{"id":637014,"date":"2026-08-04T18:54:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T18:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/637014\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T18:54:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T18:54:15","slug":"nhl-network-ranking-exposes-penguins-top-six-ceiling-the-hockey-writers-pittsburgh-penguins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/637014\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Network Ranking Exposes Penguins\u2019 Top-Six Ceiling – The Hockey Writers – Pittsburgh Penguins"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pittsburgh Penguins still have productive wingers, but the NHL Network\u2019s latest ranking suggests they do not have an elite one. NHL Network released its top 20 wingers entering the 2026-27 season, and no Penguins made the list. That left Bryan Rust<\/a> and Rickard Rakell<\/a> outside the league\u2019s highest tier despite both remaining effective around Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.<\/p>\n

Rust recorded 29 goals and matched his career high with 65 points in 72 games last season. Rakell added 24 goals and 48 points in 60 appearances after missing 20 games following hand surgery. Those are legitimate top-six numbers, especially when adjusted for their missed time. <\/p>\n

Their absence from the rankings is not an insult to either player. It does reveal the difference between Pittsburgh\u2019s collection of strong complementary wingers and the true offensive drivers on most Stanley Cup contenders.<\/p>\n

NHL Network\u2019s Cutoff Shows the Standard<\/p>\n

The NHL Network winger ranking<\/a> begins with Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond at No. 20. Raymond scored 25 goals and 76 points last season. Every player ranked ahead of him either produced at a higher offensive level, carried a longer elite track record or provided a combination of scoring and all-around impact that separated him from the next group.<\/p>\n

That establishes a demanding cutoff. Rust\u2019s 65 points placed him 11 behind Raymond despite playing 10 fewer games, while Rakell\u2019s 48 points came in 22 fewer appearances. Their scoring rates allowed both to remain reasonably close, but NHL Network was evaluating more than prorated production.<\/p>\n

Rust and Rakell are established veteran scorers who benefit from playing beside elite centers. Raymond is a 24-year-old offensive driver expected to anchor the Red Wings for the foreseeable future. The top of the ranking included Nikita Kucherov, David Pastrnak, Kirill Kaprizov, Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen, players capable of shaping an entire top line rather than supporting one. Pittsburgh does not currently have that type of winger.<\/p>\n

Rust Remains an Ideal Crosby Complement<\/p>\n

Rust\u2019s omission should not obscure how valuable he remains to the team. Rust matched his career high with 65 points while setting a personal best with 24 power-play points<\/a>. He averaged nearly 20 minutes per game and handled first-line, penalty-killing and late-game responsibilities.<\/p>\n

Rust works particularly well beside Sidney Crosby<\/a> because he does not need to dominate possession to affect a shift. He retrieves pucks, attacks open areas, finishes quickly and understands how Crosby creates offense. That chemistry has helped him produce 29 or more goals in three consecutive seasons.<\/p>\n

Those traits make Rust an excellent top-line complement. They do not necessarily make him an elite winger independent of his surroundings. He rarely creates offense through extended puck possession in the same way as Kucherov, Marner or Artemi Panarin. His value comes from reading plays, finishing opportunities and supporting more creative teammates. That distinction explains how he can approach a point per game without forcing his way into the league\u2019s top 20.<\/p>\n

Contenders need players capable of converting the opportunities their stars create. The problem is that the Penguins increasingly need Rust to function as both a complement and one of the primary offensive answers.<\/p>\n

Rakell\u2019s Health Keeps His Ceiling Uncertain<\/p>\n

Rakell\u2019s case is similarly complicated. He scored 24 goals in only 60 games, giving him a 33-goal pace across an 84-game season. He also moved between wing and center as the team dealt with injuries, demonstrating more positional flexibility than the Penguins originally expected when they acquired him.<\/p>\n

Rakell can finish from dangerous areas, play on either special-teams unit and move throughout the top six. His 48 points were especially useful because the hand injury interrupted what could have become another season near 30 goals and 60 points.<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghPittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby celebrates a goal scored in the first period with right wing Bryan Rust and left wing Rickard Rakell (Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

The concern is availability and consistency. Rakell turns 33 during the season and has missed 44 games across the past three campaigns. He remains productive when healthy, but Pittsburgh cannot automatically project a complete season or expect his best scoring pace to remain unchanged.<\/p>\n

That makes him difficult to place among the league\u2019s elite. A top-20 winger usually combines production with enough durability or individual dominance to remove most of the uncertainty. Rakell remains a strong top-six player whose final totals can depend heavily on health, deployment and the performance of his linemates. The Penguins can win with Rakell in their top six. Asking him to serve as their most dangerous winger is a different standard.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh\u2019s Top Six Still Depends on Its Centers<\/p>\n

The ranking reinforces how much the Penguins\u2019 offense continues to run through Crosby and Evgeni Malkin<\/a>. Crosby led the team with 74 points in 68 games last season, while Malkin produced 61 points in 56 appearances. Both remained above a point-per-game pace despite their age, injuries and changing roles. Pittsburgh\u2019s top six stayed productive because its veteran centers continued creating enough offense to elevate the players around them.<\/p>\n

That arrangement has defined much of the franchise\u2019s championship era. Crosby and Malkin rarely needed the league\u2019s most famous wingers because they could turn intelligent, competitive finishers into highly productive linemates.<\/p>\n

The problem is how long they can continue relying on that formula. Crosby is entering his age-39 season, while Malkin will play at 40. The Penguins need their wingers to reduce the burden on the veteran centers rather than depend on them to preserve everyone else\u2019s production.<\/p>\n

The Penguins roster projection<\/a> places Rust and Rakell beside Crosby again. That line remains reliable, but it also looks almost identical to combinations they have used throughout its recent decline and recovery. Continuity can be valuable. It does not automatically raise the ceiling.<\/p>\n

Younger Wingers Provide Possibilities, Not Certainty<\/p>\n

President of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas added several forwards who could make the top six deeper. Egor Chinakhov produced 18 goals and 36 points in 43 games after joining the team, earning a three-year extension. Chinakhov\u2019s goals and points each ranked third<\/a> on the Penguins from the date of his acquisition.<\/p>\n

Chinakhov may have the best chance to become the prime-age scoring winger the team lacks. His shot gives him a separating NHL skill, but he has not sustained last season\u2019s Penguins production across a complete schedule.<\/p>\n

Andrei Kuzmenko has a 39-goal season on his r\u00e9sum\u00e9, although he scored only 13 in 52 games last season and is returning from knee surgery. Nick Robertson reached career highs with 16 goals and 32 points before he was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer. The 24-year-old received a two-year contract <\/a>to prove that a larger opportunity can produce another step.<\/p>\n

Ben Kindel, Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen create additional upside, but none should enter the season carrying the expectation of becoming an elite NHL winger immediately. The Penguins have more possible top-six solutions than they did several years ago, but they still lack one player who provides enough certainty to change how opponents prepare for the matchup.<\/p>\n

Elite Winger Remains Pittsburgh\u2019s Missing Piece<\/p>\n

The NHL Network\u2019s list does not determine whether the Penguins can return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Rust and Rakell are good enough to support a competitive top six, especially if Crosby and Malkin remain productive and one of the younger forwards breaks out. The ranking matters more when the team is compared with legitimate contenders.<\/p>\n

The Tampa Bay Lightning has Kucherov, Pastrnak drives the Boston Bruins, Kaprizov leads the Minnesota Wild, and the Dallas Stars have Rantanen and Jason Robertson. Those players can generate offense when structure breaks down, create favorable matchups for their linemates and carry a scoring line through difficult playoff stretches.<\/p>\n

Trading for and signing Robertson showed that Dubas recognizes the need. The previous Jason Robertson miss<\/a> explained why the Penguins could not force the next available move after the Stars retained him on a one-year contract. Patience was reasonable. The need remains.<\/p>\n

Rust and Rakell should continue producing if healthy. Chinakhov could take another step, and Pittsburgh\u2019s offseason additions may create a deeper lineup than the NHL Network\u2019s winger ranking suggests. Depth can help the Penguins remain competitive. An elite winger would give them a path toward becoming something more.<\/p>\n

The ranking did not expose Rust or Rakell as inadequate players. It exposed how much Pittsburgh still needs someone above them.<\/p>\n

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