Rust was back at practice on Thursday but will remain out of the lineup against the New York Islanders. The 33-year-old Rust scored a career-high 65 points (31G / 34A) in 71 games last season and will likely return to a role on the team's top powerplay unit when he returns.

Filip Hallander will make his season debut on Thursday, sending Dewar to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Dewar made his Penguins debut in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the New York Rangers, playing 14:11 time-on-ice, and recording one assist.

Connor Dewar will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Hallander to make his season debut against the New York Islanders. The 25-year-old Hallander spent the previous two seasons playing hockey in Sweden, including an impressive 2024-25 season where he scored 53 points (26G / 27A) in 51 games with Timra IK (SweHL).

Despite an impressive 25-save shutout by Arturs Silovs in their 3-0 opening-night win over the New York Rangers, the Penguins will opt to rotate netminders early, turning to Jarry on Thursday against the New York Islanders. After a horrendous start to the 2024-25 season, posting a 3.10 GAA and .884 SV% in 22 games (9-9-4), Jarry spent two months in the minors before returning to the NHL and ending the season on a higher note, posting a 2.60 GAA and .904 SV% in 14 games to end the season (8-4-2). The 30-year-old Jarry hopes to start this season the way he ended the previous one. The Penguins enter Thursday’s contest as +116 home underdogs against an Islanders team that finished last season with the league’s fifth-worst offense (2.73 GF / GP).

Silovs was acquired in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks in the offseason to battle with Tristan Jarry for the Penguins' crease and appears to have a head start on opening night as he will tend the twine against the New York Rangers. The 24-year-old Silovs has limited NHL experience, having played a career-high 10 games with Vancouver last season (2-6-1), posting a 3.65 GAA and a .861 SV%. Expect the Penguins to alternate starts between their goaltenders unless one can establish themselves as the undisputed starter. The Penguins enter Tuesday's contest against the Rangers as +194 road underdogs.

St. Ivany was likely a longshot to crack Pittsburgh's opening night roster but will now conclusively start the 2025-26 season on the sidelines, recovering from a lower-body injury for at least six weeks. The 26-year-old defenseman played a career-high 19 games last season, averaging 16:22 time-on-ice and scoring one assist.

The Penguins announced on Thursday that Rust will be out of the lineup for at least two weeks after suffering an undisclosed injury at practice on Wednesday. The 33-year-old Rust scored a career-high 65 points (31G / 34A) in 71 games last season.

Blomqvist's start to training camp is not going as planned after it was announced that the 23-year-old netminder will be sidelined at least four weeks. The sophomore netminder is expected to compete with Tristan Jarry for Pittsburgh's starting role in 2025-26 after putting up a 4-9-1 record, 3.81 GAA and .885 SV% in 15 games played as a rookie last season.

Blomqvist's start to training camp is not going as planned after it was announced that the 23-year-old netminder was day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The sophomore netminder is expected to compete with Tristan Jarry for Pittsburgh's starting role in 2025-26 after putting up a 4-9-1 record, 3.81 GAA and .885 SV% in 15 games played as a rookie last season.

Acciari will start the final season of his three-year, $6 million contract injured after it was announced the forward would miss the first couple of weeks of training camp with a core muscle injury. The 33-year-old is expected to return to a bottom-six role when healthy, after putting up five goals, 12 points and 16 PIMs in 79 games last season.

Pittsburgh will be without its top offensive prospect for a while after it was announced that Rutger McGroarty would be out indefinitely with an upper-body injury. Pittsburgh stated Thursday that they would be taking it slow with their 21-year-old prize prospect and would not rush his return. In his first taste of NHL action last season, the former 14th overall pick (2022) had a goal, three points and 11 SOG in eight games played.

Silovs is a talented goalie who has battled inconsistencies and was buried on Vancouver's depth chart behind Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen. He is coming off a terrific Calder Cup-winning postseason with the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL), posting a stellar 2.01 GAA and .931 SV% in 24 appearances (16-7). With the recent departure of Alex Nedeljkovic, Silovs could have an opportunity for a heavier workload at the NHL level this season.

Pittsburgh took advantage of Dallas' need to shed salary on Thursday by acquiring Matthew Dumba and a 2028 2nd Round Pick from Dallas for Vladislav Kolyachonok. Dumba has been on the move often lately, joining his fifth team in the last four seasons, entering his 13th NHL season. In 63 games with Dallas in 2024-25, he had a goal, 10 points and 60 PIMs.

Kindel was Pittsburgh's 2025 1st round pick (11th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract just weeks after being drafted. The 18-year-old right-winger spent 2024-25 with Calgary (WHL), where he was a point shy of the century mark with 35 goals and 99 points in 65 games played. He is expected to return to Calgary this season but may receive an extended look with the Penguins with a strong training camp.

Alexeyev was a first-round pick for the Washington Capitals in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft that became a lineup-regular for the first time in the 2024-25 postseason, suiting up for 10 games with the team. The Capitals did not quality an offer to him, a move the Penguins quickly acted on by signing him to a one-year deal worth $775,000.

Bakersfield (AHL) lost one of its most reliable defensemen on Wednesday after it was announced that Pittsburgh had signed Phil Kemp to a one-year, two-way contract. The 26-year-old made his only NHL appearance with Edmonton in 2023-24 but has spent the last four years with Bakersfield (AHL), where he had seven goals and 12 points in 56 games in 2024-25. He is expected to report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) to start 2025-26.

After four up-and-down seasons in Montreal, Rafael Harvey-Pinard will join his second NHL organization after signing a one-year, two-way contract with Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old only appeared in one game for the Canadiens in 2024-25, spending the majority of his season with Laval (AHL), where he had five goals and 19 points in 40 games played.

Mantha had his 2024-25 season cut significantly short due to an ACL tear but has earned himself a one-year, $2.5 million contract with Pittsburgh as he attempts to bounce back this upcoming season. The 30-year-old right-winger is joining his fourth NHL organization in the last three years. Before his injury in 2024-25, he was off to a fairly decent start with four goals, seven points and 11 PIMs in just 13 games played.