After a 2023-24 season that saw the Pittsburgh Penguins fall short of a playoff spot for the second season in a row and the loss of their first-round pick, this offseason leads one to believe the team may end up in a similar situation next season. Heading into the offseason, general manager Kyle Dubas and the organization had just over $13 million in cap space to work with, and he made it clear he wanted to be able to get younger after having the NHL’s oldest roster last season. To this point, Dubas has made a handful of moves, but none that are truly going to move the needle for the 2024-25 season.
Dubas’ Offseason Moves
Free Agency
- D Sebastian Aho: 2 years, $1.55 million
- D Matt Grzelcyk: 1 year, $ 2.75 million
- C Blake Lizotte: 2 years, $3.7 million
- C Anthony Beauvillier: 1 year, $1.25 million
- D Nate Clurman: 1 year, $775,000
- LW Bokondji Imama: 1 year, $775,000
- D Mac Hollowell: 1 year, $775,000
- C Jimmy Huntington: 1 year, $775,000
Re-Signings
- G Alex Nedeljkovic: 2 years, $5 million
- D Ryan Shea: 1 year, $775,000
- C Emil Bemstrom: 1 year, $775,000
- RW Corey Andonovski: 1 year, $775,000
Trades
- Acquired C Kevin Hayes (+ $3.57 million cap hit) and a 2025 second-round pick from the St. Louis Blues for future considerations.
- Acquired LW Bennett MacArthur from the Tampa Bay Lightning for C Lukas Svejkovsky.
- Acquired a 2027 second and 2025 fifth-round picks from the New York Rangers for RW Reilly Smith (retaining $1.25 million).
More Depth Added Than NHL Help
While Dubas made plenty of offseason signings, it seems most of them are “depth” moves and additions for the organization’s American Hockey League (AHL) team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Outside of Grzelcyk, Aho, and Lizotte, there is no free-agent signing who has played more than 15 games in the NHL (Imama has played 15 games in seven seasons).
The two defensemen, Grzelcyk and Aho, will likely not be top-four defensemen on the Penguins and will take over the third pairing together, with Grzelcyk being the more seasoned veteran, having played 445 regular season games and being a mainstay in the lineup for the Boston Bruins. Aho spent four seasons with the New York Islanders but was unable to have a continuous impact in the lineup (46 points in 168 regular season games).
The player Penguins fans should be most excited about out of all the free-agent signings is Lizotte, who was named the Los Angeles Kings’ “Unsung Hero” for the 2023-24 season. While he is more of a third- or fourth-line player, he has proven to be a pest to play against and is going to likely be an energizer-type of guy at the bottom half of the lineup for what should be the next two seasons. He did miss time last season due to injury, but if he can stay healthy for the upcoming season, his production may end up being a massive plus for the lineup.
Adding Assets for Future Drafts
While Dubas did not add any major pieces to the roster for the current season, he has been able to compile a few extra assets to the chest of draft picks going forward. He did have to take on Kevin Hayes and $3.57 million of his cap hit, but he also acquired a 2025 second-round pick from the Blues. The pick may not end up being at the very top of the round but having it in his back pocket helps to eventually pick a prospect to put into a system that needs them.
Related: 2 Penguins Prospects to Watch: Tristan Broz & Vasily Ponomarev
He also added a 2027 second-round and 2025 fifth-round pick from the Rangers. The fifth-round pick may not add up to much, but being able to move Smith in the process (albeit retaining $1.25 million) is a win for the organization after Smith struggled in his time with the Penguins.
Next Season Likely to Be More of the Same
With limited impact expected from the offseason additions, the 2024-25 season is looking like it could be more of the same for the Penguins. There is a chance that a prospect or two (Owen Pickering, Brayden Yager, or Vasily Ponomarev) could make a push for the lineup and make things a bit more interesting. Along with that, an entire season of Michael Bunting being in the lineup will likely be beneficial, but likely will not be able to fill the Jake Guentzel role 100%. The goaltender position could be an area of question depending on how it all plays out between Tristan Jarry and Nedeljkovic. Obviously, there is still plenty of time left in the offseason and things could change, but there is a good chance the Penguins will find themselves towards the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference once again.
