Ex-Penguins Defender Surprisingly Still A Free Agent

It has now been almost once month since free agency opened, so the majority of this year's notable unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have been signed. Although this is true, there are also a few interesting players who still have not found their new homes. 

Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is among the top UFAs remaining, and it is pretty surprising, given the season he just had.

While the Penguins in 2024-25, Grzelcyk had the best offensive season of his career thus far. In 82 games with the Metropolitan Division club, he scored one goal and set new career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to be a nice addition for a team needing more offense from the point and help on the power play. 

Grzelcyk should eventually find his new team, even if it is taking him longer than most expected. Besides being able to provide solid offense from the point, his high amount of experience also adds to his appeal. 

When looking at teams around the league that could use some help on the left side of their blueline, the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and New York Rangers are three clubs that stand out. Perhaps one of them could end up being a fit for Grzelcyk.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what happens with Grzelcyk this summer. Although he has yet to be signed, that should change before the season begins. 

Ex-Penguins Goalie Signs With Overseas ClubEx-Penguins Goalie Signs With Overseas ClubThe Graz 99ers of the ICEHL in Austria have announced that they have signed former Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Maxime Lagace. 

Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Canadiens: Wheeler Redrafts The 2022 Draft

Each year, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler kills time in the off-season by writing a re-draft of the previous NHL draft. This year, he takes on the 2022 class, which was, incidentally, the last time the draft was held in Montreal. That year, talking heads and pundits alike agreed that there were no generational talents available. However, it was still the year the Montreal Canadiens won the lottery and secured the first-overall pick.

It was the first time since 1980 that they got the first pick. Back then, they had grabbed Doug Wickenheiser, who played only 556 games in his NHL career, spending four seasons with the Canadiens. As you know, they selected Juraj Slafkovsky with that pick as plenty of fans attended the draft wearing pre-made Shane Wright jerseys. Let’s see if Wheeler agrees with their pick.

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Unsurprisingly, in hindsight, The Athletic’s journalist believes Logan Cooley should have been the first overall pick. He uses mainly his offensive stats to back his decision, mentioning that the Utah Mammoth pivot is the only one from that draft to be his team’s first-line center and leads his draft class in goals (45), goals-per-game (0.29), assists per game (0.41), and points per game (0.69).

You can’t argue with numbers. Cooley is more productive than Slafkovsky, who currently has 111 points in 200 games for a 0.56 point-per-game average. However, the Canadiens’ power forward sample size is bigger since Cooley has featured in only 157 games. Furthermore, according to last season’s numbers, Cooley tends to score in bunches. He has had four three-point games this past season, compared to two for Slafkovsky. Cooley has the most extended dry spell with a six-game pointless streak compared to the Habs’ player, five.

Cooley has got a 30-second edge in average time-on-ice, which goes to show just how important he is for his team, to his credit. Most of Wheeler’s argument is based on statistics, though; there’s more to the game than points. As Kent Hughes said not so long ago, Slafkovsky wasn’t drafted to score in bunches; he was drafted to do more than that.

Still, if you think about it, had the Canadiens picked Cooley, they may not be trying to acquire a second top-six center this offseason; they would have Nick Suzuki and Cooley. With Ivan Demidov’s arrival, he would slot in on the first line alongside Suzuki and Cole Caufield. There would still be a hole on the wing, but one could argue that wingers are easier to find than centers.

Cooley’s selection would undoubtedly have been a good one, but Slafkovsky’s wasn’t a bad one, and we’ve yet to see the big Slovak’s ceiling. When he comes to camp this season, it will be interesting to see if he’ll be able to get things going right away, instead of being on the slow burn for the start of the season.

In the second place of the draft, Wheeler doesn’t have blueliner Simon Nemec, whom the New Jersey Devils originally picked (he had him going seventh to the Chicago Blackhawks) in that spot. Still, he does have another defender, Lane Hutson. The Calder Trophy winner makes the most significant jump of the exercise, going from pick 62 to pick number two.

Wheeler not only calls Hutson an elite defenseman but also confesses to having debated putting him number one overall ahead of Logan Cooley, weighing the value of a good but not superstar first-line center versus an all-star blueliner. He ultimately adds that he could change his mind if he were to redo the exercise at the decade mark.

It’s also worth noting that in his pre-draft rankings, the writer had him going 17th overall, way higher than he was picked, and he feels vindicated in that sense. All teams passed on him and even Montreal did, picking Owen Beck and Filip Mesar ahead of him. He then goes on to mention excerpts of the aforementioned pre-draft ranking. Further showing how write he was… It’s impossible to blame him there, given how tremendously well Hutson’s first season with the Canadiens went.

No other Canadiens make the first round, with Filip Mesar falling completely off the board. It’s impossible to argue that, since he has yet to make any significant impact so far. He couldn’t dominate in junior hockey, scoring 51 and 52 points in his two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers before being brought up to the AHL last season, where he put up 18 points in 42 games. During the Laval Rocket’s playoff run, he only got to suit up in one of the 13 games.

However, Owen Beck gets an honourable mention, meaning that he very nearly snuck in the first round. As you’ll recall, he was selected 33rd overall by the Canadiens, the first pick of the second round.

Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images


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New Penguins' Defenseman Recalls Fighting Assistant General Manager in NHL Debut

New Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Connor Clifton is thrilled for his opportunity in a new place and on a new team this season.

And - as it turns out - he has some familiarity with a few people in the Penguins' organization.

On Tuesday, Clifton spoke about his connection to new head coach Dan Muse from his collegiate years. But he also has a prior connection to Penguins' assistant general manager Jason Spezza.

Spezza, 42, played 18 NHL seasons, amassing 363 goals and 995 points in in 1,248 career games. Not particularly known as a fighter - he had 604 total penalty minutes in his career - Spezza didn't drop the gloves very often at all. 

However, he did drop the gloves with Clifton during the young defenseman's NHL debut with the Boston Bruins on Nov. 16, 2018. 

 “Yeah, I’ve got to talk to him about that, too, actually," Clifton remarked. "I was just trying to survive my NHL debut - just trying to survive out there - and ended up getting a fight with him. I know he doesn’t fight often. It was quick, and we served our time in the box.

He continued: "But, yeah, it was funny… he was looking for it more than me, I was just trying to survive out there for game one. I had a little laugh with him - I think it must have been a year or two after when he was in Toronto - and I hear, ‘Round Two?’ And I was like, ‘No man, we already got ours.’"

Clifton, 30, has spent parts of seven seasons in the NHL between the Bruins and Buffalo Sabres, and he has registered 15 goals, 77 points, and 290 penalty minutes in 384 games.

New Penguins' Defenseman Looks Forward To 'Fresh Start'New Penguins' Defenseman Looks Forward To 'Fresh Start'New Pittsburgh Penguins’ defenseman Connor Clifton missed a few important calls back on Jun. 28 while the 2025 NHL Draft was happening. 

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Feature Image Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Should Two Top Forward Prospects Make Penguins' Opening Night Roster?

Apr 6, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rutger McGroarty (2) warms up before a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Even if the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t making a huge push to be Stanley Cup contenders in 2025-26, they have had a relatively active summer up to this point. 

Many are still waiting on what feels like inevitable trade news regarding at least one of Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, or Bryan Rust, but GM and POHO Kyle Dubas has already made a lot of small moves - some, seemingly, placeholder moves to fill the roster flip at the deadline, and others upside moves for younger players in need of a change.

As it stands now, the Penguins have 13 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders on their active roster. And two players who are not listed on the roster?

That would be young forward prospects Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty. 

Koivunen, 22, and McGroarty, 21, both made strong impressions in a small sample size to close out the 2024-25 season. Koivunen was nearly point-per-game playing alongside both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby in the top-six, registering seven points in eight games. And McGroarty wasn’t far behind, either, before a lower-body injury ended his season, as he put up a goal and three points in five games with Crosby.

The Penguins are at a point in their rebuild where they need to start getting a feel for which of their near-NHL-ready prospects will be part of their future plans. Koivunen and McGroarty both showed a lot of promise in their season-ending NHL stints, and they certainly showed that they are NHL-ready.

The problem is that - given those moves the Penguins have made so far to fill up their roster space - it’s far from a guarantee that they’ll even make the opening night roster.

Will Owen Pickering Make The Opening Night Roster?Will Owen Pickering Make The Opening Night Roster?The Pittsburgh Penguins will have a lot of decisions to make regarding some of their young players before the puck drops on the regular season Oct. 7 against the New York Rangers.

Dubas said just prior to free agency that the Penguins are not just going to hand opportunities to even their most promising young prospects and that they’d have to earn their way onto the roster during training camp. And that’s why he intended on - and followed through on - acquiring and signing players to shorter-term deals.

“I think the key thing is that we want these guys to earn it,” Dubas said. “So, if we just start handing the guys spots, we’re going to very quickly lose what I think the Penguins have been about for a very long time and what’s made the Penguins a great team in the league since the early 90s.”

He added: “It’s right there for them. We’re not going to block them, but they’re going to have to go out and prove that they can be here, and they’re going to have to earn their way here… It’s trying to find that balance between not blocking players but making them earn it and also having enough depth to be competitive on a nightly basis.”

Mar 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Ville Koivunen (41) takes the ice for his rookie lap before making his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

So, realistically, who will Koivunen and McGroarty be competing against to make the roster, and do both of them have a realistic shot at cracking the roster from the jump?

To be clear, a lot of this depends on what happens with Rakell and Rust. If both are on the roster to begin the season, it definitely complicates matters for both players. But since - as of now - both are still in Pittsburgh, it’s best to operate on the assumption that they will still be around, at least, for now. 

Right now, here are the 13 forwards on the Penguins’ active roster, according to Puckpedia:

  • Crosby
  • Malkin
  • Rust
  • Rakell
  • Kevin Hayes
  • Tommy Novak
  • Anthony Mantha
  • Danton Heinen
  • Noel Acciari
  • Blake Lizotte
  • Philip Tomasino
  • Justin Brazeau 
  • Connor Dewar
Can Connor Dewar Prove Penguins Right This Year?Can Connor Dewar Prove Penguins Right This Year?The Pittsburgh Penguins took a chance on forward Connor Dewar before the 2025 NHL trade deadline when they acquired him and defenseman Conor Timmins from the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Assuming that no one else gets moved off the roster, the players already on the roster who figure to be in competition for spots - along with Koivunen and McGroarty - are Heinen, Tomasino, Brazeau, Acciari, Hayes, and Dewar. In addition, there will be a few other prospects competing for those same spots as well, which will include the likes of Tristan Broz, Avery Hayes, Sam Poulin, and Filip Hallander - the reigning Swedish Hockey League (SHL) forward of the year after recording 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games with Timra IK.

In other words, making the roster is certainly an uphill climb for both Koivunen and McGroarty if there are no other moves to alter the current roster prior to puck drop on Oct. 7. But, despite that, the young forwards are two of the best prospects in the Penguins’ system, and their sample size at the end of last season should give them a leg up on pretty much every other prospect who will be vying for a spot as long as they show up ready to compete at camp.

And if only one makes the roster?

Apr 3, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rutger McGroarty (2) is congratulated by right wing Rickard Rakell (67) and right wing Ville Koivunen (41) after scoring his first NHL goal to tie the game against the St. Louis Blues during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Honestly, this is a tough exercise because both showed they are ready in their own right. Koivunen’s age makes it a bit more pertinent for him to be in the NHL mix now, and his AHL season in 2024-25 certainly earned him that opportunity, as he put up 21 goals and 56 points in 63 games and finished third among rookies in scoring.

But McGroarty’s all-around game is hard to ignore, as was his chemistry with Crosby. He heated up in the back half of the AHL season and experienced immense growth from the start of the season - when he made the team out of camp and played three NHL games before being sent to the AHL - to the end of the season. Him starting in the AHL probably wouldn’t be as unpalatable as Koivunen starting there, only because it would give him a chance to prove he can sustain his production and growth from the end of 2024-25.

In all honesty, however, both deserve an NHL roster spot. And, as long as they don’t fail camp, Penguins’ fans should expect to see their names on the final roster following training camp.

Don't Sleep On Filip Hallander This FallDon't Sleep On Filip Hallander This FallThe Pittsburgh Penguins were encouraged by what Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen brought to the table at the end of the 2024-25 season, and rightfully so.

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Feature Image Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Can Connor Dewar Prove Penguins Right This Year?

The Pittsburgh Penguins took a chance on forward Connor Dewar before the 2025 NHL trade deadline when they acquired him and defenseman Conor Timmins from the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

The Penguins were helping the Leafs out since they were busy with other deals on deadline day and only had to give up a 2025 fifth-round pick for both players. They let both play in the lineup down the stretch before ultimately deciding to re-sign Dewar to a one-year contract on July 1.

Timmins was traded to the Buffalo Sabres during the second day of the 2025 NHL Draft on June 28. 

Going back to Dewar, he had no goals and three assists in 31 games for the Maple Leafs before compiling four goals and seven points in 17 games with the Penguins. He was chipping in offensively and was a pain in the butt to deal with in front of the net and the corners. He was forechecking his butt off, making it hard for opposing teams to go from defense to offense. 

The Penguins want to see more of that from Dewar this upcoming season, but he will have to earn it since there is a lot of competition for bottom-six playing time right now.

If he nails down a spot and plays well, there's a chance the Penguins could look to flip him at the trade deadline since he is only signed for this year. 


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Featured Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Clifton Sour About Tenure With Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres trade that sent defenseman Connor Clifton and a 2025 second round pick to Pittsburgh for Conor Timmins and minor leaguer Isaac Beliveau was made in part because the Sabres coveted Timmins, a 26-year-old native of St Catharines, ON. Another factor according to GM Kevyn Adams was that Clifton would likely not be back after the final year of his three-year, $10 million contract. On Tuesday, Clifton spoke to the Pittsburgh media for the first time and did not hold his tongue regarding his two-year stay with the Sabres organization.

“I wasn’t too happy with it. I think I was all over the place. I wouldn’t even say last year, really the past two years. My game, it’s kind of been at a standstill.” Clifton said. “There’s been a lot of mental battles along the way. There was a couple of (healthy) scratches two years ago, too. My whole time in Buffalo, I feel like I kind of lost myself.”

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The 30-year-old signed with the Sabres the summer following their narrowly finishing behind Florida for the second Eastern Conference playoff spot. Adams did not make any roster changes, other than adding Clifton – coming off the Boston Bruins record-breaking President’s Trophy campaign in 2022-23 – and veteran Erik Johnson to bolster the Buffalo blueline. Clifton was excited to join the club under Don Granato, who had coached him in the US National Development Program, and because he was slated to play a top-four role alongside either Rasmus Dahlin or Owen Power. By the end of the season, the New Jersey native was playing on the bottom-pairing, and Granato had been replaced by Lindy Ruff. 

Clifton played the same bottom-pairing role last season, finishing fifth in average ice time (16:03) and points (16) in 73 games.  

“The change of scenery, I got that call that I’m going to be a Pittsburgh Penguin, I was really excited for the change. I want to get back to my old self and how I play and the impact that I have on the game.” Clifton said. ““There’s always setbacks on your journey, I’m pretty proud of the journey I’m on. I think I have a lot left to give. I’m really excited for a fresh start in Pittsburgh and can’t wait to get started.” 

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Levi On NHL.com’s Top-10 Young Goalie’s List

After winning consecutive Mike Richter Awards as the NCAA’s top goaltender, signing with the Buffalo Sabres, and going 5-2-0 at the end of the 2022-23 season, the expectations  Devon Levi were extremely high. Since then, the 23-year-old netminder has not been able to repeat his success at the NHL level,  but has been one of the best goalies in the American Hockey League. 

In NHL.com’s list of the Top-10 goalies under the age of 25, Levi was ranked eighth. 2025 Calder Trophy nominee Dustin Wolf was the top ranked on the list, followed by Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks, Yaroslav Askarov of the San Jose Sharks, and Leevi Meriklainen of the Ottawa Senators.  

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While any ranking is subjective, the concern for the Sabres has to be that the perception of Levi’s progress is that it is not as positive as other goalies, who are still in college or just entered their pro careers. Montreal’s Jacob Fowler – who played two years at Boston College before playing for Laval during the AHL regular season and Calder Cup Playoffs, and Detroit prospect Trey Augustine –, a two-time World Junior gold medalist who plays for Michigan State, are considered better prospects. Jett Greaves of the Columbus Blue Jackets was ranked just ahead of Levi, with Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt, and Pittsburgh’s Joel Blomqvist finishing up the Top 10. 

Levi is a restricted free agent, but was not eligible for arbitration or an offer sheet, leaving the young goalie in a situation with little leverage. With the signing of veteran Alex Lyon earlier this month, the Sabres will have an open competition, but the 23-year-old’s waiver exempt status makes it likely that Levi starts next eason in Rochester unless he impresses at training camp.  

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