A busy first day of NHL free agency sent a long list of former Penguins into new places, and a few of them landed real money.
The biggest paydays tied to Pittsburgh’s recent and not-so-recent past came early and often. Ryan Shea, one of the departed Penguins from the 2025-26 season, scored the largest deal among the group: five years and $20 million with Edmonton. Vincent Desharnais also cashed in, with Washington handing the 33-year-old defenseman a four-year contract carrying a $4.2 million average annual value after he appeared in only 10 games with the Penguins in 2024-25.
Stuart Skinner was next in line, signing a two-year contract with Winnipeg at $3.75 million per season. Noel Acciari, whose three-year Penguins deal expired last season, landed a two-year agreement with Philadelphia worth $2.8 million annually. Luke Schenn, technically a former Penguin even though he never played a game for Pittsburgh after telling the team he did not want to report following the trade from Nashville near the 2025 NHL trade deadline, signed with Vancouver for one year and $2.25 million.
There was also a familiar Boston connection. Connor Clifton, who hasn’t played for the Bruins in three years but spent one season in Pittsburgh, agreed to return to Boston on a two-year deal worth $2.25 million per season. Ian Cole got the day started as the first former Penguin to sign, taking a one-year, $4 million contract with Chicago.
The list kept moving across the league. Vladislav Kolyachonok signed a one-year, $850,000 deal with New Jersey.
Teddy Blueger, who played for Pittsburgh from 2018-19 through the middle of the 2022-23 season, joined Toronto on a two-year, $5 million contract. Conor Sheary, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017, signed a one-year, $850,000 deal with Buffalo.
Pittsburgh’s former and recent draft picks also found homes. Sam Poulin, the Penguins’ 2019 first-round selection, signed a one-year, $850,000 deal with Montreal. Poulin has appeared in just 15 NHL games, all with Pittsburgh, even after being traded to Edmonton as part of the Tristan Jarry trade in December, 2025.
Other names from the Penguins orbit kept coming. Vinnie Hinostroza signed a two-year deal with Colorado.
Jagger Joshua, a former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward, agreed to a two-year, $1.75 million two-way contract with Minnesota. Philip Tomasino signed a one-year deal with Ottawa.
And the Flyers added Zach Aston-Reese on a two-year contract that pays $850,000 in year one as a one-way deal before shifting to a two-way structure in year two at $700,000/$900,000.
Then there was the odd little footnote that still managed to matter. The Penguins turned the second-round pick they got from Winnipeg in the Schenn deal - 39th overall - into Liam Ruck after taking his twin, Markus Ruck, in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, keeping the brothers together. The Canucks also brought back another old friend, signing 33-year-old defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to a two-year deal with a $5 million AAV.
And one notable name still remains on the board: Anthony Mantha is still unsigned.
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Former Penguins Depth Defenseman Just Landed A Stunning Long Term Deal
The Oilers defensive shuffle kept moving after they traded Darnell Nurse to the Sharks, then quickly moved to add a familiar name with a much bigger role in mind. Ryan Shea, who made his NHL debut with the Penguins in 2023-24, is now headed to Edmonton on a five-year deal that pays $4 million per season, a striking commitment for a player who began his league career in Pittsburghs depth mix.
Sheas path makes the contract even more notable because his value only really took off this past season, when he settled in as a reliable left-shot option and delivered the kind of all-around production that can change how a team views its blue line. For the Penguins, it is another reminder that players who pass through the bottom of the roster can still turn into meaningful assets elsewhere, even if their best payday comes long after they leave town. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins May Finally Use A Painful Contract To Fix Their Blue Line
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Graves deal has been a tough one for Pittsburgh to move, and Edmonton has reportedly not wanted to absorb it so far. The key now is whether Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is willing to soften his position and help push the talks forward, because without that shift the idea may stay stuck on the table while both sides wait for the other to blink. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Just Made A Quiet Forward Move Worth Watching
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Calvert has put together a solid resume in the minors, with 52 points in 96 AHL games, and he also built his scoring reputation in junior hockey with the Moose Jaw Warriors. For Pittsburgh, it is the kind of quiet move that does not change the headlines today, but can matter if a young forward keeps trending the right way and forces his way into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]