It was not the prettiest win. It was probably not the way head coach Dan Muse would want to draw it up. But the Pittsburgh Penguins found a way to go on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and walk away with a baffling 4-3 regulation win. They let another three-goal lead slip away, somehow regained the lead late in regulation, allowed a game-tying goal, caught a huge break when an NHL-initiated replay review overturned it due to a missed hand pass, and then somehow gave up a clear breakaway to Nikita Kucherov in the closing seconds only to have Tristan Jarry stone him and secure the two points. Hilariously stupid and funny game. All that matters is two points. All that matters is the Penguins are now 14-7-5 on the season and, by points percentage, own the sixth-best record in the NHL and the third-best record in the Eastern Conference as of Friday.
Pittsburg, PA
An historical look at where the Pittsburgh Penguins are after 26 games
Coming into this week I said if the Penguins could get three points out of this difficult three-game road trip it should probably be looked at as something of a success given the injury situation and the competition in front of them. They already have four points going into their game against the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.
As chaotic as Thursday’s game was, there is still a lot to like about it.
Evgeni Malkin had a vintage Evgeni Malkin performance with two outstanding goals.
They showed some toughness and bounced back from letting a lead slip away and still found a way to dig in and get the lead back and win against a top-tier team on the road.
Tristan Jarry made some huge saves.
Young guys Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen scored goals.
There was some concern a couple of weeks ago that maybe reality had been starting to set in for the Penguins after their strong start, and that perhaps the strong start is over. Now they have wins in four of their past five games and are still extremely high in the standings.
It is not just a strong start.
It is one of the better starts in recent franchise history. Perhaps the entire franchise history.
Let’s just look at some numbers for context on this.
With Thursday’s win the Penguins are now 14-7-5 with 33 points through their first 26 games.
In the now 58-season history of the franchise the Penguins have….
- Only had 17 seasons where they have won at least 14 games through their first 26 games.
- Only had 13 seasons where they won MORE than 14 games through their first 26 games.
In terms of total points and points percentage, their .635 mark through the first 26 games of the season is the 11th best start through 26 games in the history of the franchise. The 10 starts ahead of it, as well as the two starts immediately after it, all produced playoff berths.
There are certainly still flaws on the roster and with the way they play defensively. They are winning a lot of games due to the power play and goaltending, and there is definitely a ceiling to what a team like that is capable of, and maybe even a smoke-and-mirrors element to a lot of it. But the reality is this: The Penguins are still a team capable of generating a lot of 5-on-5 offense, they still have high-end players on the roster that are playing at a high level, and their power play success is simply finally matching its talent and the expectations.
The goaltending was always going to be a wild-card (as it is for every team), and so far it is holding up its end of the bargain. After so many years where it did not, I think the Penguins will take that and not apologize for it.
They are also still scrapping out points despite being without a forward that opened the season on each of their top-four forward lines (Rickard Rakell on the first line, Justin Brazeau on the second line, Filip Hallander on the third line, Noel Acciari on the fourth line).
They are winning games and collecting points through the first quarter of the season at a pace that historically, for both them and the league as a whole, has a high probability of producing a playoff berth.
At some point it stops becoming a good start and starts becoming a good team.
I am not sure if we are at that point just yet. We are definitely getting close to it.
It might not be a Stanley Cup team, but it still might be a very good team. It might be a very good team in a season where nobody expected it, while also seeing real development from key players they are going to be relying on for their future seasons where they might be able to become a Stanley Cup team again.
It’s only fitting that one of the most eventful offseasons in Pittsburgh Steelers history will be capped by an equally unpredictable NFL draft. Owning 12 picks, including five in the top 100 for the first time since 1999, GM Omar Khan has a chance to radically change the franchise’s trajectory in front of a home crowd in Pittsburgh.
Last time they held five picks in the top 100, the Steelers found a couple very good long-term starters like OLB Joey Porter Sr. and DE Aaron Smith. But they also struck out on WR Troy Edwards, DB Scott Shields, and OT Kris Farris.
At a pivotal, transitional phase in franchise history, the Steelers can’t afford to find just two good starters. That may be a challenge in a draft lacking top-end talent that falls off a cliff in the later rounds. If they are out of range of coveted players, they can’t be timid in the trade market.
I posed the question on this week’s episode of The Depot Dive: Over or under 2.5 trades for the Steelers? I wanted to take the over, but it’s hard to make that work without a trade down. I settled on two.
All that said, here’s my best attempt at predicting what the Steelers will do in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Round One (12th Overall) – Spencer Fano/OL/Utah – 6054, 311 pounds
Trade: Steelers send Patrick Queen + Pick No. 21 + Pick No. 121 + Pick No. 224. Cowboys send Pick No. 12 + 2027 sixth-round pick.
If they want Vega Ioane or Fano, I think it will require a move up. But I don’t think the Steelers will want to sacrifice a lot of picks to accomplish that. Queen is an easy target with the Cowboys having reported interest in trading for him during free agency.
Using our Dave Bryan’s trade idea as a loose template, I like the Steelers to jump up in the first round to solidify the trenches once again. This is the best move for the current—which we know the Steelers place a heavy emphasis on—and the future as they lock in a potentially elite offensive line for the next decade.
It’s a bonus that Fano can play guard now — and potentially tackle later if Broderick Jones or Dylan Cook don’t work out. Fano is Dane Brugler’s top OL in the class. If he makes it to 12, I like the value a lot.
Others Considered: OG Vega Ioane, WR Makai Lemon, TE Kenyon Sadiq
Spencer Fano Scouting Report
Round Two (53rd Overall) – Jacob Rodriguez/ILB/Texas Tech – 6013, 231 pounds
Trading Queen creates a need that outweighs others (like wide receiver). Maybe Rodriguez doesn’t fall this far, but he should be the Steelers’ top target if he does.
As a former quarterback, Rodriguez has a unique football IQ that could be a force multiplier for the entire Steelers defense–something Patrick Queen never really turned into. I witnessed it firsthand at the Senior Bowl. He got everybody aligned correctly pre-snap in an environment where all had to learn a new defense in just a few days.
He’s also the most decorated defensive playmaker coming out of college in decades, even more than Payton Wilson’s impressive list of accolades from a couple years ago. This would be a home-run pick.
Others Considered: WR Denzel Boston, ILB CJ Allen, S Treydan Stukes
Jacob Rodriguez Scouting Report
Round Two (59th Overall) – Germie Bernard/WR/Alabama – 6012, 206 pounds
Trade: Steelers send No. 76 + No. 99. Texans send No. 59.
Another move up to make sure the Steelers get a receiver they like at the end of the second round. Bernard was a pre-draft visitor and has the size and athletic profile that Mike McCarthy likes at the position. He does everything well, and played a healthy mix of slot and outside receiver to fit in the rotation with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr.
Others Considered: WR Zachariah Branch, WR Chris Bell, ILB Jake Golday
Germie Bernard Scouting Report
Round Three (85th Overall) – Kamari Ramsey/S/USC – 6002, 202 pounds
Not every selection will be a pre-draft visitor, and Ramsey fits the description of the type of defensive back the Steelers have looked at. He has played a strong mix of safety and nickel and is capable of being a chess piece in Patrick Graham’s defense. Given the Steelers’ crowded secondary, he could focus on backing up Jalen Ramsey at free safety in the beginning.
Others Considered: S Jalen Kilgore, OG Keylan Rutledge, QB Drew Allar
Kamari Ramsey Scouting Report
Round Four (135th Overall) – Carson Beck/QB/Miami (FL) – 6046, 233 pounds
The Steelers have spent too much time scouting quarterbacks not to take one. And Beck has several traits they are looking for, including his track record as a winner and his size at nearly 6-5. Their view of Mike McCarthy as a QB whisperer suggests they will give him as many projects as possible until one sticks.
Others Considered: CB Tacario Davis, QB Garrett Nussmeier, WR Ja’Kobi Lane
Carson Beck Scouting Report
Round Five (161st Overall) – Ephesians Prysock/CB/Washington – 6033, 196 pounds
Prysock has all the traits to turn into an impact starter, and the Steelers have gravitated toward th long, rangy athletes at cornerback. He wouldn’t need to see the field right away with a crowded stable of defensive backs, but he has plenty of long-term upside.
Others Considered: WR/KR Kendrick Law, WR Josh Cameron, S Michael Taaffe
Ephesians Prysock Scouting Report
Round Six (216th Overall) – Kaden Wetjen/WR-KR/Iowa – 5090, 193 pounds
Calvin Austin III and Kenneth Gainwell both departed in the offseason, which means the Steelers need a kick and punt returner. Wetjen is the top return specialist in the draft with six total return touchdowns in college.
Others Considered: OT Aamil Wagner, CB Thaddeus Dixon, WR Caleb Douglas
Kaden Wetjen Scouting Report
Round Seven (230th Overall) – Josh Cuevas/TE/Alabama – 6033, 245 pounds
Cuevas is versatile enough to be a rotational backup tight end, and to play H-back or fullback in certain personnel packages. He’s a committed and aggressive blocker and has enough receiving skills to be a dependable option on passing downs, either running routes or blocking.
Others Considered: DL David Gusta, RB Jaydn Ott, TE Matthew Hibner
Josh Cuevas Scouting Report
Round Seven (237th Overall) – Brett Thorson/P/Georgia – 6012, 237 pounds
The Steelers brought back Cameron Johnston, but they didn’t even keep him over Corliss Waitman after last year’s training camp competition. Johnston is 34 years old and has dealt with injuries in each of the last two seasons. Thorson has a relationship with Johnston as a fellow Aussie, so it could be a decent pairing for another training camp competition this year.
Others Considered: WR CJ Daniels, QB Sawyer Robertson, TE John Michael Gyllenborg
Brett Thorson Scouting Report
A United flight traveling from Chicago to New York City diverted to Pittsburgh International Airport on Saturday afternoon for what was described as a “reported threat.”
According to information provided by the Allegheny County Airport Authority and FBI Pittsburgh, United Flight 2092 diverted to Pittsburgh and landed safely.
The passengers have deplaned safely, and no injuries have been reported.
“The plane was diverted and landed at Pittsburgh International Airport,” FBI Pittsburgh said in a statement provided to KDKA-TV. “All passengers and crew safely evacuated the aircraft. FBI Special Agent Bomb Techs and Special Agents are on the ground coordinating with local authorities.”
The airport authority has said that law enforcement is on the scene and investigating.
This is a developing story, and will be updated.
Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh’s 2026 Draft Short List – The Team’s Eight Most Likely First-Round Selections
The NFL Draft is always unpredictable and under a new head coach, it’s fuzzier than any time in recent memory to guess who the Pittsburgh Steelers will select in the first round. But if history continues predicting the future, it’ll be one of the eight below names.
Every year since at least 2010, Pittsburgh’s first-round pick has fallen into one of two camps: either the player came in for a pre-draft visit or a decision maker, head coach or general manager, attended that prospect’s pro day.
So let’s assume that holds true even though we know it may not. Under those criteria, there are eight names that fit. Let’s break them down into the two buckets.
Pre-Draft Visit
WR Denzel Boston/Washington
WR Makai Lemon/USC
OT Spencer Fano/Utah
OG Vega Ioane/Penn State
CB Chris Johnson/CB San Diego State
S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren/Toledo
Pro Day Attendance
OT Monroe Freeling/Georgia
ILB CJ Allen/Georgia
Could you stretch it to more? I suppose. Texas Tech ILB Jacob Rodriguez could be argued in the first round. Ditto with Georgia Tech OG Keylan Rutledge and Arizona DB Treydan Stukes. But those feel far less likely to be taken on Day 1, let alone at No. 21.
Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan attended only the Bulldogs’ Pro Day this year, an unusually low number of workouts compared to the past. McCarthy told reporters he planned to attend six but only made it to Georgia. That leaves just two names from that bucket, and Freeling could easily be off the board by the time Pittsburgh picks. He may be on Cleveland’s radar.
Of the eight, who is most likely? That opinion can and will vary. Receiver and offensive line have been specific areas of focus, but there’s no telling how the board will fall. I’ll have my final mock draft Tuesday with my answer.
If the Steelers’ pick isn’t one of these eight, it’ll break a longstanding tradition. And in future years, open up the field of how the team could take at the top.
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