The Pittsburgh Penguins kept a low profile on Day 2 of NHL free agency. No signings, no trades - just a quiet day on the transaction wire while the conversation around the team got louder.
That chatter has not been especially flattering. A recent column questioning the Penguins and general manager Kyle Dubas drew a strong response, and the reaction split hard between readers. The votes leaned one way, the comments another, leaving the impression that the Penguins are getting pulled in different directions even as the offseason rolls on.
Today brings a little more to look at, at least on the prospect side. It’s the Penguins’ scrimmage, and while the week’s workouts have been hard to judge because of the uneven competition and the limited number of prospects on the NHL shortlist, the scrimmage should offer a better read than the battle drills did. The workouts Thursday weren’t attended, but today is expected to provide a clearer picture.
Around the league, the trade and free-agent market is starting to take shape. Talk around a couple of familiar names is already building, and the list of notable signings from the first few days has been sorted through, along with a look at the best remaining unrestricted free agents. TSN says former Penguins winger Anthony Mantha is the best UFA still available.
Sportsnet has also been busy breaking down the early free-agent frenzy, with Justin Bourne weighing in on the notable signings - including a couple involving the Penguins - and offering context, expectations, and some criticism. The outlet’s updated 9.0 trade board also takes stock of who is still out there and could move before everyone heads for the lake house.
There’s movement in other corners of the league, too. Rangers GM Chris Drury said the rebuild is going exactly as planned and hinted New York may not be done dealing.
In Columbus, Don Waddell said he won’t trade Kirill Marchenko after Zach Werenski’s trade-request saga ended with Werenski staying put. Ottawa still has Claude Giroux in play, with four teams reportedly in the mix.
Washington got a notable update as well: Alex Ovechkin re-upped with the Capitals for one more year, giving his story in D.C. another chapter. The idea of the Penguins and Capitals meeting for their 84th game against each other gets a mention for good reason - a Malkin-Ovechkin send off would be incredible.
Minnesota made a move of its own, with Bill Guerin reuniting with Olli Maatta and acquiring Blake Coleman from Calgary for Jake Middleton and picks. The Athletic’s Murat Ates is also digging into what Stuart Skinner signing in Winnipeg could mean for Connor Hellebuyck.
Elsewhere, New Jersey Hockey Now floated the idea that the offer sheet to Barrett Hayton might have been a revenge play with upside after Utah backed out of a draft trade with the Devils. Florida Hockey Now noted the Panthers have had a strong summer, saying goodbye to Sergei Bobrovsky and giving Jacob Markstrom a chance to reclaim what was, for himself and the Florida Panthers.
On the Steelers side, the team is trying something new at Acrisure Stadium after the turf drew an F- and even drew criticism from home players. There’s also a new documentary featuring Hines Ward.
In Other News...
So Many Familiar Penguins Names Just Vanished On Day 1
The first day of free agency had a distinctly familiar feel for Penguins followers, only the names were attached to other sweaters. Ian Cole landed with the Chicago Blackhawks, Noel Acciari went to the Philadelphia Flyers and Ryan Shea headed to the Edmonton Oilers, while other former Pittsburgh players such as Teddy Blueger, Conor Sheary and Connor Clifton also found new homes across the league. It was the kind of opening-day churn that can make a roster tree look suddenly bare, especially when so many of the departures trace back to players who spent real time in Pittsburgh.
For the Penguins, the exodus is less about one headline move than the cumulative effect of seeing so many once-recognizable depth pieces and role players spread out so quickly. Some of those deals were modest, some carried more term, and a few send former Penguins back into familiar territory with new clubs. Either way, the first wave of free agency served as a reminder of how much turnover can hit in a matter of hours, leaving Pittsburgh with plenty of familiar names gone and a few more questions still hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Lose Another Blue Line Depth Piece Fans Were Watching
The Penguins blue-line depth picture took another hit this week, with one of the organizational names fans had been tracking deciding to head back overseas. Alexander Alexeyev, a restricted free agent who spent last season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, is moving on after a solid AHL stint that included three goals, 12 points and a plus-7 rating in 38 games.
His departure comes amid a broader wave of players leaving North America for the KHL, with Ivan Fedotov also signing a two-year deal with Spartak Moscow after his season split between the Flyers and Cleveland. For Pittsburgh, it is another reminder that the back end is still in flux, and one more depth option the club will have to replace as the offseason keeps unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Dubas Put Penguins Fans Right Back Into One Big Debate
Kyle Dubas spent the opening stretch of free agency and the trade market adding a little of everything to the Penguins' roster puzzle, and that is exactly why the reaction has been so split. Pittsburgh brought in Hendrix Lapierre, David Gustafsson, Kaeden Korczak and Nick Robertson via trade, then added Trevor van Riemsdyk, Declan Carlile, Andrei Kuzmenko and Atley Calvert in signings, giving the front office a busy week that touched nearly every part of the lineup.
The debate now is less about volume than fit, because some of these moves look like useful depth while others feel more like placeholders than upgrades. Robertson stands out as the one move that has drawn the warmest response, while Kuzmenko raises the biggest question about whether he simply occupies a spot a younger player could use, and whether the Penguins have really replaced the edge they lost when Wotherspoon and Clifton were out the door. [Read more 🡒]