The Penguins and Jets have kicked off their pre-free agency business with a straight-up swap, sending defenseman Jack St. Ivany to Winnipeg in exchange for center David Gustafsson.
St. Ivany, 26, was Pittsburgh’s fourth-round pick in 2018 and took a long route to the NHL.
He spent four years in college after being drafted, then finally made his pro debut in 2022-23 and his NHL debut in 2023-24. Since then, he’s bounced between the AHL and NHL, a classic tweener profile that has kept him on the edge of the league roster.
This past season was the first time in his pro career that he played more NHL games than AHL games, though not by a wide margin. St.
Ivany finished with seven assists in 20 games for Pittsburgh, and he also posted one goal and five assists for six points in eight games during a conditioning stint with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. His season was interrupted by injuries, too, as a lower-body issue cost him the first 28 games of the year, and a hand surgery later wiped out another 12.
He’s now in the final year of a three-year deal carrying an $850,000 cap hit, and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent when that contract ends.
Gustafsson, also 26, was taken by Winnipeg in the second round in 2018 and reached the NHL faster than St. Ivany.
He debuted in just his second season after the draft and later became a full-time NHL player in 2022-23. But his trajectory has gone the other way since then, and in 2025-26 he spent the entire season in the AHL.
The Tingsryd, Sweden native is a restricted free agent once his two-year contract with an $850,000 cap hit expires. It remains unclear whether Winnipeg qualified him before making the trade, or whether Pittsburgh plans to do so now that he’s in the organization.
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Penguins Finalized Development Camp Roster Comes With A Few Concerns
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There is, however, a small wrinkle attached to the list. Three forwards, Will Horcoff, Mac Swanson and Melvin Fernstrom, are marked injured but will still be around camp, which keeps them in the mix even if they are limited on the ice. The only draft-class prospect not expected to attend adds another layer of curiosity to a camp that already feels worth watching, especially with so many young players looking to make an impression in front of Penguins evaluators. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Dubas May Have Quietly Won Two Important Penguins Deals
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The broader appeal for the Penguins is what those contracts avoid. Around the NHL, comparable role players have been getting longer terms and higher price tags, which can clog up flexibility fast if the fit is merely solid instead of essential. Lizotte and Dewar may not move the needle on their own when it comes to Pittsburghs bigger picture, but they do give the team a cleaner financial path and a chance to keep building without overpaying for familiar depth. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Robertson Trade Saga Just Took A Much More Serious Turn
Jason Robertsons future has become one of the leagues more interesting summer watch items, and Pittsburgh has stayed in the conversation for a reason. The restricted free agent turned down an offer from Seattle and reportedly showed no interest in St. Louis, which only adds to the sense that his next move will be more complicated than a simple fit-and-sign scenario. For the Penguins, the appeal is obvious: they have the cap flexibility to make a serious run at him if the opportunity opens up.
The harder part is getting Dallas to the point where a deal makes sense for them, and that is where the process has slowed. Pittsburgh is being viewed as a club looking to do something meaningful, but interest alone does not close the gap on a player of Robertsons stature. The Penguins may still be in the mix, though the bigger question now is whether they can put together the kind of trade package that would keep the Stars engaged. [Read more 🡒]