Reaction from players, was the Pens season a success?

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s a question that will be debated all off season. Was returning back to the playoffs, but potentially missing out on a lottery pick in the draft, worth it?

You’re not going to get NHL players say they want to tank for a draft pick, but was what they were able to do feel like a successful season?

It’s a bit of a multi-layered answer.

“I think at the start of the year we set the playoffs as the number one goal,” said Pens forward Connor Dewar. “It’s really hard to get there. It takes so much from so many different people. Yeah, it’s an accomplishment to get there, but you really want to keep playing as long as you can.”

It’s well said, this franchise that for well over a decade was a staple in the postseason, made it back. But like the complaints about the Steelers, it was an early exit. They haven’t won a playoff series since 2018.

But unlike the Steelers expectations for the Pens 2025-26 season were low. Hard to find anyone who thought this roster would be playoff worthy with older superstars under a first-time NHL head coach.

“We probably surprised a lot of people just the way we came together, the energy we played with,” said Pens captain Sidney Crosby. “Just a really great group, it’s fun to come to the rink every day, especially when you are winning and starting to see everything come together. It’s cool to be a part of.”

“I feel as a group we probably did a lot more than people expected, that’s something to be proud of, but also it still stings we feel like we could be playing Game 7.”

It’s a double-edged sword for the group in that they were able to do something few expected, but feel like they left something out there in Flyers series.

“The group of guys in here, it was an awesome group,” said Pens forward Bryan Rust. “We came in here on day one with the goal to prove a lot of people wrong. That was fun throughout the year. We fell short of our ultimate goal, but the guys in here from day one made it one of my most fun years.”

“I think we were all happy,” said Pens forward Rickard Rakell. “We all worked really hard to get to the playoffs. We wish we were still playing right now, but getting through ups-and-downs of the whole year with injuries for myself and the team. We battled through a lot.”

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“The way we competed against every team gave us a chance in every game. I really feel like we took some big steps.”

“I think there are a lot of positives,” said Pens alternate captain Kris Letang. “Obviously missing the playoffs was pretty hard on a group of guys that were in the playoffs for a long time. To get back there and do it, there are a lot of positives. There are a lot of young guys on the team, there is a learning curve. You can take a lot from it and learn.”

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“I think when you look at the season as a whole, there is a lot to be proud of there,” Crosby said.