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Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Lars Eller

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have added another quality veteran to their roster today, signing 2018 Stanley Cup champion center Lars Eller to a two-year, $2.45MM AAV deal.

The Penguins have made upgrading their group of bottom-six forwards a priority this offseason, and adding Eller definitely helps in that pursuit. A veteran of nearly 1,000 games, Eller never quite became the top-six center he was projected to be as a top prospect earlier in his career. Instead, he became one of the league’s best third-line centers, routinely flirting with the 40-point plateau while also contributing heavily on the penalty kill.

Now 34 years old, Eller might not still be one of the better third-line centers in the NHL, though he’s likely to be an upgrade over Jeff Carter in that role for Pittsburgh. Carter’s play drew significant criticism over the course of last season, and Eller fits the role better as a more well-rounded player who can contribute on the penalty kill.

With a two-year term attached there’s risk that Eller’s regression from top-end third-liner to more regular bottom-sixer continues, and the Penguins end up paying for a caliber of play Eller can no longer provide. But those risks are inherent in shopping for veteran free agents, so it’s not like Penguins management can really side-step them in their search for bottom-six help.

At a reasonable price tag, they’ve acquired an upgrade to their third-line center role while also adding someone who can chip in on the team’s penalty kill. Tough to complain about that.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Ryan Graves, Alex Nedeljkovic; Extend Tristan Jarry

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have made likely their biggest moves of the day. They’ve signed hulking defenseman Ryan Graves from the New Jersey Devils, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Per a team release, the contract will be a six-year, $27MM contract, earning an AAV of $4.5MM. They’ve also announced a five-year extension with netminder Tristan Jarry, carrying a $5.375MM AAV. Furthermore, Friedman also reports that the team has brought in goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic as well, signing the young netminder to a one-year, $1.5MM contract.

These are two moves of major significance for the Penguins, especially the Jarry signing. By signing him to this extension, the Penguins have effectively committed to Jarry as the starting goalie for the rest of the careers of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.

As the goal for Pittsburgh for the rest of their careers is to win the trio one last Stanley Cup, the franchise is effectively betting on Jarry to be a goalie capable of winning the Stanley Cup.

There are reasons to believe Jarry, 28, is up to the task. First and foremost, his 2021-22 season was exceptional (.919 save percentage in 58 games played), as was his 2019-20.

But Jarry has alternated each brilliant campaign with more sluggish ones, and while he still manages above-average numbers in those years they aren’t quite up to the quality expected from a goalie occupying a cap hit higher than $5MM.

For Pittsburgh to truly feel good about this signing, not only will Jarry have to have more consistency on a year-to-year basis, he’ll also need to prove that some of the playoff mistakes that cost the Penguins a playoff series against the New York Islanders in 2020-21 won’t resurface.

As for Graves, his addition gives Pittsburgh an upgrade over the departed Brian Dumoulin both offensively and defensively, as well as in the age department. The 28-year-old left-shot blueliner skates well for his size (six-foot-five, 220 pounds) and plays a respectable two-way game. He averaged around 20 minutes of ice time per night for the New Jersey Devils and was a regular penalty-kill contributor.

Graves will likely pair with either Letang or Jeff Petry, and perhaps Graves’ most promising fit is with Petry.

While the Penguins have reportedly been trying to trade Petry this offseason, his $6.25MM cap hit has proven to be a barrier to getting a deal across the line.

The best way to spur a bounce-back season from Petry could be to replicate the environment that saw him achieve so much success with the Montreal Canadiens.

Petry was at his best when partnered with Joel Edmundson, a steady defender whose abilities defensively afforded Petry the freedom to take risks and play more aggressively offensively.

Petry scored at a 63-point pace in 2020-21, largely stapled next to Edmundson, and many would argue that Graves is a better defenseman than Edmundson. So while Graves has definite value on his own, what he might be able to do to rehabilitate Petry’s on-ice effectiveness is a major bonus.

As for Nedeljkovic, the 27-year-old was sent to the Detroit Red Wings after a stellar rookie season for the Carolina Hurricanes. He posted a .932 save percentage in 23 games, leading many to believe Carolina had found their “goalie of the future.” Carolina wasn’t confident Nedeljkovic’s numbers were repeatable in a heavier workload, and Detroit found that out for themselves when they installed him as their number-one and he struggled mightily.

Nedeljkovic posted a .901 save percentage in 59 games played in 2021-22 and a .895 save percentage this past season, losing Detroit’s backup job to Magnus Hellberg. The hope likely is with this signing that Nedeljkovic can join with incumbent backup Casey DeSmith to form a strong support structure for Jarry, and with a lesser workload potentially get back to somewhere close to the way he played in Carolina.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Noel Acciari

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After acquiring him for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins hockey operations boss Kyle Dubas has acquired forward Noel Acciari for his new team. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, he’s signed the veteran to a three-year, $2MM AAV contract.

Acciari was acquired by Dubas at the 2023 trade deadline as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade, and he was a decent bottom-sixer for Toronto acquitting himself well defensively while helping them eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. Acciari has nearly 400 games of NHL experience and has been on some long playoff runs, such as the Boston Bruins’ run to the 2019 Stanley Cup final.

Acciari does have a 20-goal season on his resume but that’s not a major part of his game. He’s a steady, reliable penalty-killing bottom-sixer who provides versatility to the third or fourth lines in a lineup. He’ll likely become a favorite of head coach Mike Sullivan, who could quickly deploy him in high-leverage defensive situations.

A $2MM price tag with a three-year term might be a bit expensive for a 31-year-old with this kind of skillset, but it’s nothing unreasonable. He’ll improve Pittsburgh’s bottom-six from where it was last year, especially when combined with some of the team’s other signings from today, such as for Lars Eller or Matt Nieto.

Matt Nieto Expected To Sign With Pittsburgh Penguins

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting a head start on free agency, reportedly getting a veteran addition to their bottom six. Winger Matt Nieto is expected to sign a two-year deal worth $900K to join the Penguins, says TSN’s Darren Dreger, who previously reported Nieto was heading to Edmonton.

Nieto, 30, is a respected bottom-six player who split last season between the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. Nieto has averaged just over 14 minutes of ice time per night in his career, though he saw his ice time drop dramatically after his mid-season trade to the Avalanche. He was averaging over 15 minutes per night in San Jose, and went to under 11 minutes with the Avalanche.

A capable penalty-killer and defensive presence, Nieto chipped in 12 goals and 24 points in 81 games last season. While Nieto doesn’t offer the size or overwhelming physicality that some teams would like to see out of their bottom-six forwards, there are far worse options for a team to run in their bottom-six.

Nieto has been on a few playoff runs of significance, and that’s exactly what Pittsburgh hopes to be doing next season. An offseason priority for the Penguins has been upgrading the lower-end of their lineup, and adding Nieto will help them do just that.

Latest On Tristan Jarry, Jake Guentzel

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  • The Pittsburgh Penguins and goaltender Tristan Jarry have shown mutual interest in reaching a new deal before 11 am CT tomorrow, but the term of the deal is a point of contention, The Athletic’s Rob Rossi says. Jarry carries his flaws as a long-term starter, especially when it comes to the injury department, but he’ll be the best goalie available if he does hit the market tomorrow. He’s posted 20 wins in four straight seasons and averaged a .915 save percentage over that timeframe, numbers certainly reflective of a starting-caliber netminder.
  • In a related development, Rossi says there are strong indications that the Penguins are close to securing a contract extension with forward Jake Guentzel. Don’t expect it to be announced soon, though, as both Guentzel and interim general manager Kyle Dubas recognize the Penguins have much more pressing offseason matters to handle, such as Jarry’s potential extension. Guentzel, a bonafide top-line winger, has averaged over a point per game over the past five seasons and would have been one of the top wingers available on the UFA market in 2024.

Snapshots: Granlund, Wheeler, Canadiens

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Taylor Haase of DKPittsburghSports is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins are not going to buyout Mikael Granlund before the 5pm buyout window later today. Granlund has had his name thrown around for weeks as a player that was likely to bought out, but it appears he will remain with the Penguins barring a trade, or a buyout in the second buyout window should one open for Pittsburgh.

Granlund was acquired on trade deadline day by previous Penguins general manager Ron Hextall and did not fit in well with the club. After posting 36 points in 58 games with the Nashville Predators, Granlund was traded to Pittsburgh for a second-round pick and put up just a goal and four assists in 21 games as the Penguins failed to qualify for the playoffs. If he does remain with the Penguins, it’ll be interesting to see how head coach Mike Sullivan deploys the 31-year-old as he was not a fit in the Penguins bottom-6 and the recently acquired Reilly Smith is expected to take their vacant left-wing spot on the second line.

Some more snapshots from around the league:

  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweeted that recent buyout recipient Blake Wheeler would prefer to play for an Eastern Conference team to have a new experience and less travel. The news comes from Wheeler’s agent Matt Keator and it makes sense given Wheeler’s age and his family considerations. The former Winnipeg Jets captain is a free agent for the first time and should have several teams to consider given that is coming off a season in which he posted 16 goals and 39 assists in 72 games.
  • Eric Engels of Sportsnet is reporting that he expects the Montreal Canadiens to be quiet in free agency as the team has a lot of players that they would like to move to open roster spots for their younger prospects. While Engels jokes about Canadiens’ general manager Kent Hughes putting his phone on silent, he does concede that the Canadiens could add a player if they fit into both the short-term and long-term parts of their rebuild plan. He mentions Mike Hoffman, Joel Edmundson, and Christian Dvorak as players Montreal would like to move on from and given that all three are veterans on expensive cap hits it does seem unlikely for the Canadiens to acquire more of that through free agency.

Penguins Linked To Noah Hanifin, Latest On Jeff Petry

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The Pittsburgh Penguins just spent the last two days re-stocking their relatively thin prospect pool at the 2023 NHL draft, and with that process over their new front office’s focus shifts to improving their roster for next season. One of the ways new hockey operations boss Kyle Dubas can improve the Penguins is by revamping their defense, which could mean adding a top blueliner on the trade market such as Noah Hanifin. The Athletic’s Rob Rossi reports that “the Penguins are on a short list of teams to which Hanifin would approve a trade,” and that “Hanifin would be willing to sign an extension with the Penguins if acquired.” (subscription link)

Adding a top-end left-shot defenseman to pair with Kris Letang is a priority for Pittsburgh, especially seeing as head coach Mike Sullivan “repeatedly pushed” for the team to acquire Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes last season. The issue the Penguins face in acquiring Hanifin is twofold: firstly, one wonders if Pittsburgh has enticing enough assets to be able to win a bidding war with other teams to secure a trade with Calgary, and secondly it could be a tight fit for the Penguins to be able to sign Hanifin to a pricey long-term extension given the current money on their books.

Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Reilly Smith

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Just days after winning the Stanley Cup, the Vegas Golden Knights are moving on from original expansion draft acquisition Reilly Smith. He’s been dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2024 third-round pick, one the Penguins acquired from Vegas just a few months ago in exchange for center Teddy Blueger.

To say this move is a shock to most fans is an understatement. While cap-clearing moves have become commonplace in recent history, especially in Vegas, Smith had a spectacular postseason run for the Knights with four goals and 14 points in 22 games. At the time of the trade, he was second in franchise history in goals (124) and third in points (286), joined in the top three by longtime linemates Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson.

Smith, 32, has two seasons remaining on his contract at a $5MM cap hit. Of note, this is the first trade completed by Kyle Dubas as interim general manager of the Penguins.

Parting ways with that $5MM, as tough as it may be, gives Vegas significant flexibility into an offseason clouded by uncertainty over the playing future of goaltender Robin Lehner, who missed the entire 2022-23 season recovering from double hip surgery and is under contract, as Smith is, for $5MM per season until 2025. With netminder Adin Hill expected to sign a two-year extension in the neighborhood of $4.9MM per season, clearing Smith’s cap hit leaves the Knights with about $3.5-$4MM in space should Lehner be healthy next season.

In Smith, Pittsburgh may not be getting any younger, but they are getting a spectacularly consistent winger with good ability on both the power play and penalty kill. A well-rounded talent, his 26 goals this season were one short of his career high, set with Vegas in the 2019-20 season. He could very well slot in on Pittsburgh’s second line with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell.

With the Smith acquisition, it seems improbable that Pittsburgh will extend Jason Zucker, who held the top-six spot in the lineup Smith is expected to replace. The 31-year-old will be one of the better options on the UFA market among left wingers after recording 27 goals and 48 points in 78 games this year.

What exactly Vegas does with its newfound cap space remains to be seen. If they learn Lehner could be an LTIR candidate next season in the near future, they’d likely have enough flexibility to get a deal done to retain winger Ivan Barbashev. There’s no telling how long it will take to glean clarity into Lehner’s playing future, though, and Vegas will be forced to operate under the expectation they won’t have his LTIR relief until proven otherwise. If that’s the case, they could still sign a middle-six winger on the free agent market who’d command around the $2MM mark.

It’s still a bittersweet day for Knights fans, who have now lost fan favorites Smith, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Max Pacioretty to similar salary-dump moves in each of the last three offseasons.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes was first to report the trade.

Pittsburgh Penguins Shopping Jeff Petry

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It’s hard to claim Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry had a disappointing season. After being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in a swap for defenseman Mike Matheson, Petry improved on his offensive totals from the season prior, recording 31 points in 61 games, and he still managed to average over 22 minutes per game. His defensive impacts were also in line with what we’ve come to expect from the veteran defender.

However, the Penguins were hoping for a resurgence to his 2020-21 form, which saw him finish 13th in Norris Trophy voting. It didn’t happen, and with interim general manager Kyle Dubas now at the helm, Petry finds himself on the trade block again after just one season in Pittsburgh, confirms The Athletic’s Rob Rossi. The market for right-shot defenders is generally strong, but with Petry locked in at a $6.25MM cap hit until 2025 and a potentially significant decline coming at any moment, Rossi says there aren’t many quality offers out there for his services.

Kris Letang Wins 2023 Masterton Trophy

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Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has won the Bill Masterton Trophy as the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The long-time Penguins rearguard was awarded the trophy over Clayton Keller of the Arizona Coyotes and Alex Stalock of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Letang suffered through a tumultuous season as he suffered a stroke in late November 2022, and in an incredible feat, he returned to the Penguins lineup just 12 days later, missing a total of five games. Unfortunately, after just eight games, Letang suffered a lower-body injury that forced him out of the lineup once again. When he returned to the Penguins lineup, he and the club were preparing for the Winter Classic when his father sadly passed away.

Letang returned to the club and posted a four-point game, including an overtime winner in a game that just felt like a storybook. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, the Penguins fell short of the playoffs. However, Letang was still one of the Penguins’ best defensemen despite being 36 years old and being forced through the gauntlet. Letang finished the year with 12 goals and 29 assists in just 64 games.

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