1-22 \u2013 F\u00a0Bill Zonnon<\/a>, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
1-24 \u2013 F\u00a0William Horcoff<\/a>, Michigan (Big 10)
2-39 \u2013 D\u00a0Peyton Kettles<\/a>, Swift Current (WHL)
3-73 \u2013 D\u00a0Charlie Trethewey<\/a>, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
3-84 \u2013 G\u00a0Gabriel D\u2019Aigle<\/a>, Victoriaville (QMJHL)
3-91 \u2013 D\u00a0Brady Peddle<\/a>, Waterloo (USHL)
4-105 \u2013 F\u00a0Travis Hayes<\/a>, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
5-130 \u2013 F\u00a0Ryan Miller<\/a>, Portland (WHL)
5-148 \u2013 D\u00a0Quinn Beauchesne<\/a>, Guelph (OHL)
5-154 \u2013 F Jordan Charron<\/a>, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
6-169 \u2013 F\u00a0Carter Sanderson<\/a>, Muskegon (USHL)
7-201 \u2013 F\u00a0Kale Dach<\/a>, Sherwood Park (BCHL)<\/p>\n
GM Kyle Dubas went into the draft with the most picks and was particularly active on the trade front, including trading down from 12 to 22 and then flipping one of the firsts acquired in that swap to move up to 24.\u00a0 For good measure, he swung two more swaps on the second day of the draft.\u00a0 Interestingly, at a time when a lot of teams mix in some international picks, all 14 of their selections played in North America last season.<\/p>\n
Kindel was a surprising selection at 11th overall.\u00a0 Viewed as likely to land more in the late teens or early 20s, he wound up nearly going in the top ten with Pittsburgh believed to have tried to move up to make sure they got him.\u00a0 He plays with the type of pace that Dubas is hoping the Penguins will one day get to as their roster eventually gets younger and while he\u2019s a little undersized, he profiles as a top-six piece for them.\u00a0 Kindel has played down the middle at times and if he\u2019s able to stick at that position in the pros, he\u2019ll become that much more valuable.<\/p>\n
Zonnon is another player who went a bit earlier than expected with most of his rankings ranging from the late 20s to the early 40s.\u00a0 Like Kindel, he brings a lot of offensive creativity to the table as Pittsburgh\u2019s early goal in the draft was clearly to increase their skill.\u00a0 Horcoff was another player picked well above his rankings but as a six-foot-five center, that was bound to happen.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t much of a difference-maker in the USHL but a midseason move to the University of Michigan helped his offensive game and certainly contributed to his rise on rankings lists.\u00a0 He might ultimately pan out as a two-way third liner but those players can be quite impactful overall.\u00a0 None of these three picks are likely to push for a spot with the big club for at least a couple of years.<\/p>\n
In terms of their selections on the second day, they went in a different direction.\u00a0 Kettles is a big shutdown defenseman who profiles as someone who might best fit in on the third pairing but whose size and reach should cause some havoc if he develops as planned.\u00a0 Trethewey came into the season as a projected first-round pick, even slotting in with a lottery ranking in some preseason lists.\u00a0 But his season with the US National Team Development Program wasn\u2019t as impactful as hoped.\u00a0 The raw tools are there to be a potential top-four selection but he\u2019s someone who might wind up being a longer-term project.<\/p>\n
D\u2019Aigle was an interesting pick as he struggled mightily last year with QMJHL Victoriaville to the tune of a 4.53 GAA.\u00a0 But the Tigres were a weak team and at six-foot-four, he has the size that teams covet between the pipes.\u00a0 Peddle is a physical blueliner who wasn\u2019t able to produce much in the USHL during the regular season although he flashed a little more upside in the postseason.\u00a0 He\u2019ll move to the QMJHL this season and then head to college; both of these players are longer-term picks as well, a theme that can be said for most of the rest of their selections.<\/p>\n
Trade Acquisitions<\/p>\n
D Connor Clifton<\/a> (from<\/a> Buffalo) While Clifton and Dumba are veteran right-shot defensemen (the side teams typically covet), their additions were more about the second-round picks that accompanied them than they were about adding the players.\u00a0 Clifton will add some grit on the third pairing while Dumba may be in tough to simply crack the lineup.\u00a0 Both players are pending unrestricted free agents and likely won\u2019t be part of their plans beyond this season.<\/p>\n UFA Signings<\/p>\n D Alexander Alexeyev<\/a> (one year<\/a>, $775K) *-denotes two-way contract Mantha was easily Pittsburgh\u2019s most intriguing addition this summer.\u00a0 At his best, he has been an impactful top-six forward but consistency has been a challenge.\u00a0 Signed by Calgary last summer in effectively the same type of situation the Penguins are in now, he suffered a torn ACL barely a month into the season, making him eligible for performance incentives which are tied to games played.\u00a0 A good showing could be enough to convince Dubas that he\u2019s worth keeping around a little longer or he could ultimately find himself on the trade block a few months from now.\u00a0 While most of their additions were of the depth variety, Mantha is one who brings a bit of upside if he stays healthy.<\/p>\n Tomasino and Dewar were both non-tendered to avoid salary arbitration but re-signed fairly quickly after the free agent market opened up.\u00a0 Tomasino got off to a tough start in Nashville and was flipped to Pittsburgh in November for a future fourth-rounder.\u00a0 He was able to hold down a regular role (when healthy) with the Penguins but still didn\u2019t show the top-six upside he had at the beginning of his career.\u00a0 He remains RFA-eligible moving forward but will remain a non-tender candidate because of the arbitration rights.\u00a0 Dewar played sparingly with Toronto last season and was moved in a cap-clearing deal at the trade deadline.\u00a0 The change of scenery allowed him to play a bigger role and with seven points in 17 games following the swap, he did well enough to earn another chance.\u00a0 He and Tomasino should be in the mix for bottom-six roles.<\/p>\n Brazeau will also be a part of that mix.\u00a0 He only played his first full NHL campaign last season, splitting time between Boston and Minnesota in largely a fourth-line role.\u00a0 Given the later start to his NHL career, the 27-year-old still could have a bit of upside; otherwise, he\u2019ll likely reprise that fourth-line role with the Penguins.\u00a0 Wotherspoon also played his first full NHL season in 2024-25 at the age of 27.\u00a0 He quietly logged 18 minutes a night for Boston and with the left side of Pittsburgh\u2019s back end not particularly strong at the moment, he could have a chance to play a bigger role.\u00a0 Jones and Alexeyev also have NHL experience and could find themselves in the mix for a spot in training camp.<\/p>\n RFA Re-Signings<\/p>\n None.\u00a0 Pittsburgh non-tendered all of their restricted free agents except for one (who had already signed in the KHL).\u00a0 Dewar and Tomasino were eventually retained but as UFAs as noted earlier.<\/p>\n Departures<\/p>\n F Raivis Ansons<\/a> (signed with Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton, AHL, NHL rights relinquished) *-denotes two-way contract<\/p>\n Among the other blueliners who saw some NHL action last season, Timmins was the other part of the cap-clearing move from Toronto at the deadline.\u00a0 He played a somewhat limited role for them down the stretch and will have a similar role with Buffalo.\u00a0 Kolyachonok has been up and down in recent years and was a waiver claim back in February and likely would have been on the outside looking in at a roster spot had he stayed in Pittsburgh.\u00a0 Joseph\u2019s second stint with the Penguins didn\u2019t go particularly well which made his non-tendering for the second straight year a pretty safe decision.<\/p>\n Nedeljkovic had his ups and downs between the pipes, briefly taking over as the starter at times while at others, he struggled considerably to the point of his lowest full-season save percentage, checking in at .894.\u00a0 Considering their goal of getting a little younger, bringing Silovs into Nedeljkovic\u2019s role carries a bit more risk but also more upside.<\/p>\n Among the forwards that moved on, Ponomarev is the most surprising given that he accepted a three-year deal in Russia at a time that the Penguins were hoping to see some prospects take a step forward and push for a roster spot.\u00a0 They\u2019ll have to wait a while for that to happen with him now.\u00a0 Nieto dealt with more injury trouble last season and wasn\u2019t anywhere near as effective as he was when he was last healthy in 2022-23.\u00a0 At this point, he\u2019s a PTO candidate at best.\u00a0 Bemstrom\u2019s stock had dropped in recent years, going from a roster regular with more than 200 games of NHL experience to someone who cleared waivers and spent most of last season in the minors.<\/p>\n Salary Cap Outlook<\/p>\n Even after taking on some pricey contracts for depth defensemen in Clifton and Dumba, the Penguins still have plenty of cap space, a little over $13MM, per PuckPedia<\/a>.\u00a0 Depending on how the roster is configured, that number could still go up.\u00a0 They have all three of their retention slots remaining and although being a third-party retainer is out of the question following the early institution of the more restrictive rules on salary retention, Pittsburgh is well-positioned to try to utilize some of that flexibility, either through retention or taking on more unwanted contracts.<\/p>\n Key Questions<\/p>\n When Will The Trades Happen? Defenseman Erik Karlsson<\/a> has been in trade speculation for a while now.\u00a0 So have wingers Bryan Rust<\/a> and Rickard Rakell<\/a>.\u00a0 Even centers Sidney Crosby<\/a> and Evgeni Malkin<\/a> have seen their names out there although the likelihood of them moving is much less certain (only if they decide they want to move which is far from a given).\u00a0 But as of yet, Dubas hasn\u2019t pulled the trigger on a move, even though it has been a market featuring way more buyers than sellers this summer.\u00a0 Will he look to try to get more leverage closer to the trade deadline or will something materialize earlier in the season?<\/p>\n Can Novak Bounce Back? Among the moves made last season was Dubas acquiring center Thomas Novak<\/a> from Nashville near the trade deadline.\u00a0 It was an odd move for a selling team to acquire a veteran middleman but it was an intriguing buy-low acquisition.\u00a0 Novak came into last season with back-to-back years of 40-plus points with strong possession numbers.\u00a0 Last season, the latter was still good but his point output dropped and he was injured two games after the trade.\u00a0 If Novak can get back to that 40-point level, he\u2019s someone who could plausibly become part of their plans beyond the end of his contract in 2027 or, alternatively, become an intriguing trade chip in a market that is lacking in center depth.<\/p>\n Will Jarry Provide Starting-Level Goaltending? When Dubas signed Tristan Jarry<\/a> to a five-year deal after being hired, it was a vote of confidence that Pittsburgh\u2019s goaltending was set for a while.\u00a0 But the first two seasons of that deal have been up-and-down, to say the least, with last year being particularly rocky as he found himself clearing waivers and in the minors at one point.\u00a0 It\u2019s clear that the team views Silovs as a possible piece for the future while Joel Blomqvist<\/a> is waiting in the wings as well.\u00a0 If Jarry can get back to being a legitimate starter, things can settle down between the pipes for a bit.\u00a0 If not, his future with the team could get murky in a hurry.<\/p>\n Photos courtesy of\u00a0Kim Klement Neitzel and Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With training camps now just a couple of weeks away, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129560,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[64,63,575,4785,11477,85,36948],"class_list":["post-129559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nhl","tag-pittsburgh-penguins","tag-pro-hockey-rumors-originals","tag-sports","tag-summer-synopsis-2025"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
D Mathew Dumba<\/a> (from<\/a> Dallas)
G Arturs Silovs<\/a> (from<\/a> Vancouver)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/USATSI_24499692-222x300.jpg\")
<\/a>That isn\u2019t the case for Silovs.\u00a0 While he struggled considerably in limited action with Vancouver last season, he held his own when a pair of injuries pressed him into their starting role in the playoffs the year before.\u00a0 He was the top goalie at the Worlds in 2023 and the AHL Playoff MVP this spring with Abbotsford and while it was widely expected that the Canucks would have to waive him with their veteran tandem now in place for several years, Dubas decided to jump the queue and swing a trade for him.\u00a0 He\u2019ll go into training camp as the likely backup goalie with a chance to push for a bigger role if he fares well early on.\u00a0 He has a 3.13 GAA and a .880 SV% in his first 19 NHL regular season games.<\/p>\n
F Justin Brazeau<\/a> (two years<\/a>, $3MM)
F Connor Dewar<\/a> (one year<\/a>, $1.1MM after non-tender)^
F Rafael Harvey-Pinard<\/a> (one year<\/a>, $775K)*
F Bokondji Imama<\/a> (one year<\/a>, $775K)*^
D Caleb Jones<\/a> (two years<\/a>, $1.8MM)
D Philip Kemp<\/a> (two years<\/a>, $1.55MM)*
F Joona Koppanen<\/a> (one year<\/a>, $775K)*^
G Filip Lindberg<\/a> (signed in Finland)
F Anthony Mantha<\/a> (one year<\/a>, $2.5MM plus $2MM in bonuses)
F Philip Tomasino<\/a> (one year<\/a>, $1.75MM after non-tender)^
D Parker Wotherspoon<\/a> (two years<\/a>, $2MM)<\/p>\n
^-denotes re-signing<\/p>\n
D Isaac Belliveau<\/a> (trade<\/a> with Buffalo)
F Emil Bemstrom<\/a> (signed<\/a> in Switzerland)
F Kasper Bjorkqvist<\/a> (signed in Finland)
D Nathan Clurman<\/a> (signed<\/a> with Montreal, one year, $775K)*
G Taylor Gauthier<\/a> (signed with Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton, AHL, NHL rights relinquished)
D Matt Grzelcyk<\/a> (unsigned)
D Mac Hollowell<\/a> (signed<\/a> in Russia)
F Jimmy Huntington<\/a> (signed<\/a> with San Jose, one year, $775K)*
D Vladislav Kolyachonok<\/a> (trade<\/a> with Dallas)
D Filip Kral<\/a> (signed in Czechia)
F Marc Johnstone<\/a> (signed with Toronto, AHL)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph<\/a> (signed<\/a> with Vancouver, one year, $775K)
F Mathias Laferriere<\/a> (signed<\/a> in Slovakia)
G Alex Nedeljkovic<\/a> (trade<\/a> with San Jose)
F Matthew Nieto<\/a> (unsigned)
D Colton Poolman<\/a> (unsigned)
F Vasiliy Ponomarev<\/a> (signed<\/a> in Russia, Pittsburgh retains his RFA rights)
F Chase Stillman<\/a> (trade<\/a> with Vancouver)
D Conor Timmins<\/a> (trade<\/a> with Buffalo)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/matt-grzelcyk-penguins-251x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Grzelcyk had to settle for a one-year deal last summer and responded about as well as he could.\u00a0 He posted a career high in assists (39) and points (40) while logging over 20 minutes per game for the first time.\u00a0 In essence, it looked as if he had shown that he can still be a legitimate top-four defenseman.\u00a0 And yet, more than two months into free agency and training camps almost upon us, he\u2019s still looking for a contract.\u00a0 Speculatively, his camp aimed high coming off the year he had and the limited options on the open market but his smaller stature likely didn\u2019t help his cause.\u00a0 Now, another one-year deal might be what he has to wind up settling for.<\/p>\n