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Penguins' Connor Clifton Eager For Opportunity

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When the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenders Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft, the biggest asset coming back to Pittsburgh appeared to be the pick. However, Clifton is working hard to make a name for himself with his new team.

  • Clifton’s new team—for now—still includes Erik Karlsson, whose name has been a constant in trade rumors. While Karlsson has two years remaining on his contract, giving GM Kyle Dubas some flexibility, The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman notes that Karlsson’s age and the risk of a sudden decline could push the Penguins to move him sooner rather than later. As Goldman notes, the pool of quality defensemen available on the open market is drying up. At the same time, the number of teams with an urgent need for a top-pairing blueliner is also shrinking. The offensive-minded Karlsson put up 11 goals and 53 points for the Penguins last season, but also struggled with defensive breakdowns throughout the season.

Mantha Fully Recovered From ACL Tear; Penguins Tried To Sign Him Last Summer

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While the Penguins are known to be selling, they did make an intriguing addition in free agency earlier this month as they signed winger Anthony Mantha to a one-year, $2.5MM contract with another $2MM in bonuses tied to games played.  Speaking with reporters yesterday including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the 30-year-old indicated that he has fully recovered from the torn ACL that ended his 2024-25 campaign after just 13 games.  Mantha also noted that Pittsburgh showed interest in him last summer but he ultimately signed a one-year, $3.5MM pact with Calgary.  With 303 points in 507 career NHL games, Mantha, if healthy, could be an intriguing piece for the Penguins next season, both as a player and a potential trade candidate.

Free Agent Profile: Matt Grzelcyk

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After spending eight seasons with the Boston Bruins, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins last offseason. While he got off to a slow start in Pittsburgh, Grzelcyk eventually found his stride, posting several career highs along the way, including points (40), blocked shots (101), and games played (82). He also averaged a career-high 20:37 of ice time per game.

For teams looking to add offense this late in free agency, Grzelcyk’s 40 points last season actually leads all remaining unsigned players. However, teams will truly be targeting a reliable third-pairing defenseman who can slide up the lineup and log big minutes when needed.

After a few disappointing seasons to end his stint with the Bruins, the Boston-native signed a one-year, $2.75 MM contract with Pittsburgh in hopes of rejuvenating his career. While he may not have done enough to earn a lucrative multi-year deal, Grzelcyk showed well despite Pittsburgh’s difficult situation and should still warrant a role with an NHL team in need of a left-handed depth option on the blue line.

As the top remaining free agent defenseman, Grzelcyk should find a new home soon. Grzelcyk, 31, is the only defenseman left on the board among ProHockeyRumors’ top 50.

Stats

2024-25: 81 GP, 1 G, 39 A, 40 PTS, -4, 16 PIMS, 101 blocked shots, 43 hits, 20:37 ATOI
Career: 527 GP, 26 G, 149 A, 175 PTS, +131, 253 PIMS, 542 blocked shots, 353 hits, 18:27 ATOI

Potential Suitors

While a reunion with the Penguins once seemed possible, the team’s recent addition of fellow veteran Matt Dumba may have officially closed the door on that option. While Pittsburgh has the cap flexibility to add Grzelcyk, the team currently has eight defensemen signed to one-way deals, with prospects Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke waiting in the wings. A hometown reunion with the Bruins also seems out of play, as Boston is limited in both cap space (approximately $2MM per PuckPedia) and need for a left-handed defender. With that said, plenty of other suitors should be in play, as contending teams like the Maple Leafs and younger teams looking to add veteran presence and leadership, such as the Blackhawks, could all benefit from Grzelcyk’s services. The Sharks appeared to be a potential fit for Grzelcyk at the start of free agency but have made blue line deals elsewhere this offseason.

Projected Contract

Before free agency, ProHockeyRumors ranked Grzelcyk as the 22nd-best free agent on the market, and predicted a three-year, $3.67MM AAV deal. He was ranked just ahead of Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin, who would both go on to sign multi-year deals with the Kings. However, this late in the process, Grzelcyk is probably more likely to land another one-year deal with a low salary. In fact, Grzelcyk may be looking at an identical contract to the one he signed in Pittsburgh last season, just south of $3MM.

Lemieux Remains Interested In Purchasing The Penguins

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  • While Fenway Sports Group has said that they’re only interested in selling a small portion of the Penguins, their old ownership group continues to look into the possibility of one day buying a controlling stake, reports Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription link). The group, led by long-time Penguin legend Mario Lemieux, sold the team back in 2021 with a franchise valuation of $900MM.  Since then, franchise values have gone up with Forbes recently pegging the team’s value at nearly double that amount so re-acquiring even a controlling interest in the team might be costlier than what they received for it not quite four years ago.

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs From Canucks

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired goaltender Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward prospect Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

Pittsburgh will move to acquire a goalie just a few weeks after trading Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2028 third-round pick. In turning to Silovs, Pittsburgh finds a goalie who is both five years younger than Nedeljkovic, and more experienced in the playoffs.

Silovs stepped into the Canucks’ starting role during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs with only nine games of NHL experience under his belt, following an injury to Thatcher Demko. He posted one shutout, but otherwise managed a 5-5-0 record and .898 save percentage.

He found his way back to a split role in a crowded Abbotsford Canucks goalie room this season – but fought back into the role of playoff starter after posting a team-best .908 save percentage in 21 games. Back at the helm, Silovs drove Abbotsford to a Calder Cup Championship with a .931 save percentage and 16-7-0 record. He’s a red-hot hand with upside, who will seem to settle in between the role of AHL starter and NHL backup next season. That’s exactly the support Pittsburgh could use, allowing the team to bump Joel Blomqvist up to number-two on the depth chart while still maintaining competition for the backup role.

On the other side, Vancouver invest further into their depth forward group. Stillman was a first-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, after a weird draft year where eight games in Denmark’s U20 league, and seven games at the World U-18 Championship, was his only gametime. He returned to the OHL for two seasons following his draft selection, and totaled 97 points in 158 games split between the Sudbury Wolves and Peterborough Petes. He served as an assistant captain for both clubs.

Stillman turned pro with the AHL’s Utica Comets in the 2023-24 season. He recorded a modest 14 goals, 24 points, and 72 penalty minutes in 54 games as a rookie, but struggled to fight his way into a routine, top-end role in the lineup. Those challenges reached a peak on a caved-in Utica lineup this season. Stillman started the year with just nine points in 46 games with the Comets, prompting a move to the Penguins organization at the Trade Deadline. He was traded alongside Max Graham and a 2027 third-round pick in the deal that landed New Jersey Cody Glass and Jonathan Gruden.

Stillman continued to struggle in his move to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He scored just three points in 21 games with the club, and will now find himself on the move once again. Luckily, he could be headed for a golden opportunity with Abbotsford, who will be looking for a replacement for Sammy Blais’ top-six role. Blais scored 59 points across 74 games with the AHL’s Canucks last season, and his mix of grit and finesse was a major boost in the team’s run to a league title. Stillman will look to grab hold of that important role, while Silovs tries to find enough footing to jump to the NHL.

Erik Karlsson Open To Being Traded To A Handful Of Teams

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With the Penguins known to be sellers this summer, there has been plenty of speculation about the future of some of their veterans.  While wingers Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell have been generating a lot of attention, one other veteran that seemingly could be in play is blueliner Erik Karlsson.

The 35-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Penguins responsible for $10MM of his $11.5MM cap charge and San Jose covering the remainder.  Notably, a $5MM signing bonus this summer has already been paid, meaning his total cash compensation remaining is $11.5MM over the final two years combined, $1.5MM of which again is covered by the Sharks.

While Karlsson has a no-move clause, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic recently reported in his latest podcast (audio link) that he is willing to be moved.  However, he adds that there are only a few teams the veteran is willing to move to; Johnston didn’t identify any of the potential landing spots Karlsson would be amenable to going to.

While Karlsson hasn’t been able to come close to the 101 points he put up just two seasons ago, he’s still an above-average offensive blueliner, notching 56 and 53 points over the last two years while logging over 23 minutes a night.  While he’s never been elite on the defensive side of things, he’s still a legitimate impact player.

To that end, Johnston notes that Pittsburgh isn’t viewing Karlsson as merely a cap dump.  If he is to be moved, GM Kyle Dubas will be expecting a positive-value return and in the current environment, he has a good chance to land that.  The UFA market for blueliners is largely dried up now while more than one-third of the league has the cap space to take on the remainder of his contract outright without salary retention.  Meanwhile, if Pittsburgh were to retain some money or take players back, several more teams could get into the mix as well.

Depending on which teams Karlsson is willing to move to, Pittsburgh actually might have more realistic options than San Jose did two summers ago when very few teams had the ability to add the bulk of his contract.  Despite the drop in production, that should have Dubas in decent shape in terms of trying to build some sort of market for his defender’s services, especially if there are suitors that value the cap hit being higher than the remaining cash outlay.

But, even in a salary cap environment that’s set to jump again considerably next summer, moving Karlsson for even close to full value will be a challenge.  That said, the Penguins didn’t pay close to full value for him two summers ago when he was coming off his third Norris Trophy win.  So, while Pittsburgh is in decent shape to get something of value for Karlsson, it’s unlikely they’ll get a key element to their rebuild in a package.  And with Karlsson holding the cards with a full veto if he doesn’t want to go to a specific team, the Penguins could yet lose some leverage in discussions.

While it might make sense to wait for an in-season move if injuries strike, the summer is generally considered an easier time to make bigger moves work on the salary cap side.  With that in mind, Karlsson is a player to keep an eye on in the coming weeks with teams still looking to add to their rosters in a market where demand greatly outweighs supply.

Stars Trade Matt Dumba To Penguins

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The Stars are trading defenseman Matt Dumba and their 2028 second-round pick to the Penguins in exchange for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Both teams have since announced the trade, which doesn’t include any salary retention.

Completing the deal will make the Stars cap-compliant for the 2025-26 season. Even if Dallas has Kolyachonok on its opening night roster, he costs the league minimum $775K against the cap.

That’s $2.975MM less than Dumba’s $3.75MM cap hit, since Pittsburgh takes on the totality of his salary with no retention on Dallas’ part. That savings puts Dallas, which is currently $1.79MM above the upper limit, back under the cap.

The Stars signed Dumba to a two-year, $7.5MM contract in free agency last summer, viewed as a risky commitment at the time after the 6’1″ righty had just 12 points and a -18 rating in 76 games with the Coyotes and Lightning the year prior. The fears around the contract were quickly realized. Dumba, who turns 31 later this month, had negative possession impacts everywhere he was deployed and was out of the lineup entirely by the time the postseason rolled around.

Dumba played 63 games for the Stars last season, averaging just 15:18 per game with a 1-9–10 scoring line. He logged a minus-five rating in what amounted to his lowest usage since his rookie campaign and was a healthy scratch for all 18 playoff games.

The best years of Dumba’s NHL career came as a top-pairing piece for the Wild, who drafted him No. 7 overall in 2012. He remained there through the beginning of his steep decline in the early 2020s, leaving for Arizona in 2023 in free agency on a one-year contract. After failing to re-establish his value there, he was flipped to the Lightning at the trade deadline for two late-round picks and finished out the year as a bottom-pairing piece in Tampa before signing in Dallas in the offseason.

Dumba’s best season came back in 2017-18 as a 23-year-old, when he finished 19th in the league in scoring among defensemen with 50 points in 82 games and tied for 10th with 14 goals. He also had 12 goals and 22 points in just 32 games the following year before an upper-body injury ended his season. His offensive production never recovered, averaging just 22.4 points per 82 games since returning.

It’s unclear if Dumba will have much of a role in Pittsburgh’s lineup next season. They have three right-shot defenders ahead of him on the depth chart in Connor Clifton, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang, although Karlsson is well-known trade bait this summer. If he remains in the picture, though, Dumba could start the season in the press box – or even on waivers and buried in the minors – unless someone shifts to their offside.

Dumba’s price tag is exceedingly steep for the No. 6/7/8 defender he is at this stage of his career, one Dallas simply couldn’t afford to shoulder with their cap crunch after extending Mikko Rantanen and retaining UFAs Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene. They part with a second-round pick to wipe his deal off the books one year early – a steep price considering the market for cap dumps this summer, although they do well in acquiring a serviceable depth piece in Kolyachonok. They’re now without a pick before the third round in 2028.

The Penguins already had a bit of a crunch among depth defensemen after signing Alexander Alexeyev, Caleb Jones, and Parker Wotherspoon in free agency. It isn’t surprising to see them unwilling to take on a defenseman without moving one out.

They picked up Kolyachonok, a 24-year-old 6’2″ lefty with some untapped two-way potential, off waivers from Utah in February last season. He didn’t get into much game action, though, recording two assists and a minus-five rating in 12 appearances while averaging 14:20 per game. There wasn’t going to be much opportunity for him in Pittsburgh with their aforementioned additions and younger, higher-profile names like Owen Pickering pushing for more NHL ice time.

Kolyachonok, a second-rounder in 2019, has 14 points in 74 career NHL games with a minus-seven rating and 72 hits. He’ll presumably compete with veteran Alexander Petrovic to exit training camp as the extra defenseman on the NHL roster.

Sean Shapiro of DLLS Sports was first to report the Stars and Penguins were working on a trade centered around Dumba and Kolyachonok.

Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.

Teams Maintain Interest In Penguins’ Rakell And Rust

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With the main wave of free agency behind them, teams that missed out on big-name signings may now be shifting their focus to the trade market. And at the top of that list are Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, the Fourth Period reports.

Trade speculation surrounding both players isn’t new, especially given that the Penguins are one of the few teams currently in a rebuilding phase. While GM Kyle Dubas hasn’t explicitly stated that either player is off-limits, it’s believed the Penguins would need to be blown away by an offer to part with them. There doesn’t appear to be immediate urgency to move either winger, especially since both have team-friendly deals.

Rust has three years remaining on his contract, which comes with a $5.125MM AAV. The 33-year-old is coming off a career-best season, posting 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games. He has spent his entire career in the Penguins organization after the team selected him in the third round (80th overall) in the 2010 draft. In 638 career games, he’s recorded 427 points, with his 203 goals ranking ninth in franchise history. Rust also excels as a penalty killer and has a history of elevating his game and scoring timely goals in the playoffs. While Rust has expressed interest in remaining in Pittsburgh, his no-trade clause recently expired, thus taking that decision out of his hands.

Rakell bounced back with a strong 2024-25 season after a down year the previous season. In 81 games, Rakell posted a career-best 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games last season, mainly playing alongside Rust and Sidney Crosby. The sharpshooting right winger has three years remaining on an extremely team-friendly $5MM AAV contract. Rakell has eclipsed the 30-goal plateau three times in his career, and the 20-goal mark six times.

Several teams have been recently linked to the duo, including the Hurricanes, before inking Nikolaj Ehlers to a new six-year contract. The Fourth Period also includes Toronto, Los Angeles, San Jose, New Jersey, Buffalo, and Seattle among the teams looking to upgrade their top-six.

While Dubas and the Penguins’ front office would need to be impressed to make a move, with over $15 million in cap space (per PuckPedia), they could be open to taking on a large salary if it sweetens the deal and keeps the other team cap-compliant.

 

Penguins Sign Benjamin Kindel To Entry-Level Contract

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed 2025 first-round selection Benjamin Kindel to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Just a few weeks after drafting Kindel at 11th-overall, Pittsburgh will restate their confidence in the Coquitlam-native by making him just the third player from this draft to sign his first NHL contract. Kindel has been a true star in the WHL since joining the Calgary Hitmen in 2023. He scored 15 goals and 60 points in 68 games of his age-17 season, then exploded to a fantastic 35 goals and 99 points in 65 games this year.

Kindel managed that scoring outbreak on the back of very flashy and controlled stickhandling. He was among the best in his age group at creating chances off of the boards – using either a snappy wrist-shot or quick deke to beat defenders at the tops of the circles. He wielded play well all year long, though got the benefit of playing alongside the all-out-feist style of Oliver Tulk. That helped Kindel avoid physical situations along the boards that he may be forced into more at the next level. But even in the face of stronger opponents, Kindel should manage to develop his flashy skillset and 5-foot-10 frame into a high end talent.

That was clearly the impression he left with the Penguins brass after the team’s development camp ended on Monday. Kindel will notably forgo his NCAA eligibility by signing this contract, restricting his options for next season to either the Penguins roster or a return to Calgary. If he does return, he’ll be looking to shatter the century-mark in scoring, after being narrowly beaten out for the Hitmen’s lead in scoring by Tulk’s 100 points.

Hurricanes Had Interest In Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell

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According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, before inking Nikolaj Ehlers to a new six-year contract, the Carolina Hurricanes were interested in a pair of veteran wingers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Hurricanes reportedly called on the availability of Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, and league sources believe one of the two will be dealt this summer.

Neither player has indicated a desire to leave the Penguins organization, but neither has the necessary protection to block a trade outright. If Carolina reconsiders in the offseason, they would likely target Rust for a middle-six role, adding more physicality and playoff experience to a high-skill lineup.

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