The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently slated to head into the 2025-26 season with quite the dichotomy between the right side of the their defense and the left. On the right hand side you have aging veterans who are closer to the end of their career than their prime. On the left hand side you have a group of players with very limited NHL samples. Put them together and well…
Pittsburgh Penguins (T4) — This is a thin group in Pittsburgh and it’s only going to lean out from here, especially amidst trade rumours around veteran defenceman Erik Karlsson. Considering Pittsburgh’s ongoing transition, it seems inevitable Karlsson will be moved out of Pittsburgh. The question remains: where?
Leading the way, for now, on the right side is Erik Karlsson. Which presents a big issue for the 2025-26 Penguins. He’s likely not going to be there for the majority of the season, if at all. The Penguins best defender is one of their biggest trade chips GM Kyle Dubas is looking to move. His original trade to Pittsburgh was orchestrated in August and his departure trade could be as well.
Kris Letang has been one of the very best defensemen in the NHL during his era. Most of that time I think he was being vastly underrated. That time has come and gone as the aging curve has reared his ugly head. Letang, whose commitment to fitness is second to none, is finally starting to show decline. At 38, coming off minor heart surgery, it will be tough to find his former level of play
Matt Dumba was acquired over the offseason. He wasn’t acquired with the idea he was going to help the team win games. He was acquired because Dallas bribed the Penguins with a second round pick to do so. Dumba will not be moving the needle in the right direction for the Penguins.
Connor Clifton (30) and Jack St. Ivany (26) round out the right side of the defense. Both are depth players with some NHL experience. Clifton has spent the majority of his 384 game NHL career with Boston before playing a season in Buffalo last year. Jack St. Ivany will be trying to compete for an NHL gig if/when Karlsson is moved off the roster.
There’s a lone veteran on the left hand side of the Penguins defense and he isn’t of the top four variety. Ryan Graves is entering year three of his six year deal at a 4.5M AAV. The contract wasted the valuable cap space that was created while the Penguins watched their competing window disappear into a rebuild. Graves is a bottom pairing defenseman with a lot of size and not a lot of bite. His cap hit is no longer strangling the team’s ability to build depth because they aren’t trying to win the Cup at the present moment.
Owen Pickering, the former 21st overall pick in 2022, made his NHL debut last season and played in 25 games for the Penguins. Given how wide open things are on the left side these days he should be a full-time player in the 2025-26 season in the NHL. The Penguins are probably hoping he turns into a quietly effective defenseman capable of playing top four minutes like former Penguins, Brian Dumoulin.
Ryan Shea enters his age 28 season with 70 NHL games to his name. He is going to have a good look to make the big roster given the lack of NHL regulars on the depth chart. Barring a right defenseman jumping over to the left side it looks like an NHL spot is his to lose in camp heading into September.
Parker Wotherspoon was recently signed as depth on a two-year deal worth a 1M AAV. He will compete on the left side with his 108 career NHL games entering his age 28 season.
One of the Penguins more intriguing prospects is 19 year old Harrison Brunicke. He is good enough to be a professional hockey player on a full-time business right now. The issue of course is the inane CHL transfer agreement which is forcing him to either play in the NHL or go back to the WHL to play against 17 year olds. After his junior team’s season finished he played ten games in Wilkes Barre Scranton and didn’t look out of place. The Penguins love him and rightfully so. Would an Erik Karlsson trade get him to the NHL this season? I suppose there is a chance, but I could see the Penguins being patient with Brunicke and sending him back to juniors regardless. Another terrific training camp from Brunicke like last year might not give the Penguins a choice.
All in all, the Penguins defense grouping is underwhelming even if Erik Karlsson was going to be a mainstay. Given the fact Karlsson is likely on the way out the unit will be among the most underwhelming in the entire league. Dubas will have some work to do on this front to get the team back to their competitive ways.
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We shoulde’ve traded a couple dmen by now. Geez.
Graves has no business to be on this roster.