The Penguins made a one-for-one move between depth players, sending defenseman Jack St. Ivany to the Jets in exchange for center David Gustafsson.
On paper, it’s a swap that doesn’t exactly jump off the page, but St. Ivany had carved out a useful role on the back end.
The 26-year-old brought size at 6’4” and 197 pounds, plus a willingness to throw it around. In 53 games, he recorded 116 hits, while his offensive line stayed quiet with no goals and nine assists.
His underlying numbers were modest as well, which fit the profile of a low-drama depth defenseman. The bigger issue was availability, since injuries kept him out of the lineup more than the Penguins would have liked.
Gustafsson arrives with a different profile. The 6’2”, 196-pound center from Tingsryd, Sweden, shoots left and was a second-round pick by the Jets in 2018.
He has never been much of a scorer at the NHL level, with six goals and 20 career points in 149 games across six seasons with Winnipeg. His metrics were unremarkable for much of that stretch, though they improved in 2024-25 - the same season he didn’t play in the NHL at all.
Instead, he spent the year with AHL Manitoba, where he put up 10 goals and 32 points in 48 games.
He’s also been solid on faceoffs, with a career win rate of 51.2 percent. One read on the deal is that he could be filling the spot left by Joona Koppanen, who is heading back to Europe.
The trade also fits into a larger concern around the Penguins’ roster makeup. With St.
Ivany gone, and with Connor Clifton, Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari also likely to depart, the team looks to be losing some of its edge and physical presence. Last season, the mix seemed about right - players who would mix it up, stick their noses in, and start the rough stuff when needed.
Now that balance looks thinner. And for a team that had moved away from the softer look of the late Mike Sullivan era, that’s the part worth watching.
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