Free agency brought a few new names into the Pittsburgh Penguins’ mix on July 1, but not every signing looks like a clean fit for where this team is headed. General manager Kyle Dubas has said he wants Pittsburgh to stay competitive, even if the Penguins are not Stanley Cup contenders next season. The problem is that some of the moves feel more like short-term patchwork than real answers.
Andrei Kuzmenko is the most intriguing of the group. Pittsburgh gave him a one-year, $5 million deal after he spent last season with the Los Angeles Kings, where he played 52 games and posted 13 goals and 12 assists.
The 30-year-old is not a burner, but he does bring scoring touch, and that’s the kind of skill that can still matter in the middle six. Kuzmenko’s NHL story has been uneven since he arrived in the league in 2022-23 after eight years in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, but his first season with the Vancouver Canucks was loud: 39 goals and 35 assists in 81 games.
He hasn’t come close to that again, though a fresh start might help him rediscover some of that offense.
The fit is not seamless, though. Kuzmenko prefers the left side, and that spot is already crowded with Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Connor Dewar.
Some of those players can slide over to the right, but sorting out the line combinations will matter. If Kuzmenko doesn’t settle in, Dubas could always try to move him for assets at the 2027 Trade Deadline.
On defense, the Penguins added Trevor van Riemsdyk on a two-year deal with a $4 million average annual value. He turns 35 this month and comes over after six seasons with the Washington Capitals.
Van Riemsdyk has spent most of his time on the right side, but he can also handle the left, which is where Pittsburgh needs help. He won’t bring much offense, but he is steady in his own zone, works well along the boards, and gives the Penguins a veteran safety net on the blue line.
The third addition, Declan Carlile, came in on July 1 as well. Pittsburgh signed the left-handed defenseman to a two-year contract with a $1.5 million AAV.
Carlile played limited minutes for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, but he made the most of his chances. He works hard, plays with an edge, and adds another body on the left side at a manageable price.
Even if the Penguins don’t get much back for him later, his contract gives them flexibility before it expires.
Still, the bigger picture is hard to ignore. Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke are expected to push for full-time roles this season, which makes the defensive logjam even more crowded. In that sense, Dubas appears to be choosing depth over upside.
Pittsburgh surprised the hockey world by making the playoffs last season, and the rebuild is clearly ahead of schedule. But for now, the pattern looks familiar: short-term deals, veteran insurance, and a team trying to stay afloat rather than fully jump into the next phase. That may keep the Penguins competitive in the short run, but it does not look like the kind of move that puts them back on a championship track.
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