Penguins’ Mantha, Skinner and Shea highlighted among the NHL’s top pending UFAs

The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the summer with several pending unrestricted free agents, and a new league-wide ranking is putting three of their most notable upcoming decisions in the spotlight. According to The Hockey News, citing The Athletic’s Chris Johnston’s list of the NHL’s top 50 pending UFAs for 2026, Detroit native Anthony Mantha, goaltender Stuart Skinner, and defenseman Ryan Shea are all included among the highest-tier players expected to test free agency.

Mantha’s placement on the list is notable not only because he is viewed as a top target for teams seeking scoring punch, but also because his season with Pittsburgh showed an ability to produce consistently. In 81 regular-season games, Mantha recorded 33 goals and 64 points, numbers that suggest his offensive value is more than reputation or highlight-reel finishing. That kind of production is exactly what drives interest when a player with an established scoring profile is set to become available.

Skinner’s profile reads differently because he offers teams something that is both rarer and more structurally important in roster building: starting-goalie availability. The Hockey News write-up of Johnston’s ranking describes Skinner as one of the top pending UFA goalies, emphasizing that he has playoff experience and would be among the market’s most “ready-now” options. The report also ties the appeal to his recent production split between two organizations, listing 50 games across a season that included time with Edmonton and Pittsburgh, with a.888 save percentage and a 2.92 goals-against average.

Shea, meanwhile, is being valued less as a pure flash scorer and more as a high-end defensive contributor with developing offense. Johnston’s ranking, as relayed by The Hockey News, places Shea at No. 23 among pending UFAs. The same report attributes Shea’s jump to a breakout season for the Penguins, with career-highs of six goals, 29 assists, and 35 points, alongside a plus-30 rating. For a team that leans on blue-line stability, that combination of production and impact at even strength often becomes a centerpiece in contract negotiations.

Pittsburgh’s situation is therefore not just about whether it can keep talent, but also about what kind of lineup it wants to prioritize as it plans for the next chapter. Pending unrestricted free agents, unlike restricted free agents, can negotiate with any team and can sign elsewhere without draft compensation. That reality raises the stakes of these rankings, because they identify which players are most likely to draw competition and which positions could be most expensive to replace.

Still, these are rankings, not confirmed outcomes. The Hockey News account is derived from Johnston’s list, and it does not itself confirm whether Pittsburgh will re-sign any of the three players or whether another team will emerge as the clear favorite. What is clear is that Mantha, Skinner and Shea are being treated as meaningful additions for any contender that wants an experienced scorer, a starter-caliber goalie, or a top-of-the-defense option as it builds for next season.

For Penguins fans and NHL personnel evaluators, the immediate watch item is how Pittsburgh’s contract posture evolves once the market opens. If the Penguins choose to keep one or more of these players, the next question becomes what roles and salary structures they are prepared to offer. If they do not, the rankings also function as a map of the trade and free-agent targets other teams may use as substitutes for what Pittsburgh might lose.

Over the coming weeks, keep an eye on public negotiation indicates, particularly around whether Pittsburgh addresses forward scoring depth, goalie stability, and defensive core continuity in the same order. These three names being listed among the NHL’s best pending UFAs means the Penguins’ summer is likely to be defined by more than routine staffing, it will be defined by core decisions.