After adding more right-handed help on the blue line at the stroke of noon with Trevor van Riemsdyk, the Pittsburgh Penguins turned their attention to the left side with an unheralded go-getter who has worked his way up from being an undrafted free agent.
The Penguins signed Declan Carlile, 26, to a two-year, $3 million deal just after 1 p.m. Wednesday.
PHN gave a short profile on Carlile Wednesday morning as part of the Penguins Free Agent Primer. The Tampa Bay Lightning signed the lefty d-man as an undrafted free agent from Merrimack College. He quickly proved his bona fides as a tough, reliable defenseman with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.
Carlile made his NHL debut in his second professional season (2023-24), playing one game with Tampa Bay, then three the following year. He split this season between Tampa Bay and Syracuse but acquitted himself well in 42 games. He received an invitation and played for Team USA in the World Championships.
Carlile is an aggressive defenseman who keeps tight gaps. In those 42 games, he had only three points (1-2-3) and 40 penalty minutes. He’s also got a long reach, at 6-foot-3, 192 pounds.
He very much fits the mold of the traded Parker Wotherspoon and should get plenty of opportunity with the Penguins. Unmistakably, as the roster is currently constructed, he could get top-pairing minutes beside Erik Karlsson. Carlile is the first left-handed defenseman acquired by the Penguins in the offseason.
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