that. So I know that's an unsatisfying answer, but like you, I agree. All options are on the table. Now let's move to forwards because the rest of it except for one are forwards.

center Tommy Novak. Here's the thing I will say about Novak. He will be 30 on July 1st next summer. And he strikes me as a player that I don't think he's going to make it through this season as a penguin. I think at some point, whether it's before the season, whether it's during or at the deadline, he is going to get flipped. He is a very useful two-way center with offensive upside. and we know the penguins aren't chasing a Stanley Cup.

We know the penguins aren't contenders. So he is to me a prime candidate for whether it's in service of a big move or if it is in a big move, he is going to be a part of that trade. Yeah, I would say traded first and then not resigned second, basically letting him walk. I don't think he is coming back after this upcoming season. I think he either gets traded or he walks in free agency. And I will say, I think he gets a little too much hate from some fans in the fan base. I think he's better than what some fans think.

But I do think there's a decent chance that he gets traded before this season or during the season. Otherwise, I think they're just going to let him walk. So that's kind of where I am on Tommy Novak. Justin Brazopat, I'll say the same thing. He either gets dealt or they let him walk via free agency. I do not believe they are going to resign him to a new contract. Yeah, I think with him, I agree, but I also think it's dependent upon how he plays this year.

I think between him and Soderblom, they're fighting for the same spot. And I think it kind of comes down to who performs better and who has the better year. I lean more towards he's probably gone, Brazil, that is, just because he'll be 29 next summer. you've got a younger version in Soderblom, but I do think this is a guy that Kyle Dubus likes quite a bit.

And if he does have a good solid season and a good performance, I said this last year during the season as well. He strikes me as a player that obviously not a one-to-one comparison because it's a much different, much better player, but it reminds me of a Chris Kunitz type where he knows how to play with elite talent. He has offensive upside. He just has to reach it consistently. If he can find that consistency, I can see them holding on to him, but he does strike me as an odd man out. Moving it right along here, let's keep it forward. A free agency signing from this summer, Andre Kuzmanko. This is another tiered one for me. Tier one is trade. If he plays really

well this year and the penguins are sniffing around the playoffs or out of it by the deadline and he performs well, that's a guy you can flip for assets to go somewhere and get something good back for him. Second tier is let him walk. Anthony Mantha part two has a big year, helps the team either make the playoffs or stick around in the race and then you can let him go get time and term elsewhere. and re-sign him, I don't think that happens with Kuzmenko. He will be 31 on July 1.

You know what his warts are. He's not going to be a long-term solution. So I really think with him, he's either getting traded or they're letting him walk after this year. I agree with you on that. I think he either gets slipped or he walks to free agency and gets a contract from someone else. He's the Anthony Mantha replacement. Now, you know, we're both excited to see what he can do in a top-nine role. But I don't think they see him as a long-term part of this team.

I think it's going to be a one-year thing, just like Anthony Manta. So I would go trade first, and then I would go walk for nothing on free agent frenzy date next July first. And then finally, Pat, Sam Gerard, I'm kind of right there with these last couple. Either he gets traded or he gets let go for free. I don't see him getting re-signed right now, especially just because he was so bad down the stretch for the penguins. However, if he does have a bounce back this year and he plays a lot better, he can stay healthy, maybe they bring him back on a short-term contract member. He's still 28 right now.

But I would say Pat, traded or they let him walk as of right now. He's a player to me. I want to see how he performs this year. Because one, we know, and he admitted in a few, others admitted that the system, especially defensively, that the penguins deployed was vastly different from Colorado. And I know that they're pros. I know that they're the elite of the elite in the NHL. But when you spend so much time in one system, it becomes almost instinctual. You know how to play it without thinking about it. And then you get flipped to a new team and you've got to

relearn it. That's a really difficult habit to break. And there was also the reporting that he was playing through injury for most of the time. He was with the Penguins. So I do think there is a valuable defenseman in there with Sam Gerard. But this is a season where he's got to prove it. He has to have a big bounce back year. And I could see them if he does bounce back. I think the tiers actually become trade. If he plays really well, you know teams are. always looking for defensive help. You can always get a good amount of assets for a valuable defenseman. And then the second tier is re-sign because the left side not great and there's not a ton yet in the pipeline or at the very least not ready in the pipeline to where if you can bring

him back for two to three years, he can fill that stop gap, be pretty good. This is obviously all assuming he bounces back. I do think there's value there, but it is very dependent upon how he plays this season. Yeah, it definitely really depends on how he plays. I have that as tier three right now, Pat, but I'm always open to changing that once we start the season and once we see if he stays healthy and potentially plays well. So it's funny, man. I mean, another year where they're probably not bringing back a lot of their unrestricted free agents. And hey, I totally get why. Yeah, and we've talked about it on the show. Their salary cap sheet over the next four to five years is really clean.

And between not having that total blue chip top tier prospect, a ton of cap space and a lot of assets, they will have options moving forward, which could really turn this thing around quickly depending upon who gets shaken out and who becomes available over the next few years. But that will do it here for our middle segment. When we come back, some internet sleuths have noticed something. We might know what jerseys, or at least the idea of what alternate jerseys the penguins might have next season. And if you see Hunter's reaction, it might not be a very popular one. We'll talk about that when we come back right after this. We're closing out the Wednesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins.

podcast, Patrick Damp and Hunter Hodes running side by side on this one. And if you have been wondering if the penguins are going to wear those sweet, sweet yellow jerseys that they had this past season, shut up. I know about the playoffs. They were still cool jerseys. You're not going to tell me otherwise. Anyway, we might have an idea of what it is. That said, though, we don't know if the yellows are going to be out of circulation or not.

There has been no confirmation of anything on July's 22nd, 2026. But while it's not confirmed, as I said, the Lemieux Foundation and the penguins sent out their applications for the annual 6.6K race, the logo, the colors, and everything else were blue. The logo on the 6.6K logo looked a lot like the 2011 winter classic jersey logo. So Hunter just might be going back to blue. I really, really can't stress this enough. I hate the blue jerseys. I don't want to see another blue jersey again, for as long as this organization is in Pittsburgh.

I can't stand them. I think they are terrible. I think they are ugly. I hate everything about the blue jerseys. And some people will probably be like, well, is that mainly just because of what Crosby went through? It's part of it. But I also just mainly think they are ugly as hell.

I do not like them. I want them to continue doing different black and gold jerseys because every team in this city has those colors. I do not need another blue jersey. I hate them. I think they are gross. I think they're ugly. Oh, I'm good.

We're good here. Can I say this, though? I agree partially with you. The 2011. They did have the black and gold penguin logo on the one. You sent me the Pensborough. The logo is actually kind of cool. The blue I just can do without.

No thanks. So I will say this. Overall, I agree with you. I love that Pittsburgh is the one city that all of their pro teams rock the same colors. Everybody has the black and gold. the current penguins uniforms, the primaries, to me, are the best jerseys in the history of the franchise. The early 90s and the current jerseys, they are as close to perfect as it gets.

Stop touching it, stop messing with it, let it be, it's perfect. However, the 2011 winter classic jerseys are garbage. And part of it, yes, is the winter. are tragic, the Crosby Concussion Saga, 100%. But the 2008, the powder blue Penguins jerseys, those are great. They are genuinely great. If you use them as an alternate, just you wear them a couple times a year, their specialty jerseys, totally good with that, totally cool with those.

Those jerseys, they just popped. They looked so good, both at the old Ralph Wilson, Highmark Stadium, whatever it was called at the time, and at the Mellon Arena. Those jerseys looked awesome. But the 2011s, I am so good. So good on that, don't need it. Those are cursed, man. I mean, the said concussion.

Remember, dude, Gino's horrific injury that he suffered, like, as far as I'm concerned, blue jerseys are cursed. Well, and less we forget, because I got to I got to poke my pal and coworker who also contributes to Pensburg, Garrett Bahana on this. He wrote in the thing, they haven't worn blues since 2011. Wrong, wrong. They wore them in the 2013 lockout short in season. And guess what happened when they wore them in that season? Brooks Orpick, slap shot right to Crosby's jaw.

So those jerseys are. cursed. Yeah. Not to quote Danhausen. They are cursed. Hell, I don't even like the 08 ones that much. That might be a hot take to some people. I'm not really that big of a fan of those.

Well, I just. Speaking of that, missed opportunity by the NHL this year, it is going to be the, well, maybe not mixed yet, but next season, if they announced this, it would be incredibly smart. It'll be the 20-year anniversary. of the winter classic. The Buffalo Sabres, actually, sorry, got that wrong,

Buffalo Bills have a brand new stadium. Penguin Sabers, same jerseys, run it back for 20 years. That would kind of rip. Let's run it back with different jerseys, and I'll agree with you on that. We also still need to get the Beaver Stadium game with Penguins Flyers.

Imagine Hunter, if we run back the 20-year anniversary of the Winter Classic, in Buffalo and we go Robo Penguin versus Goathead outdoors at the new high mark. Now that would be fun. Like that's coming up. Obviously the 20 year anniversary is coming up really soon. Give me a new variant of the-

And I almost said Buff a slug, which dear God, no, don't do that again. I just want a new variant of the Robo Penn. I know some people will say that Jersey's cursed as well. It's not that good. I love the Robo Pen, man. I'm saying the playoff street came to an end. when they brought back the Robo Penguin, just something to keep in mind.

I'd rather wear the Robo Pen than any of those ugly blue jerseys. How about that? Oh, that's a fair point. But that is going to do it for the Wednesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Obviously, if the Penguins drop alternate jerseys, we will talk about them here on this show. But we will be back with a brand new episode for you on Friday.

As always, we will do a fan. take Friday and cover any other news or come up with a fun game because it's July and all the GMs have gone to the cottage apparently so not a lot going on but don't you worry your pretty little heads we will be back with a brand new episode for you all on Friday so for Hunters Hodes I am Patrick Damp thank you as always for tuning in and we will talk to you again on Friday