Justin Brazeau was the latest Penguin free agent signee to talk to the media in the summer, and this could be an interesting one to dive into a little bit.

Brazeau commands attention with his 6’6”, 227 pound frame. There aren’t many human beings that large on skates.

Brazeau’s story to make it to this point is an interesting one of a path less traveled:

Started out as a nothing NHL prospect in his draft yearsBlossomed with a 61 goal in 68 game season in his over-age season in the OHL in 2018-19Signed by Kyle Dubas to an AHL contract, scored 55 points in 57 games with ECHL Newfoundland in 2019-20Took a step back in his second pro year, advanced to AHL Toronto but only scored 4G+1A in 21 gamesSigned with AHL Providence to a contract in 2021, started off in ECHL and again did well (20 points in 18 games), promoted in-season to AHL and performed better with 31 points in 51 gamesSolid third pro season for AHL Providence in 2022-23 with 45 points in 67 gamesGreat fourth pro season in 2023-24 that saw him score 37 points in 49 AHL games then sign an NHL contract and make NHL debut with Boston scoring seven points (5G+2A) in 19 gamesFull-time NHLer in 2024-25 for the first time, scored 10G+10A in 57 games with Boston, traded at deadline to Minnesota where things didn’t go as wellSigned $3 million contract for two years ($1.5m annual) with Penguins in summer 2025

That’s quite the journey of growth and perseverance. You don’t see too many players out there make their NHL debut at age-26 like Brazeau did. He started from the bottom of the heap being undrafted and having to prove himself at each progressive level going up the ranks and found a way to do just that.

As always, confidence is key.

“With every game, every day in the NHL, I think my confidence has kind of started to build and grow, getting adjusted to the speed of the game and the timings and stuff like that,” Brazeau said. “So, I don’t think it’s any one thing in particular. I think it’s just kind of that confidence and knowing that you belong in this league and you can be a good player.”

He also gave a fairly accurate and honest self-scout on his game:

“I’m a really good player at establishing that net-front,” Brazeau said. “I’m not going to be flying through the neutral zone, making a ton of plays off the rush and stuff like that. I think I’m more of a simple player in that sense.

“But once we get in that zone, (it’s about) extending possessions off rebounds or winning battles off that initial forecheck and stuff. So, I think that’s something in my game that I do really well.”

That rings true for his Advanced Hockey Stats player cards:

As Brazeau says, he will use his body to forecheck and hit opponents. Speed and playing off the rush isn’t in his arsenal, given his skating limitations. But he can be effective down low and in front of the net. Surprisingly, Brazeau has demonstrated the ability to create some chance assists and high danger passes in his small sample too, which might be worth looking out for if he adds a little more playmaking than might be expected.

It’s been less than 100 games but Brazeau has had a nice impact on his team’s offense and defense so far. It’s interesting for a player that battles a lot, taking penalties has not been a big problem for Brazeau – he’s got only 20 PIMs in his 97 career games, which is another good sign that his temper won’t get out of check to unnecessarily put his team on the penalty kill.

Another important thread in the story is that Brazeau got his first pro opportunity from Kyle Dubas back in 2019, and now six years later Dubas has given him a nice payday and two-year contract. It’s certainly no surprise that Dubas would reach back to the past to re-acquaint himself with a past connection, but it is notable that Brazeau didn’t take off with Toronto’s organization and really only shifted into the next gear once he left as a free agent to join Boston. Dubas never stopped noticing, and surely this time around will be hoping things go a little better for the two while together the second time around.

Brazeau’s addition to the Penguins creates an interesting challenge for new coach Dan Muse. Brazeau can struggle keeping up with the pace of play, which can also be said at this point about fellow fourth line candidates Kevin Hayes and Noel Acciari. Can the Pens afford to have even two of those players on the same line? Or even in the lineup at all, since they could bring down the overall team speed on multiple lines if split? That’s an interesting quandary.

The Pens have a hodgepodge of lower line options at the moment; Blake Lizotte figures to continue on as a capable and competent fourth line. Can Brazeau fit with Lizotte and someone like Connor Dewar or even Philip Tomasino on the fourth line? Does a veteran like Hayes, Acciari or Danton Heinen get shoehorned into the mix to see how it goes? There are no shortage of options, even if the team does end up making a trade to clear out a skilled forward from the top of the lineup that decision isn’t going to impact these players too much. Of course, the fact of adding Brazeau could also be a bad omen for the future of players like Hayes, Acciari and Heinen in Pittsburgh in terms of pure roster space. There’s only so many slots to fill.

Another possibility might be trying Brazeau up a line to open up space for someone like Tommy Novak to work with. Add in a youngster with some skill like Tomasino, Rutger McGroarty or Ville Koivunen and there could be a fun experiment to tinker with there for a lower line that probably won’t be seeing much in the way of the top caliber defensive opponents who will be resting on the bench to matchup against the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin lines.

Where and how Brazeau fits within the Penguins will be an interesting little storyline to follow. His impact won’t be as massive as his 6’6” stature, but this is a player coming of an 11-goal season who has shown an ability to make incremental gains and improvements in his game just about every season. The Pens, probably by design, haven’t swung for the fences for drastic upgrades but a lowkey add of Brazeau will be one that could shape their season.