Penguins Recall Emil Bemstrom, Place Michael Bunting On IR
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a flurry of roster moves in the wake of winger Michael Bunting‘s appendectomy. Bunting has been moved to injured reserve and will miss at least a week of action. Pittsburgh has recalled winger Emil Bemstrom to fill the resulting roster vacancy. In a separate pair of moves, the Penguins activated enforcer Bokondji Imama off of injured reserve and assigned veteran forward Matthew Nieto to the minor leagues. Nieto cleared waivers earlier today.
Through the mix of injury, demotion, and surprise surgery, this flurry of moves should give Bemstrom a hardier crack at the NHL lineup. He leads the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with 21 goals and 46 points in 43 games this season – the only player on the team scoring above a point-per-game pace. Despite that, Pittsburgh waited until early February to award Bemstrom his first call-up of the season. He’s played in two NHL games since then but didn’t manage any scoring.
The Penguins acquired Bemstrom in a swap for Alexander Nylander and a conditional draft pick late last February. He spent the rest of the year on the NHL roster but scored just three goals and five points in 24 games. His pattern of red-hot minor-league scoring in the AHL and minimal scoring in the NHL keeps Bemstrom in the same rut he’s spent all six years of his North American career in. He’s scored 93 points in 76 career games in the minors but has just 34 goals and 74 points across 230 games in the NHL. On the back of an extended hot streak in the minors, Bemstrom will hope this call-up is the time he finally proves his NHL worthiness.
Bunting leaves big shoes to be filled in Pittsburgh’s lineup. He’s been one of Pittsburgh’s best power-play assets, with nine goals and 14 points on the man advantage in 58 games this season. Bemstrom should be the beneficiary of the power-play opening, though it could also go to Anthony Beauvillier or Philip Tomasino. Pittsburgh’s other roster moves likely won’t carry as much weight. Nieto ceded his bottom-six role to Danton Heinen and Blake Lizotte over February, on the back of just three points in 31 games this season. Meanwhile, Imama will return to his role as Pittsburgh’s extra man – having only played in six games, with no scoring and seven penalty minutes, on the year.
Penguins’ Michael Bunting Out Indefinitely Following Appendectomy
Penguins left-winger Michael Bunting underwent surgery to remove his appendix yesterday, head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters, including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He doesn’t have a timeline for a return but will miss at least a few weeks.
The 29-year-old Bunting had two points in his last five games, including an assist in Tuesday’s 6-1 drubbing at the hands of the Flyers. He’s the third NHLer to undergo an appendectomy this season (at least among what’s been publicly disclosed), joining Ducks netminder John Gibson and Canadiens blue-liner Kaiden Guhle.
His absence is relatively insignificant for Pittsburgh at this stage of the season. Now out of the Eastern Conference playoff race and on pace to finish the season with 75 points, the Penguins will likely be selling off additional assets ahead of the trade deadline after dealing Drew O’Connor and Marcus Pettersson to the Canucks before the 4 Nations break. Bunting, signed through next season at a $4.5MM cap hit, wasn’t expected to be one of them.
Acquired from the Hurricanes in last season’s Jake Guentzel trade, Bunting has been underwhelming in 2024-25 after finishing the 2023-24 campaign with 19 points in 21 games for the Pens. He’s been durable, playing 58 of 60 games, but his point production has dropped to 14-15–29. His 0.50 points per game are tracking as his worst offensive performance in his five seasons’ worth of extended NHL ice time, accompanied by his lowest usage at 15:15 per game.
A solid complementary top-six winger for Auston Matthews during his time in Toronto, the late-blooming Bunting burst onto the scene with a 23-goal, 63-point campaign for the Leafs at age 26 in 2021-22. He had just 26 NHL games to his name with the Coyotes before signing a two-year, $1.9MM deal in Toronto in the 2021 offseason, arguably the highest-value contract in the league during his time in the Canadian metropolis. He’s struggled to replicate that level play in a similar role alongside Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh, though, despite how promising his scorching finish to the 2023-24 campaign was. The duo hasn’t had a consistent right-winger this year, seeing names like Anthony Beauvillier, Cody Glass, and Philip Tomasino rotate through. With Bunting and Malkin on the ice together, the Pens have been outscored 19-10 at 5v5, per Natural Stat Trick. They’ve each fared far better apart from each other.
If Gibson’s and Guhle’s return timelines are any indication, Bunting should miss around four to six weeks. That means he should be back in the lineup with a few games left on the Penguins’ schedule, although it’s fair to describe his likelihood of returning this season as uncertain.
Pittsburgh’s injury list is relatively brief. Bryan Rust recently returned from a lower-body injury and illness, and recent AHL call-up Bokondji Imama is the only other forward carrying an injury designation. He’s on IR but could come off today to face the Flyers after missing four games with an upper-body injury. Bunting’s absence, however, could mean the Penguins wait before demoting Matthew Nieto to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton if he clears waivers today.
Penguins Place Evgeni Malkin On IR, Activate Philip Tomasino
The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed star Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Malkin has already missed Pittsburgh’s last three games, and will now be forced out of at least four more games. He had previously played in Pittsburgh’s first 41 games of the season, and was red-hot in the winter months. Malkin had seven points in nine games leading up to his injury.
In a corresponding move, Pittsburgh has also activated Philip Tomasino off of injured reserve, returning him from a four-game absence due to a lower-body injury. Tomasino has been one of the brightest spots of Pittsburgh’s middling year. Acquired for a fourth-round pick in a late-November trade with Nashville, Tomasino has since posted four goals and seven points in 16 games with the Penguins – the highest scoring pace of his career. He’s looked properly alive in the Penguins lineup, filling a much-needed top-six role after four up-and-down seasons in Nashville. Tomasino was a first-round draft pick in 2019, and made the jump into a full-time NHL role two seasons later. He scored 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games as a rookie – a very encouraging start for the then-20-year-old forward. But Tomasino struggled to maintain that into his sophomore year, and would only reach 20 points one more time – in 41 games of the 2023-24 campaign – during his time in Nashville.
Malkin’s absence will leave a glaring hole in the Pittsburgh lineup. The future Hall-of-Famer has, once again, been one of Pittsburgh’s most utilized forwards at both even-strength and on the power-play. The need for another top-unit forward could pave a golden path for Tomasino upon his return, giving the young center yet another chance to show Pittsburgh what he can do with a proper role. Pittsburgh has turned towards Anthony Beauvillier to fill the top-six vacancy over the last three games, though he hasn’t managed any scoring in the boosted role.
In other Penguins news, forward Michael Bunting will also miss the team’s Sunday game after being involved in a car accident outside PPG Paints Arena per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told Rorabaugh that Bunting isn’t expected to miss extended time. Bunting has been another red-hot Penguin, with four points in his last five games.
Evening Notes: Bunting, Team Canada, Heinola
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Michael Bunting earned praise last night from his head coach Mike Sullivan (as per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports). Sullivan compared Bunting to former Penguins player Patric Hornqvist, saying that Bunting has the ability to get under the opponent’s skin.
It wasn’t that long ago that Bunting appeared to be getting under the skin of Sullivan, as the 29-year-old had just a single assist in his first 12 games this season. Bunting found himself a healthy scratch in mid-October and had to work his way out of the doghouse and back into the lineup. November wasn’t exactly a month to remember, but it did enough to quiet trade rumors as Bunting was back to his usual production, posting five goals and four assists in 14 games.
In other evening notes:
- TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweeted that Team Canada’s 4-nations roster has been finalized and will be announced after the deadline tomorrow. LeBrun added that the final decisions were made last night and the decision on the final few roster spots was quite difficult. Team Canada already named their first six players back in June, and those names were Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Brad Marchand, Brayden Point and Nathan MacKinnon.
- Winnipeg Jets defenseman Ville Heinola was scratched once again today, marking the second game in a row he has sat in the press box (as per Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press). The 23-year-old was recalled from his AHL conditioning assignment last Sunday and played twice this past week, going scoreless while averaging 13:01 in ice time per game. Logan Stanley remained in the Jets lineup today, presumably over Heinola, and struggled as he took three minor penalties against the Stars.
Penguins Notes: Rust, Bunting, Nieto
The Penguins were without winger Bryan Rust at practice today, per Josh Getzoff of SportsNet Pittsburgh. Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Rust is being evaluated for a lower-body injury he sustained against the Canucks on Saturday, and there’s no timeline for his return to the ice yet (via Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop).
Rust, 32, left the weekend loss to Vancouver after getting his right leg tangled up awkwardly with Canucks winger Nils Höglander. It’s been a mediocre start to the campaign for the five-time 20-goal scorer, who’s been limited to three goals and an assist in eight games with a -7 rating. But he’s still averaging 19:20 per game – that’s second-most among Pittsburgh forwards and, correspondingly, a large hole to fill for a team short on forward depth if he misses any extended time.
Almost no Penguin has started the season as they’d like to, aside from a handful of exceptions – namely Evgeni Malkin, who’s turned back the clock with 14 points in 10 games. But it’s been especially difficult for Rust, who also missed the season’s first two games with a separate lower-body injury. If he can’t play tomorrow against the Wild, Cody Glass is the extra forward on hand and will return to the lineup after missing the Canucks game with an illness.
Other items of note out of Pittsburgh:
- One of this season’s biggest disappointments so far has been winger Michael Bunting. Acquired from the Hurricanes near the tail end of last year as arguably the highest-value part of the return for Jake Guentzel, he’s fallen completely flat with just one assist in nine games. He’s already been a healthy scratch once in 2024-25, and Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports the Penguins organization as a whole is “very unhappy” with his performance. It’s a completely unforeseen drop-off after he ended last season with 19 points in 21 games for the Pens, mainly playing alongside the red-hot Malkin.
- Winger Matthew Nieto returned to practice today for the first time since sustaining a knee injury that ended his 2023-24 season all the way back in November, relays Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Nieto, 32 next week, underwent laparoscopic surgery on his left knee shortly after the New Year but suffered a setback that required him to undergo a reconstructive MCL procedure in May. After inking a two-year, $1.8MM deal in free agency in 2023, Nieto had a goal and three assists in 22 appearances for Pittsburgh before the season-ending injury.
East Notes: Woll, Bunting, Jarry
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll revealed to the media that he has been dealing with groin tightness (as per Nick Barden of The Hockey News). The issue has kept him out of regular-season action, but Woll feels as though he should be back sooner rather than later.
It’s possible that the issue could have occurred during training camp in early October, but Woll didn’t get into the specifics regarding where and when the groin issue began to surface. During the moment in question on October 3rd, Woll slid across his crease to make a save and looked to be in discomfort as he moved back to his feet.
The Maple Leafs are unlikely to rush Woll as Anthony Stolarz has been terrific this season thus far.
In other Eastern Conference notes:
- Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop tweeted the Pittsburgh Penguins line rushes yesterday, which appeared to show forward Michael Bunting as a healthy scratch. Bunting was moved off the second line in the Penguins loss to the Hurricanes on Friday night and he was also moved off the second power-play unit. Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports tweeted that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan was asked on Friday by reporters about Bunting’s performance this season and replied, “I think our expectation is higher.” Bunting has struggled this season, with just a single assist in six games. However, his underlying numbers remain strong and could be an indicator of bad luck rather than bad play.
- Josh Yohe of The Athletic writes that Pittsburgh Penguins general manager doesn’t appear keen on placing goaltender Tristan Jarry on waivers as a way to address the team’s goaltending predicament, not yet anyway. Jarry has struggled dating back to last year when he didn’t start the Penguins’ final 13 regular season games and is arguably third in Pittsburgh’s current goaltending ranks. The Penguins are carrying three goaltenders on the roster and are bringing Jarry, Joel Blomqvist, and Alex Nedeljkovic on their road trip through Western Canada. Jarry currently has a .836 save percentage and a 5.47 goals-against average in three games but is owed $5.375MM this season and for an additional three years after that, making him nearly unmovable.
Canucks Announce Offseason Plans
Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin and head coach Rick Tocchet spoke with the media on Thursday about the team’s plans for the upcoming off-season. Coming off their most successful season in nine years, Allvin started interviews by emphasizing that the team needs to enter the summer with the mindset that they only managed to reach the second round. As shared by Pass It To Bulis’ Daniel Wagner, Allvin said “I’m not happy sitting here today…we lost our last game and it was only in round two.”
The team’s off-season plans will reflect that high bar, with Allvin most notably sharing that they’re looking to bring in a top-six winger, shares Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor (Twitter link). Allvin added that the team is also looking to bring in more speed, while Tocchet spoke to needing more creativity and shooting out of the lineup. Each of those attributes could be met by pending Carolina Hurricanes free agent Jake Guentzel, who Vancouver was reportedly very interested in ahead of the Trade Deadline.
The Hurricanes ultimately acquired Guentzel in exchange for Michael Bunting, top prospects Vaisili Ponomaryov and Cruz Lucius, and second-and-fifth-round picks in 2024. That’s a tall price to pay for a Spring rental, and there’s no doubt Carolina will make a hardy push to extend Guentzel after he posted a combined 34 points in 28 games with the club. But Guentzel left the door open to other destinations in his exit interview, acknowledging that hockey is ultimately a business. He’ll almost assuredly be due for an enthusiastic call from Allvin, should he decide to enter the open market.
The search for a top-six winger will headline Vancouver’s summer, with Allvin sharing that the team wants to retain its pending free agents otherwise, per
Batchelor (Twitter link). Allvin went on to name Nikita Zadorov, Tyler Myers, and Dakota Joshua as specific free agents the team is looking to retain. There shouldn’t be any pushback from the player’s side, with Joshua’s agent expressing a desire to return on the Donnie & Dhali Show while Zadorov speaking openly about his love for Vancouver during exit interviews. The trio are a part of Vancouver’s 11 pending free agents – a list that most notably includes Elias Lindholm and backup goaltenders Arturs Silovs and Casey DeSmith. The Canucks paid a pretty penny to acquire Lindholm earlier this season, while Silovs earned expanded opportunity with his fantastic playoff run. If and how the Canucks are able to lock up both players will be a major factor in how their 2024-25 roster is constructed.
Among his other thoughts, Allvin also made sure to mention the team’s top prospects – sharing that the team wants to create opportunity for those players. While he didn’t name any players outright, it’s not hard to reason that reigning SHL ‘Rookie of the Year’ Jonathan Lekkerimaki is among the top to earn a chance. Lekkerimaki recorded 31 points in 46 SHL games this season, adding two points in six AHL games following the end of Orebro’s season. He signed a three-year, $4.3MM entry-level contract in early May and could be one of Vancouver’s most exciting breakout candidates next season. Other top prospects Aatu Raty, Danila Klimovich, and defenseman Elias Pettersson could also push for an added role.
Vancouver’s postseason berth was just their second of the last nine seasons, and just their seventh time making it to the second round this century. It seems the team’s leadership core is ready to carry that winning mentality forward, looking at making impacts with externally, internally, and prospect decisions.
Hockey Canada Releases 2024 World Championship Roster
May 7: Celebrini and Fantilli have returned home from Czechia, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports. The former will participate in tonight’s 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, while Fantilli’s reasons for departing are undisclosed. It’s unclear whether they’ve been removed from the roster entirely. In a corresponding transaction, the team added Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois and Lightning forwards Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul to the roster.
May 3: Hockey Canada has released its roster of 22 players who will wear the maple leaf at the 2024 World Championship, which begins next week in Ostrava and Prague, Czechia. There are three open spots left to be filled throughout the tournament as more teams are eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Much like the initial World Championship roster that USA Hockey released weeks back, it’s almost completely made up of NHL talent – a rarity for the top-level countries at this tournament recently. The return and promise of future best-on-best international tournaments in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics has players and front offices looking at this year’s Worlds as a tune-up and initial evaluation for those events.
In fact, the only non-NHL player on Canada’s tournament-opening roster will be in the league next season. That’s presumptive 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who continues his 2023-24 campaign after taking home the Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player in his freshman season with Boston University. Their offense is highlighted and led by Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard and Kraken sniper Jared McCann, while Sabres defenders Bowen Byram and Owen Power highlight the back end. Blues netminder Jordan Binnington is expected to serve as the team’s starter.
The full roster is as follows:
F Connor Bedard (Blackhawks)
F Michael Bunting (Penguins)
F Macklin Celebrini (2024 draft-eligible)
F Dylan Cozens (Sabres)
F Adam Fantilli (Blue Jackets)
F Ridly Greig (Senators)
F Dylan Guenther (NHL Utah)
F Andrew Mangiapane (Flames)
F Jack McBain (NHL Utah)
F Jared McCann (Kraken)
F Dawson Mercer (Devils)
F Brandon Tanev (Kraken)
D Bowen Byram (Sabres)
D Kaiden Guhle (Canadiens)
D Jamie Oleksiak (Kraken)
D Colton Parayko (Blues)
D Owen Power (Sabres)
D Damon Severson (Blue Jackets)
D Olen Zellweger (Ducks)
G Jordan Binnington (Blues)
G Nico Daws (Devils)
G Joel Hofer (Blues)
Snapshots: Tanev, Bunting, Butler, Aston-Reese
The Dallas Stars could be without their newest defenseman for an extended time, with Trade Deadline acquisition Chris Tanev leaving the team’s Saturday night game early after taking an elbow to the head from Seattle Kraken Adam Larsson. Larsson received a five-minute major and game misconduct for the hit, while Tanev exited after 17 minutes of ice time. Tanev will be re-evaluated on Sunday, with the Stars hoping for an update early this week, per Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning Star (Web link).
Tanev is 12 games into his time with the Stars, recording one goal, two points, and 10 penalty minutes. The Stars sent away prospect Artem Grushnikov, a conditional second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to land Tanev – and they’re getting their money’s worth, with Tanev stepping into an immediate impact role and averaging over 18 minutes of ice time each game. He’s served as much-needed depth behind star Miro Heiskanen, elevating the impact of depth defenseman Esa Lindell. Dallas would normally turn towards Jani Hakanpaa in the event of Tanev’s absence, though he’s also bearing through a day-to-day injury. The Stars aren’t carrying any other defenders, meaning they’ll need to make a call-up if neither Tanev nor Hakanpaa can go.
Other notes from around the league:
- Michael Bunting left the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Saturday night game due to illness, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed after the game (Twitter link). Bunting played in nearly 10 minutes of ice time before exiting, with a -1 representing his only stat change. He’s found a strong scoring groove through his first 12 games in Pittsburgh, with three goals and seven points – though he’s still finding where he fits best in the lineup. There’s been no update on Bunting’s availability moving forward, though healthy scratch Emil Bemstrom is available to slot in if needed.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent right-winger Cameron Butler back to the minor leagues, after awarding him with his NHL debut on Saturday (Twitter link). He played in just one shift – staying on the ice for 54 seconds – during the eventual shootout-win. Butler, who is in his first year of pro hockey, will now return to the AHL, where he’s already managed two goals, eight points, and 63 penalty minutes in 46 games. He signed with the Blue Jackets as an undrafted free-agent in March of 2023.
- Zach Aston-Reese has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Detroit Red Wings after being recalled on Friday (Twitter link). Aston-Reese didn’t appear in any NHL action during the call-up, making his sole game in December his only NHL game of the season. He’s managed 13 goals, 28 points, and 47 penalty minutes in 56 AHL games this season – his first year in the league since 2018-19.
Hurricanes Acquire Jake Guentzel From Penguins
2:30 a.m.: The trade call is now complete with the Hurricanes also receiving Ty Smith as part of the trade, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirms. The Penguins will receive Bunting, forward prospects Ville Koivunen, Vasiliy Ponomarev, and Cruz Lucius, a conditional 2024 first-round pick, and a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick. If the Hurricanes don’t make the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the first-round pick downgrades to the Flyers’ 2024 second-round pick. The fifth-round pick only transfers if the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup. The Penguins are also retaining 25% of Guentzel’s $6MM cap hit. A previous report indicated that defense prospect Scott Morrow was headed to Pittsburgh in the deal; this is false.
5:26 p.m.: The Hurricanes and Penguins are close to a trade that would send star winger Jake Guentzel to Carolina, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. Forward Michael Bunting is expected as part of the return to Pittsburgh. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds that both teams being in action tonight may delay the final trade call but that “all signs point to Guentzel going to Carolina.”
This is the first major splash at this year’s deadline for Hurricanes GM Don Waddell, who’s largely held out of making big moves late in the season throughout his time at the helm in Carolina. He notably didn’t swing for a forward upgrade at last year’s trade deadline, and his Metropolitan Division-winning squad ended up bowing out to the Panthers in an Eastern Conference Final sweep. The Hurricanes have seemingly beaten out four other teams – the Canucks, Golden Knights, Panthers, and Rangers all remained in contact with Pittsburgh today – for Guentzel’s services.
Guentzel, 29, has been a first-line staple in Pittsburgh alongside Sidney Crosby since making his debut in 2016, memorably scoring on his first NHL shot. After leading Pittsburgh in playoff goals during their run to the Stanley Cup in 2017 and breaking out for a 40-goal regular season two years later, Guentzel inked a five-year, $30MM contract that will expire this summer. There was little reason to believe Guentzel wouldn’t extend in Pittsburgh after he hovered around the point-per-game mark yet again last year with 73 in 78 games, but a disappointing season for the Penguins in the standings has caused the organization to shift to retool mode.
This year, Guentzel is back above the point-per-game mark, notching 22 goals and 52 points in 50 games. He’s missed the last few weeks with an upper-body injury and, until the trade goes through, remains on the Penguins’ LTIR list. However, he’s not expected to miss much more time and skated in a full-contact jersey today for the first time since the mid-February injury. Averaging 20:53 per game, his possession metrics across the board are strong, logging a +9 rating, a career-high 56.3 CF% at even strength, and a spectacular 57.1 xGF%, per Hockey Reference.
Surely, Guentzel’s career numbers have benefitted from so much ice time with one of the best players in league history. Hurricanes number-one center Sebastian Aho may not fall into the generational category, but he’s still among the league’s elite and should form a mutually beneficial relationship with Guentzel down the stretch and into the postseason. There’s no reason to believe Guentzel won’t slot into a top-line role immediately, allowing 23-year-old Andrei Svechnikov to drop down to the second line and receive some easier 5-on-5 matchups.
That addition will cause some domino effects, although the pressing issue of an upgrade on Jack Drury or Jesperi Kotkaniemi as a second-line center remains. While depth scoring wingers like Stefan Noesen have been a revelation, posting 31 points in 60 games for the ‘Canes despite logging under 12 minutes a night, he’s no Svechnikov. The 23-year-old is playing some of the best hockey of his career and is scoring at a career-best 0.93 point-per-game clip, and he and Martin Necas anchoring Carolina’s second line offers much more insulation to the overtaxed Drury as a true strong secondary scoring unit behind the Aho line. Noesen could then slot into a more comfortable fourth-line role, boosting their bottom unit alongside Kotkaniemi and Jesper Fast to be more well-rounded offensively.
While there won’t be an extension for Guentzel as part of this deal, it’s certainly possible before he reaches free agency on July 1. Bunting was signed for two more seasons with a $4.5MM cap hit, so moving him to the Penguins opens up a fair amount of cap space to devote to what could very well be a Guentzel extension that comes in north of $8MM per year. The Hurricanes will have $36.15MM in projected cap space next year after the trade, assuming no other players are coming from Pittsburgh to Carolina, with a roster size of 11. They have multiple impact players unsigned for next season, though, including Necas, Seth Jarvis, Teuvo Teräväinen, and Brett Pesce.
For the Penguins, this confirms the start of GM Kyle Dubas’ retooling to give the team a third wind in the twilight years of Crosby’s, Evgeni Malkin‘s, Erik Karlsson‘s, and Kris Letang‘s careers. They still have an incredibly formidable core but lack much speed, depth, youth, or skill among their secondary. Guentzel’s departure tonight could signal the departure of other assets, such as winger Reilly Smith and netminder Alex Nedeljkovic, before tomorrow’s deadline.
Bunting will provide a slightly younger and cheaper option in Pittsburgh’s top six compared to Smith, Rickard Rakell, or Bryan Rust. It marks the second time Dubas has moved to acquire him – his former GM with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds was responsible for his big major-league chance by signing him in Toronto as a UFA, where he broke out as a top-line threat alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Even away from Toronto’s stars, Bunting maintained a decent level of production in Carolina, scoring 13 goals and 36 points through 60 games while averaging 15:07 per game. His possession impacts have nosedived away from Matthews and Marner, though, posting a 49.2 xGF% this year compared to his 58.2 mark throughout his two years with the Maple Leafs.
A first look at the futures the Pens acquired looks like a rocky start to the Dubas-led retool. Despite interest from multiple teams with deep prospect pools, Pittsburgh failed to secure a guaranteed first-round pick or a first-round-caliber prospect in the swap, opting for a trio of U-22 players instead.
The most notable prospect heading to the Penguins is Koivunen, who the Hurricanes selected in the mid-second round of the 2021 draft. A 20-year-old who can play both wing and center, Koivunen has dominated the Finnish Liiga in a proper breakthrough campaign this year, tied for first in points with Oulun Kärpät with 21 goals and 55 points in 57 games. He represented Finland at the 2022 and 2023 World Juniors and scored once in 12 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves last season, his only North American professional experience. Koivunen signed his entry-level contract in August 2021, but the deal slid twice due to his European Assignment Clause kicking in for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. As such, his contract only began in earnest this season and doesn’t expire until 2026, when he’ll be an RFA.
Ponomarev, 21, is the only prospect picked up by Pittsburgh with NHL experience. Another mid-second round pick of the Canes, selected one year before Koivunen, the Russian center notched a goal and an assist in his first two NHL games earlier this season. On assignment to the AHL at the time of the deal, he’s expected to join the Penguins’ affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after spending time with both the Tuscon Roadrunners and Chicago Wolves earlier this year. A Calder Cup champion with the Wolves in 2022, Ponomarev has eight goals, 29 points, and a -17 rating in 41 minor-league games this year. He’s in the second active season of his entry-level contract and will be an RFA in the summer of 2025.
Lucius, 19, was the latter of the Canes’ two fourth-round picks in 2022 and has not yet signed his ELC. The Lawrence, Kansas, native plays right wing and is in his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin, where he’s been highly productive with 23 goals and 65 points in 66 games since 2022. He missed a solid chunk of his draft year due to injury, limiting his stock, so he does have a higher likelihood of cracking the NHL than his fourth-round billing suggests. The Penguins have until Aug. 15, 2026, to sign him to a deal before losing his exclusive signing rights.
While the Penguins may have technically added a second first-round pick in the upcoming draft, their selections are conditional. Pittsburgh could end up with no first-round selections this year if Carolina doesn’t reach the Final and their own first-round pick ends up outside of the top 10. The Pens dealt their 2024 first-rounder to the Sharks in last summer’s Erik Karlsson trade, but the pick is top-10 protected and would defer to 2025 if Pittsburgh ends up with a top-10 pick after this year’s draft lottery.
By removing Guentzel from LTIR, the Penguins now exceed the cap by $2.275MM, according to CapFriendly. They must clear space via additional trades, placing another player on LTIR, or reassigning players to the minors by 4 p.m. CT Friday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.