Pittsburgh Penguins News

Chinakhov was drafted 21st overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft but never lived up to expectations with the team. The Penguins made a deal to acquire Chinakhov from Columbus in December of last year; he immediately thrived with his new team. The 25-year-old Russian forward played 48 games with Pittsburgh, scoring 36 points (18G / 18A), earning himself a sizeable three-year contract extension.

Stastney split the 2025-26 season, starting it with the Nashville Predators, the team that drafted him in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, before joining the Edmonton Oilers. The 26-year-old American defenseman made a lasting impact in his brief stint with the Oilers, earning a one-year contract extension worth $1.525 million. He played 36 games in 2025-26 with the Oilers, averaging 16:02 time on ice and recording 1 goal and 38 blocks.

After success in the KHL, Kuzmenko broke into the NHL as a 26-year-old rookie in 2022-23 with the Vancouver Canucks, putting together a tremendous 74-point season (39G / 35A) in 81 games. That said, the 30-year-old Kuzmenko has struggled with consistency since then, failing to earn his coaches' trust. Last season, he was regularly a healthy scratch, but scored 25 points (13G / 12A) in 52 games with the Los Angeles Kings.

Calvert is an undrafted forward who has yet to play an NHL game. The 22-year-old forward spent the entire 2025-26 season in the AHL, where he scored 38 points (16G / 22A) in 70 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Carlile is an undrafted defenseman who never made an impact at the NHL level until last season, when he played a career-high 42 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring 3 points (1G/2A). The 26-year-old adds some depth to Pittsburgh's blueline on a two-year contract worth $3.0 million ($1.5M AAV).

Robertson joins the Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Kyle Dubas, who was part of the team responsible for drafting Robertson in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The 24-year-old Robertson was never able to establish himself as a full-time top-six forward with the Maple Leafs and hopes to have better luck in a fresh start with his new team. Robertson had 32 points (16G / 16A) in 78 games last season.

Korczak had a big role on the Vegas Golden Knights' blueline in the 2025-26 season, playing a career-high 78 games and scoring 16 points (3G / 13A). The 25-year-old Korczak is entering the first year of a four-year contract worth $13 million ($3.25M AAV).

Gustafsson has been unable to establish himself as a full-time NHLer and will hope a change of scenery, joining the Pittsburgh Penguins, can inspire some confidence and more consistent play. The 26-year-old forward has played 149 career NHL games, all with the Winnipeg Jets, but he spent the entire 2025-26 season in the AHL, where he scored 32 points (10G / 22A) in 48 games with the Manitoba Moose.

With Washington's recent acquisitions of Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, the team has sent Lapierre to Pittsburgh in exchange for 2027 third-round and 2028 fifth-round draft picks. The 24-year-old Lapierre played a career-high 74 games with Washington last season, but saw a slightly diminished role, averaging only 8:50 time-on-ice while scoring 16 points (4G / 12A).