All articles tagged with #pittsburgh penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins were notably quiet on Day 2 of NHL free agency, fueling questions about GM Kyle Dubas and the team’s strategy, while a broader NHL trade-talk scramble unfolds around big-name players and top remaining UFAs, with outlets weighing potential moves and signings (including Anthony Mantha) and offering a digest of moves and analysis from across the league.
The Penguins’ 2026 offseason moves mix young talent with veteran pieces, fueling a debate over whether Dubas is rebuilding sustainably or chasing short-term success. Acquisitions like Nick Robertson, plus signings such as a veteran right-handed defenseman and a high-scorer with KHL experience, raise questions about left-right balance, roster fit, and how the moves affect young players’ development. The changes could yield competitive rosters but risk meaningless wins and cloud the plan for a true rebuild, echoing past aggressive pivots that left uncertainty about the core’s long-term direction.
The Penguins have 39 contracts locked in for 2026-27 as of July 2, with room to reach roughly the mid-to-upper 40s (potentially about 47) as RFAs, ELCs and other signings count toward the 50-contract limit. They bid farewell to several veterans (Acciari, Mantha, Hayes, Skinner, Clifton, Wotherspoon, among others) and added a mix of new players (Kuzmenko, van Riemsdyk, Carlile, Calvert) plus trades (Korczak, Okuliar, Gustafsson) and RFAs/ELCs (Lapierre, Robertson, Brunicke, D’Aigle, Zonnon, Fernstrom), signaling a balance of NHL depth and burgeoning AHL talent. The goaltending shift leans younger, and the team could still trade or sign a few more to finalize a 46–49 player core before the season starts.
On the NHL’s opening day of free agency, a wave of former Pittsburgh Penguins signed with teams across the league, including Ian Cole (Chicago, 1 year, $4 million) and Stuart Skinner (Winnipeg, 2 years, $3.75 million per season), Noel Acciari (Philadelphia, 2 years, $2.8 million AAV), Teddy Blueger (Toronto, 2 years, $5 million), and Conor Sheary (Buffalo, 1 year, $850k), among others like Sam Poulin (Montreal), Luke Schenn (Vancouver), Kasperi Kapanen (Edmonton), Zach Aston-Reese (Philadelphia), Ryan Shea (Edmonton), and Vincent Desharnais (Washington). Anthony Mantha remains unsigned, with more deals anticipated in the days ahead.
The Penguins shuffled assets at the draft (St. Ivany for Gustafsson; Wotherspoon for Koczak) to create roughly $35.96M in cap space heading into July 1 free agency. With a thin left side beside Erik Karlsson, Dubas is leaning analytics-driven signings and prioritizing left-handed defensemen, eyeing options like Heinola, Sebrango, Boqvist, and Declan Carlile (who has since signed a two-year, $1.5M AAV). Up front, Pittsburgh aims to add depth pieces and potential middle-six presence if top forwards aren’t available, all while managing a crowded training camp and the prospect pipeline. The strategy blends cap flexibility with targeted defensive upgrades and smart, under-the-radar forward signings.
18-year-old twins Liam and Markus Ruck were split into separate Penguins development-camp groups on day one, with a Friday tournament to decide. Drafted in 2026 (Liam 22nd; Markus 39th), they expect to eventually play together in the NHL but will develop independently for now, return to Medicine Hat next season, and attend North Dakota in 2027-28, as Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said they’ll focus on strengthening and gym work.
Twin brothers Liam and Markus Ruck were both drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2026 NHL Draft—Liam No. 22 overall in Round 1 and Markus No. 39 in Round 2—making them the first twins drafted by the same team since the Sedins in 1999. They plan to return to Medicine Hat for the 2026-27 season before joining UND in 2027, with Sidney Crosby welcoming them and the Penguins outlining development plans to boost their strength, skating, and on-ice smarts as they pursue a shared NHL path.
Day 2 of the NHL Draft featured the Pittsburgh Penguins not pulling off a blockbuster trade, instead drafting Markus Ruck (joining his twin Liam), Tomas Galvas, Pierce Mbuyi, Park Von Richter, and Matvei Nikonovich while GM Kyle Dubas and VP Wes Clark weigh the results. Across the league, big-name trade rumors swirled around players like Zach Werenski and others, as teams reassess after the draft and goaltending moves continue to be debated.
Day 2 of the NHL Draft in Buffalo begins at 11:00am ET with rounds 2–7 to be completed; Pittsburgh Penguins hold two second-round picks (39, 54), a third-round pick (86), and a sixth-round pick (170) after Day 1 saw Liam Ruck drafted 22nd overall by the Penguins. Watch on NHL Network or ESPN+.
Liam Ruck, 18, was drafted 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2026 NHL Draft and received a warm welcome call from GM Kyle Dubas; the Medicine Hat Tigers forward led rookies in goals and totaled 104 points in 68 WHL games, showcasing hockey IQ, playmaking and scoring ability as he embarks on development through college at North Dakota before turning pro; his twin Markus could join him on the Pens, and Liam plans to attend a Penguins prospect development camp to further enhance his explosiveness and off-ice work ethic.
The Pittsburgh Penguins used their first pick of the 2026 NHL draft to select forward Liam Ruck from the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) at 22nd overall. Ruck is described as a high-motor, two-way right-shot winger with a quick-release shot and strong net-front instincts who can contribute on the penalty kill and potentially the power play, though his skating is below average. He’s committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2027-28 season. San Jose moved up to 21st before Pittsburgh’s pick, and there is speculation about keeping the Ruck twins together with Markus at later rounds.
The Pittsburgh Penguins selected forward Liam Ruck with the 22nd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old from Osoyoos, BC, posted 104 points (45 goals, 59 assists) in 68 WHL games for Medicine Hat in 2025-26, finishing second in the league in points and goals and adding 12 points in 14 playoff games; he earned WHL East First All-Star honors and led WHL rookies with 25 goals in 2024-25. Ruck is slated to return to Medicine Hat for 2026-27 and is committed to the University of North Dakota for 2027.
The Pittsburgh Penguins stayed at 22 and drafted Liam Ruck, a high-scoring right wing from the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers who posted 45 goals and 104 points in 68 regular-season games (plus eight goals in 14 playoff games). At 6'0
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Hendrix Lapierre from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and San Jose’s 2028 fifth-round pick. Lapierre, a 24-year-old former 2020 first-rounder, has been a depth, possession-focused forward who posted 4 goals and 16 points in 74 games last season and could slide into Pittsburgh’s bottom six, potentially replacing departed veterans as he enters the RFA arbitration process.
A wild NHL day saw blockbuster moves (Nemec to Calgary; Eklund to Ottawa; Bo Byram traded for the fourth overall pick; Connor McMichael and assets sent to the Blues for Jordan Kyrou) fueling the trade frenzy, while the Pittsburgh Penguins were officially sold and released their preseason schedule. The league also announced Texas expansion (Austin or Houston), and various personnel moves and rumors—Pascal Dupuis headed to Islanders management, Mike Babcock taking the Edmonton Oilers job, Brady Tkachuk signaling a trade and moving to the Florida Panthers, and Columbus’ Werenski future to be discussed—as teams navigate a chaotic off-season.