It's been a little over eight months since Pittsburgh Penguins general manager/president Kyle Dubas acquired forward Connor Dewar from the Toronto Maple Leafs just before last season's trade deadline.

Dewar came over with defenseman Conor Timmins for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on Mar. 7. Dubas was familiar with both players and wanted to give them a shot to earn another contract once the 2024-25 season ended. 

At the time, Dewar had only compiled three points (all assists) in 31 games. He was a different player for the final 17 games of the year, totaling four goals and seven points. He was one of their best forecheckers below the goal line and was also feisty around the net and along the boards. 

Dewar was a great fit for the bottom six, leading Dubas to sign him to a one-year deal for the 2025-26 season. Timmins had the opportunity to earn himself a similar deal, but Dubas opted to trade him to the Buffalo Sabres during the 2025 NHL Draft. 

Fast forward to this season, and Dewar has been one of the best players in the bottom six. He has played in only 19 games but has already matched his total goal output from last year (four) and has six points. Outside of that, he has been doing a great job of being one of their best forecheckers and bringing some extra snarl on the fourth line. He's the straw that stirs the drink on that line and has helped give the Penguins momentum when they have needed it.

He's also a big part of the Penguins' penalty kill, which ranks fourth in the NHL. The PK has killed off 24 of the last 25 penalties, and Dewar is super impressed with the work assistant coach Mike Stothers has put into that unit. 

"He's a great communicator," Dewar said after Wednesday's practice. "He's very detailed. He gives us a lot of trust and belief in ourselves. He's been great."

This year's PK under Stothers is much more aggressive than it was in the last couple of seasons under former assistant coach Mike Vellucci. The penalty killers, especially Dewar, aren't giving up easy zone entries and are doing a great job taking away the high-danger areas. Great goaltending obviously helps matters, but the penalty killers are making life really easy for the goalies, especially over the last several games. 

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Due to injuries, Dewar has been forced to take on a top-line role next to Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust, and the early returns haven't been bad. Per Natural Stat Trick, Dewar and Crosby have played 21:13 at 5v5 this year and have been on the ice for 51.7% of the expected goals and 70% of the scoring chances. It's only temporary since the Penguins are down multiple top six forwards, but Dewar hasn't missed a beat since being elevated.

Once he likely goes back down to the fourth line, he will be reunited with Blake Lizotte, and the two of them have been quite the duo to start the season. They're both wrecking balls and feed off one another in each game, including when they're cycling in the offensive zone.

Dewar has been a great find by Dubas and there's a good chance he will earn himself a new deal with the Penguins if he continues to have a good season.

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