April 29, 2026 will be a date that Philadelphia Flyers fans will remember in quite some time. With the team up 3-2 in the series, the Flyers and Penguins went to overtime after a scoreless first three periods in Game 6. With over two minutes remaining, Flyers defenseman Cam York ended things with a wrist shot that went right past Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs. With that, the Flyers clinched their spot in the second round of the playoffs, where they will meet the Carolina Hurricanes.
While the Flyers will celebrate before the start of their second round series, the Penguins will enter a season of uncertainty. The Penguins have had their core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang since 2006, where they made it to four Stanley Cup Finals and won three of them.
But now, there's a very good chance that this core is broken up, and the Flyers are responsible.
Flyers may be the cause for the end of Penguins' Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang trio
In reality, Crosby is not going to be going anywhere. With the Penguins having low expectations ahead of this season and trade rumors circulating, Crosby let it be known that he has no desire to leave Pittsburgh. Given how well he's played this season, there's no reason why the two sides should move on.
As for Malkin, he is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Given that the big names that were set to hit the open market already re-signed with their respective teams before and during this season, Malkin is one of the top forwards available. Let's not forget, that Malkin and the Penguins paused contract talks during the season, instead pushing them to the offseason. Malkin wants to stay, but it's unknown if the two sides will reach an agreement.
Letang, meanwhile, is far from the player he used to be. He is older, and slower, which was evident during the series against the Flyers. Letang also had the second-most giveaway of his career during the regular season with 99. In the playoffs, Letang had a -2 plus/minus ratio and five giveaways, While it is a moment where the Penguins could move on from Letang, he is still under contract for the next two seasons. The team could try to find a trade partner for Letang, as he has 10-team protection. It may be difficult considering his drop in play.
The Flyers fans can take solace in the fact that the team outperformed expectations, and eliminated one of their most hated rivals from the playoffs. Not only that, but they sent the Penguins into an early offseason with uncertainty. And we may never have to see these three on the ice together ever again.
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