- The Pittsburgh Penguins plan on bringing goalie prospect Joel Blomqvist to North America next season, says director of player development Tom Kostopoulos. The team’s 2020 second-round pick has played almost exclusively in Finland since being drafted, save for a few spotty appearances stateside after his season ended overseas. He took a step back last season after posting an insane .940 save percentage in 20 Liiga games in 2021-22, still managing a shutout and .907 save percentage in 21 games with Karpat. He’ll command a lot of playing time with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton next season.
Penguins Rumors
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Three Players
As the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to build up their organizational depth, the team has announced three signings, bringing in forwards Marc Johnstone and Radim Zohorna, as well as goaltender Magnus Hellberg. Johstone’s contract will be a two-year, $1.55MM contract, while Zohorna will earn a one-year, $785K deal, both contracts being two-way deals. Shortly thereafter, the team announced that Hellberg would also be making $785K over a one-year deal.
Hellberg becomes the second goalie the Penguins have poached from the Detroit Red Wings, after having also signed goalie Alex Nedeljkovic yesterday. Starting last season with the Ottawa Senators, Hellberg was acquired by Seattle Kraken via waivers on November 22nd, and then subsequently claimed on waivers by the Red Wings the next day. Serving as the primary backup for Detroit last year after Nedeljkovic was sent down to the minors, Hellberg posted a 4-8-1 record, managing a .885 SV% and a 3.29 GAA.
Zohorna is back to the Penguins for his second stint with the organization, after a brief stint split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames organizations during the 2022-23 season. Zohorna spent much of the year playing for the Flames AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, but would then finish the year with the Toronto Marlies after a midseason trade between the two teams. At the AHL level last year, Zohorna played in 51 games, scoring 12 goals and 22 assists.
Lastly, Johnstone has the least amount of experience in the group, having only spent the last two years playing for the Toronto Marlies. A Sacred Heart University product, Johnstone has a total of 73 games played in the AHL, scoring nine goals and 13 assists throughout his short career.
Minor League Signings 07/01/2023
On day one of the free agent market opening up, the league saw a grand total of 166 signings, with a whopping $646.4MM handed out over the course of 291 total contract years. This class of free agents was expected to be one of the weaker in recent memory, but the excitement still remained as quite a few players switched cities. In all the chaos, there were some minor contracts that were inked yesterday that may have slipped under the radar for most:
- The Montreal Canadiens signed defenseman Brady Keeper to a one-year, $775K, two-way contract. Keeper spent last season playing for the Vancouver Canucks AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. He only managed to play for about half of the Canucks games, scoring one goal and five assists in 35 games. In the playoffs, although eliminated in the first round, Keeper scored one goal in two games for Abbotsford (CapFriendly).
- Defenseman Ryan Shea has inked a one-year, $775K, two-way contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Shea was a former fourth-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks back in 2015, but never actually signed with the team, joining the Dallas Stars on an entry-level contract in 2020. The Northeastern University product played a combined 162 games for the Texas Stars of the AHL, scoring 10 goals and 56 assists (CapFriendly).
- The Washington Capitals signed forward, Pierrick Dube, to a two-year, $1.9MM, entry-level contract yesterday. An undrafted free agent last year, Dube joined the Laval Rocket, the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. Dube played very well for the Rocket, scoring 16 goals and 16 assists in 44 games down the stretch. Still only 22 years old, Dube could factor into one of the top lines on the Hershey Bears next season, potentially even finding minutes with the Capitals in the near future (CapFriendly).
- Another depth signing for the Penguins, the team has added forward Joona Koppanen to a two-year, $1.55MM, two-way contract. Koppanen was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, playing the majority of his career up to this point with the Providence Bruins. Last season, Koppanen did get his first change in the NHL, playing five games for the Bruins in January, tallying only one assist while averaging just under 11 minutes of ice time a game (CapFriendly).
- The Florida Panthers re-signed defenseman Lucas Carlsson to a one-year, $775K, two-way contract yesterday. The defenseman was acquired in 2021 from the Blackhawks in an early-April trade. Although playing in 40 games during 2021-22 for Florida, Carlsson spent the majority of last season with their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. In the minor leagues, Carlsson was one of the highest-scoring defensemen in the league, scoring 20 goals and 34 assists in 61 games (CapFriendly).
- Securing his first contract in professional hockey, the Edmonton Oilers have added defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer to a one-year, $845K, entry-level contract. A former fourth-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes back in 2017, Hoefenmayer never played in the Coyotes system, eventually playing on minor-league contracts with the Toronto Marlies after finishing his junior career with the Ottawa 67’s. Hoefenmayer played quite well for the Marlies, scoring 11 goals and 27 assists in 65 games last season (CapFriendly).
- Returning back to North American hockey after spending the last two seasons playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, the Montreal Canadiens veteran forward Philippe Maillet to a one-year, $775K, two-way contract. Already 30 years old, Maillet has spent parts of his career with the Capitals and Los Angeles Kings organizations before finally making the jump overseas in 2021-22. In 66 games played for Metallurg last season, Maillet scored 22 goals and 31 assists (CapFriendly).
- The recipient of the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy from the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs, Hunter Shepard, has signed a two-year, $1.55MM, two-way contract to remain with the Capitals organization. Shepard was sensational en route to the Hershey Bears winning the 2023 Calder Cup, managing a 14-6-0 record throughout the playoffs, carrying a 2.27 GAA and a .914 SV% (CapFriendly).
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Lars Eller
The Pittsburgh Penguins have added another quality veteran to their roster today, signing 2018 Stanley Cup champion center Lars Eller to a two-year, $2.45MM AAV deal.
The Penguins have made upgrading their group of bottom-six forwards a priority this offseason, and adding Eller definitely helps in that pursuit. A veteran of nearly 1,000 games, Eller never quite became the top-six center he was projected to be as a top prospect earlier in his career. Instead, he became one of the league’s best third-line centers, routinely flirting with the 40-point plateau while also contributing heavily on the penalty kill.
Now 34 years old, Eller might not still be one of the better third-line centers in the NHL, though he’s likely to be an upgrade over Jeff Carter in that role for Pittsburgh. Carter’s play drew significant criticism over the course of last season, and Eller fits the role better as a more well-rounded player who can contribute on the penalty kill.
With a two-year term attached there’s risk that Eller’s regression from top-end third-liner to more regular bottom-sixer continues, and the Penguins end up paying for a caliber of play Eller can no longer provide. But those risks are inherent in shopping for veteran free agents, so it’s not like Penguins management can really side-step them in their search for bottom-six help.
At a reasonable price tag, they’ve acquired an upgrade to their third-line center role while also adding someone who can chip in on the team’s penalty kill. Tough to complain about that.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Ryan Graves, Alex Nedeljkovic; Extend Tristan Jarry
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made likely their biggest moves of the day. They’ve signed hulking defenseman Ryan Graves from the New Jersey Devils, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Per a team release, the contract will be a six-year, $27MM contract, earning an AAV of $4.5MM. They’ve also announced a five-year extension with netminder Tristan Jarry, carrying a $5.375MM AAV. Furthermore, Friedman also reports that the team has brought in goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic as well, signing the young netminder to a one-year, $1.5MM contract.
These are two moves of major significance for the Penguins, especially the Jarry signing. By signing him to this extension, the Penguins have effectively committed to Jarry as the starting goalie for the rest of the careers of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.
As the goal for Pittsburgh for the rest of their careers is to win the trio one last Stanley Cup, the franchise is effectively betting on Jarry to be a goalie capable of winning the Stanley Cup.
There are reasons to believe Jarry, 28, is up to the task. First and foremost, his 2021-22 season was exceptional (.919 save percentage in 58 games played), as was his 2019-20.
But Jarry has alternated each brilliant campaign with more sluggish ones, and while he still manages above-average numbers in those years they aren’t quite up to the quality expected from a goalie occupying a cap hit higher than $5MM.
For Pittsburgh to truly feel good about this signing, not only will Jarry have to have more consistency on a year-to-year basis, he’ll also need to prove that some of the playoff mistakes that cost the Penguins a playoff series against the New York Islanders in 2020-21 won’t resurface.
As for Graves, his addition gives Pittsburgh an upgrade over the departed Brian Dumoulin both offensively and defensively, as well as in the age department. The 28-year-old left-shot blueliner skates well for his size (six-foot-five, 220 pounds) and plays a respectable two-way game. He averaged around 20 minutes of ice time per night for the New Jersey Devils and was a regular penalty-kill contributor.
Graves will likely pair with either Letang or Jeff Petry, and perhaps Graves’ most promising fit is with Petry.
While the Penguins have reportedly been trying to trade Petry this offseason, his $6.25MM cap hit has proven to be a barrier to getting a deal across the line.
The best way to spur a bounce-back season from Petry could be to replicate the environment that saw him achieve so much success with the Montreal Canadiens.
Petry was at his best when partnered with Joel Edmundson, a steady defender whose abilities defensively afforded Petry the freedom to take risks and play more aggressively offensively.
Petry scored at a 63-point pace in 2020-21, largely stapled next to Edmundson, and many would argue that Graves is a better defenseman than Edmundson. So while Graves has definite value on his own, what he might be able to do to rehabilitate Petry’s on-ice effectiveness is a major bonus.
As for Nedeljkovic, the 27-year-old was sent to the Detroit Red Wings after a stellar rookie season for the Carolina Hurricanes. He posted a .932 save percentage in 23 games, leading many to believe Carolina had found their “goalie of the future.” Carolina wasn’t confident Nedeljkovic’s numbers were repeatable in a heavier workload, and Detroit found that out for themselves when they installed him as their number-one and he struggled mightily.
Nedeljkovic posted a .901 save percentage in 59 games played in 2021-22 and a .895 save percentage this past season, losing Detroit’s backup job to Magnus Hellberg. The hope likely is with this signing that Nedeljkovic can join with incumbent backup Casey DeSmith to form a strong support structure for Jarry, and with a lesser workload potentially get back to somewhere close to the way he played in Carolina.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Noel Acciari
After acquiring him for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins hockey operations boss Kyle Dubas has acquired forward Noel Acciari for his new team. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, he’s signed the veteran to a three-year, $2MM AAV contract.
Acciari was acquired by Dubas at the 2023 trade deadline as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade, and he was a decent bottom-sixer for Toronto acquitting himself well defensively while helping them eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. Acciari has nearly 400 games of NHL experience and has been on some long playoff runs, such as the Boston Bruins’ run to the 2019 Stanley Cup final.
Acciari does have a 20-goal season on his resume but that’s not a major part of his game. He’s a steady, reliable penalty-killing bottom-sixer who provides versatility to the third or fourth lines in a lineup. He’ll likely become a favorite of head coach Mike Sullivan, who could quickly deploy him in high-leverage defensive situations.
A $2MM price tag with a three-year term might be a bit expensive for a 31-year-old with this kind of skillset, but it’s nothing unreasonable. He’ll improve Pittsburgh’s bottom-six from where it was last year, especially when combined with some of the team’s other signings from today, such as for Lars Eller or Matt Nieto.
Matt Nieto Expected To Sign With Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting a head start on free agency, reportedly getting a veteran addition to their bottom six. Winger Matt Nieto is expected to sign a two-year deal worth $900K to join the Penguins, says TSN’s Darren Dreger, who previously reported Nieto was heading to Edmonton.
Nieto, 30, is a respected bottom-six player who split last season between the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. Nieto has averaged just over 14 minutes of ice time per night in his career, though he saw his ice time drop dramatically after his mid-season trade to the Avalanche. He was averaging over 15 minutes per night in San Jose, and went to under 11 minutes with the Avalanche.
A capable penalty-killer and defensive presence, Nieto chipped in 12 goals and 24 points in 81 games last season. While Nieto doesn’t offer the size or overwhelming physicality that some teams would like to see out of their bottom-six forwards, there are far worse options for a team to run in their bottom-six.
Nieto has been on a few playoff runs of significance, and that’s exactly what Pittsburgh hopes to be doing next season. An offseason priority for the Penguins has been upgrading the lower-end of their lineup, and adding Nieto will help them do just that.
Latest On Tristan Jarry, Jake Guentzel
- The Pittsburgh Penguins and goaltender Tristan Jarry have shown mutual interest in reaching a new deal before 11 am CT tomorrow, but the term of the deal is a point of contention, The Athletic’s Rob Rossi says. Jarry carries his flaws as a long-term starter, especially when it comes to the injury department, but he’ll be the best goalie available if he does hit the market tomorrow. He’s posted 20 wins in four straight seasons and averaged a .915 save percentage over that timeframe, numbers certainly reflective of a starting-caliber netminder.
- In a related development, Rossi says there are strong indications that the Penguins are close to securing a contract extension with forward Jake Guentzel. Don’t expect it to be announced soon, though, as both Guentzel and interim general manager Kyle Dubas recognize the Penguins have much more pressing offseason matters to handle, such as Jarry’s potential extension. Guentzel, a bonafide top-line winger, has averaged over a point per game over the past five seasons and would have been one of the top wingers available on the UFA market in 2024.
Snapshots: Granlund, Wheeler, Canadiens
Taylor Haase of DKPittsburghSports is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins are not going to buyout Mikael Granlund before the 5pm buyout window later today. Granlund has had his name thrown around for weeks as a player that was likely to bought out, but it appears he will remain with the Penguins barring a trade, or a buyout in the second buyout window should one open for Pittsburgh.
Granlund was acquired on trade deadline day by previous Penguins general manager Ron Hextall and did not fit in well with the club. After posting 36 points in 58 games with the Nashville Predators, Granlund was traded to Pittsburgh for a second-round pick and put up just a goal and four assists in 21 games as the Penguins failed to qualify for the playoffs. If he does remain with the Penguins, it’ll be interesting to see how head coach Mike Sullivan deploys the 31-year-old as he was not a fit in the Penguins bottom-6 and the recently acquired Reilly Smith is expected to take their vacant left-wing spot on the second line.
Some more snapshots from around the league:
- Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweeted that recent buyout recipient Blake Wheeler would prefer to play for an Eastern Conference team to have a new experience and less travel. The news comes from Wheeler’s agent Matt Keator and it makes sense given Wheeler’s age and his family considerations. The former Winnipeg Jets captain is a free agent for the first time and should have several teams to consider given that is coming off a season in which he posted 16 goals and 39 assists in 72 games.
- Eric Engels of Sportsnet is reporting that he expects the Montreal Canadiens to be quiet in free agency as the team has a lot of players that they would like to move to open roster spots for their younger prospects. While Engels jokes about Canadiens’ general manager Kent Hughes putting his phone on silent, he does concede that the Canadiens could add a player if they fit into both the short-term and long-term parts of their rebuild plan. He mentions Mike Hoffman, Joel Edmundson, and Christian Dvorak as players Montreal would like to move on from and given that all three are veterans on expensive cap hits it does seem unlikely for the Canadiens to acquire more of that through free agency.
Penguins Linked To Noah Hanifin, Latest On Jeff Petry
The Pittsburgh Penguins just spent the last two days re-stocking their relatively thin prospect pool at the 2023 NHL draft, and with that process over their new front office’s focus shifts to improving their roster for next season. One of the ways new hockey operations boss Kyle Dubas can improve the Penguins is by revamping their defense, which could mean adding a top blueliner on the trade market such as Noah Hanifin. The Athletic’s Rob Rossi reports that “the Penguins are on a short list of teams to which Hanifin would approve a trade,” and that “Hanifin would be willing to sign an extension with the Penguins if acquired.” (subscription link)
Adding a top-end left-shot defenseman to pair with Kris Letang is a priority for Pittsburgh, especially seeing as head coach Mike Sullivan “repeatedly pushed” for the team to acquire Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes last season. The issue the Penguins face in acquiring Hanifin is twofold: firstly, one wonders if Pittsburgh has enticing enough assets to be able to win a bidding war with other teams to secure a trade with Calgary, and secondly it could be a tight fit for the Penguins to be able to sign Hanifin to a pricey long-term extension given the current money on their books.