It was another slower-than-usual July 1 for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. In contrast with previous years, they stayed away from the big-name free agents, instead opting to sign depth pieces to short-term contracts.
Some fans aren’t thrilled about the lack of splashy moves, but Penguins general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas was transparent about his intentions and followed through with them.
“I think it’s like we’ve discussed. They’re not going to be the long-range, big-money guys in their 30s. It just doesn't fit at all with what we’re going to do,” Dubas told the media over the weekend.
While the organization hasn’t officially declared a rebuild, its actions speak volumes. That process arguably began at the 2024 trade deadline, when the Penguins dealt star forward Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. It continued last offseason with the free-agent signings of defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and forward Anthony Beauvillier.
They were paid in extra draft picks to take on forwards Cody Glass and Kevin Hayes, signaling a focus on asset accumulation. Over the next two years, the Penguins have been aggressively stockpiling draft capital.
This free agency mirrored last year’s approach. The team signed defensemen Alexander Alexeyev, Parker Wotherspoon, Caleb Jones, and Phil Kemp, along with forwards Justin Brazeau, Anthony Mantha, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard.
Mantha is expected to take on a role similar to Beauvillier’s from last season—contributing roughly 15 goals before potentially being flipped at the trade deadline. Beauvillier tallied 13 goals and 20 points in 63 games last season (in Pittsburgh) and netted the Penguins a second-round pick from the Washington Capitals.
If Mantha, who is recovering from knee surgery due to an ACL injury he sustained in the 2024-25 season, can produce at a healthy rate, the Penguins might expect a better return than the second-round pick the Capitals paid for Beauvillier.
Mantha also brings much-needed size to the lineup, a point Dubas has emphasized repeatedly in media appearances. He wants the Penguins to be bigger and harder to play against.
Brazeau and Wotherspoon help in that department, too. Brazeau, a towering 6’6” forward, isn’t shy about playing a physical game. He chipped in 11 goals and 22 points across 76 games with the Bruins and Wild last season and plays a responsible two-way game. He’s exactly the kind of player playoff teams value at the deadline.
Wotherspoon addresses the left side of the defense—a major focus for Dubas this offseason. He's a strong skater, dependable in his own zone, and can handle third-pairing minutes with ease. While he won’t bring much offense, his reliability fills a pressing need.
There’s still more work to be done on the left side of the defense, but Wotherspoon is a step in the right direction after last year’s struggles at the position.
Jones, Harvey-Pinard, Alexeyev, and Kemp will compete for roster spots in training camp. If they don’t crack the NHL lineup, they’ll provide valuable depth in Wilkes-Barre, where the Penguins are looking to improve their AHL affiliate’s performance next season.
The Penguins might not be a playoff team in 2025–26, but this methodical approach is part of a larger plan to return to contention. There’s also time for more moves before the season starts. The team has a surplus of forwards and will be looking to their young talent—Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, and Tristan Broz—to push for full-time NHL roles.
McGroarty and Koivunen looked NHL-ready by the end of the 2024–25 season, but they’ll still need to earn their spots in camp and the preseason.
Forwards Connor Dewar and Philip Tomasino are also returning after signing one-year deals on Tuesday. Though they reached free agency when Dubas chose not to extend qualifying offers, both ultimately re-signed.
The last two free-agent periods may have looked different for Pittsburgh, but they’ve been necessary. The real heavy lifting still lies ahead, but this was undoubtedly another step in the right direction.
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Featured Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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