Key departures
Matt GrzelcykD: An unconted free agent, Grzelcyk collected a career summit of the NHL 40 points (a goal, 39 assists) in 82 games last season. …Alex NedeljkovicG: Exchanged with the San Jose Sharks on July 1, it was 32-22-12 with a safeguard percentage of 3.05 GAA and 0.898 as the main backup of Pittsburgh in the last two seasons. …Po JosephD: Signed a one -year contract with cannucks on July 2. He played his first four seasons with the Penguins before signing a one -year contract with St. Louis Blues on July 2, 2024. Joseph was exchanged in Pittsburgh on December 18, 2024 and had aid in 24 games. …Matt NietoF: An united free agent, Nieto collected seven points (two goals, five assists) in 54 games in two seasons with the Penguins, including three points (one goal, two assists) in 32 games last season.
At the forefront
Rutger McGroartyF: The 21 -year -old collected three points (one goal, two assists) in eight games for Pittsburgh last season and had a look at the first line with Center Sidney Crosby After being recalled from Wilkes-Barre / Scranton of the American Hockey League on March 29 before undergoing an injury at the end of the season on April 8. …Koivunen cityF: The 22 -year -old collected seven assists in his first NHL games after being recalled with McGroarty. He could start the season on a line with a second line center Evgeni Malkin. …Owen PickeringD: The 21 -year -old collected three points (one goal, two assists) in 25 games as a recruit last season. Selected with choice n ° 21 in the NHL 2022 draft, Pickering could earn a role of first pair.
What they still need
Decisions on Bryan Rust,, Rickard Rakell And Erik Karlsson. Rust has chemistry with Crosby on the first line and won the Stanley Cup twice in 11 seasons with Pittsburgh. Rakell led the Penguins with 35 goals as the first six last season. Karlsson led his defenders in points to each of his two seasons since his acquisition of the Sharks on August 6, 2023. However, the director general Kyle Dubas said he would listen to commercial offers with Pittsburgh looking to the future.
They said it
“At one point, we will have to make the call to take this mode, to try to build, to move on to this next time of the team, by affirming again. We know what people say about the prospect pool and the class (draft), and how long a road that people think it will be. – Managing Director Kyle Dubas
Edge stat to watch
The Penguins ranked sixth in the NHL in high danger fire to the goal (656) last season, which included 634 by attackers to rank fourth as a team. Rakell led Pittsburgh and ranked tied in the ninth in the league with 22 high goals. Rakell (88 SOG with high danger; 97th centile), as well as frequent Crosby teammates (87 SOG with high danger; 97th centile) and rust (79 SOG with high danger; 95th centile) each excelled in areas with high danger last season. Penguin attackers represented 87.6% of their objectives (212 out of 242) in team last season, the highest sixth brand of the NHL. – Troy Perlowitz
