Ahead of free agency, Pittsburgh Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas said he wanted to improve the team's left-side defense.
And he appears to be putting some names into the mix for next season.
On Wednesday, the Penguins signed former Washington Capitals defenseman Alexander Alexeyev to a one-year, one-way contract worth $775,000. This comes after the Capitals did not qualify Alexeyev, as he was an RFA.
The #LetsGoPens signed 25 y/o LD Alexeyev to 1 year $775K 1-way deal.
A former first-round pick by Washington in 2018 (31st overall), Alexeyev, 25, is a big, physical presence on the blue line. He uses his 6-foot-4, 229-pound frame to shut down opponents and clear the net-front, and that bigger, "hard-to-play-against" style has been a point of emphasis for GM and POHO Kyle Dubas in terms of adding to the roster, especially on the back end.
In 80 career regular season games with the Capitals, Alexeyev has registered a goal and eight points. He also appeared in 10 playoff games for Washington in 2025.
Alexeyev - along with the newly signed Parker Wotherspoon, prospect Owen Pickering, and veteran blueliners Ryan Shea and Ryan Graves - figures to be in the mix for a larger role in the top-four for the Penguins this season.
Just one day into on-ice activities at development camp, the hype around top Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone is already growing.
The 18-year-old, who turns 19 on Oct. 26, is steadfast in his belief of his ability to make the NHL right away. This week is just an opportunity, in Martone's eyes, to set himself up for an early Flyers debut.
It's not unreasonable, either; Jett Luchanko, who had only turned 18 years old on Aug. 21 last summer, made the Flyers out of training camp and played in four NHL games before returning to his OHL club, the Guelph Storm.
But Martone's goal is to make it and stick. Any other outcome will be ironed out later.
"For me, my mindset is, play in the NHL next year. If the management staff here thinks otherwise, that's when there will be a talk with my agent and me," Martone said of his future, and potentially going the college route, at development camp Wednesday. "Right now, my goal is to make the NHL and have a big summer. Really gain some strength in the lower body and come into camp and try to earn my spot.
"For me, I want to go and play a full regular season in the NHL next year."
Openly advocating for himself and having that confidence at a young age is key, especially given that Flyers GM Danny Briere floated Martone by name as a potential injury replacement for Tyson Foerster, who could be at risk of missing the start of the 2025-26 season due to an injury and subsequent infection.
"Obviously, when you come into camp, you have to earn your job. You're not going to just get it given to you," Martone added. "If I get the opportunity to come in, I want to give it my all and try to earn my spot on the opening night roster. If I do, that's a dream come true to play with the Flyers organization. That doesn't come without the work that needs to be put in."
And should Martone make the Flyers outright, he'll be one of the youngest debutants in franchise history. Captain Sean Couturier, for example, debuted only two months before he turned 19, so he'd be a nice sounding board for Martone in that event.
Until then, though, Flyers fans can take solace in the fact that Martone's mind is already in the right place, and his talent and work ethic will take him where he needs to go.
The 2025 No. 6 pick is very similar to Matvei Michkov in that regard, and perhaps it's not a coincidence that they approach the game itself similarly, too.
The New York Islanders announced on Wednesday afternoon that they have signed forward Emil Heineman to a two-year extension. Per TVA's Renaud Lavoie, the deal carries a $1.1 million cap hit.
The 23-year-old was part of the package from Montreal in exchange for defenseman Noah Dobson, who has since signed an eight-year extension worth $9.5 million.
Here's our story from the day of the trade, June 27, on one of the newest Islanders wingers:
Heineman scored 10 goals with 8 assists for 18 points with the Canadiens last season in a bottom-six role. The 2024-25 season was the first full season for the Swede, who was drafted in the second round by the Panthers in 2020.
He has bounced around multiple NHL teams, having been part of both the Sam Bennett trade to Florida and the Tyler Toffoli trade to Calgary.
Characterized by a high motor and versatility, Heineman maintains a strong two-way presence and can play both sides on the wing.
In sheltered minutes with Montreal, Heineman was a defensive piece for head coach Martin St. Louis and provided strong forechecking.
With Islanders’ head coach Patrick Roy, Heineman should click similarly and shore up New York’s forward depth.
The winger is a restricted free agent whose deal expired at the end of the 2024-25 season.
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Here are the winners and losers of The Free Agent Frenzy
Winners:
1. Florida Panthers: Many didn’t think Bill Zito would be able to keep his big three pending UFAs - Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand - but he did. All on miraculously cheap contracts. Zito also re-signed Tomas Nosek, and now has all 12 forwards who skated in Game 6 of The Cup Final under contract… Three-peat? Why not?
2. Las Vegas Golden Knights: From one core four to another. A sign-and-trade sent Mitch Marner to Vegas on an 8 year, $96 million contract. The Golden Knights top-6 may be the best in the league. Is this where Marner finds his playoff success? I say yes.
3. New York Rangers: To sum up, GM Chris Drury turned K’Andre Miller into Vladislav Gavrikov, Scott Morrow, a conditional 2026 1st round pick and a 2026 2nd round pick. Oh, and Miller ($7.5M AAV) is making more, in Carolina, than Gavrikov ($7M AAV) is with New York. Great work by Drury.
Losers:
1. Edmonton Oilers: GM Stan Bowman made no additions with FIVE subtractions on July 1st. The man lost a good portion of his team’s depth. Not to mention, his goaltending situation has not been resolved. AND beginning next season, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard will be making a combined $24.5 million. Captain McDavid is heading into the final season of his contract… Does he stay or go? I predict he stays, but on a short term deal.
2. Boston Bruins: With enough money to make a splash, GM Don Sweeney handed out some questionable contracts. Tanner Jeannot, 5x$3.5M AAV, being the biggest head scratcher. The Bruins didn’t take any strides toward playoff contention.
3. Los Angeles Kings: The Kings are worse today than they were yesterday. Trading Jordan Spence, and losing Vladislov Gavrikov, for nothing, is not exactly ideal for their defense. Additionally, a majority of their money was spent on aging players - Corey Perry, Cody Ceci, and Brian Dumoulin - who won’t be the make or break of the team's success.
The majority of the Free Agency big fish may be gone, but a player like Nikolaj Ehlers is still available. Who’ll get him?
VOORHEES, N.J. — Wayne Simmonds watched Porter Martone around four to five times last season scouting the OHL for the Flyers.
He came away impressed.
Did he think the 6-foot-3, 98-point forward would drop to No. 6 in the 2025 NHL draft?
“I didn’t, personally,” Simmonds said with a laugh. “For us, we got lucky. We’ll take that one, we’ll definitely take that one.”
No doubt, the Flyers were happy to see Martone wearing a white and black practice jersey, with an orange No. 94, as development camp kicked off Wednesday. Just five days ago, they were scooping him up at sixth overall.
The 18-year-old was the first winger taken last Friday night and some public scouting services had him pegged as the third-best player in the draft.
“He’s a great player, big body, owns the net front and the boards,” Simmonds said. “Tremendous competitor.”
A beloved former Flyer, Simmonds is now in a consultant role with the club’s hockey operations department. He’s helping coach the prospects this week at development camp, getting a chance to see Martone again after watching him on the scouting trail. But apparently Simmonds had met him well before this year.
It was after a practice when Simmonds was playing for the Flyers. Martone even has a picture of the two together from that day. Back in the same facility, Martone reminded Simmonds about the moment.
“That was the first thing he said to me and I’m like, ‘Oh my God,'” Simmonds said. “In my mind, I’m like, ‘I’m that old?’ It was honestly really cool, it was really cool to hear.”
Martone, who is from Peterborough, Ontario, and once went to a Flyers game for his birthday, can still recall meeting Simmonds.
“We had, like, 50 kids just banging on the glass the whole practice,” Martone said. “Him and a couple of others took time out of their day to come say hi to us, take a couple of photos. I think that’s a big thing as an NHL player, being able to give back to the community, give back to little kids who look up to those footsteps. Now that I’m here, I want to make sure I do that to kids, try to make everyone’s day a positive, a little bit better.”
He could see more kids at Flyers Training Center come the fall if he makes the big club. That’s not outside the realm of possibility. Martone has a pro-style game and played with NHLers at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, suiting up twice for Team Canada.
“For me, my mindset is playing in the NHL next year,” Martone said when asked about his plans for 2025-26. “If the management staff here thinks otherwise, that’s when you kind of have a talk [between] my agent and me. But right now, my goal is to make the NHL, have a big summer, really gain some strength in the lower body and then come into camp and try to earn my spot. For me, I want to play a full regular season in the NHL next year.”
With uncertainty surrounding Tyson Foerster’s status because of an arm injury, general manager Danny Briere didn’t hesitate to mention Martone’s name as a candidate to fill any void on the wing.
“When you come into camp, you’re going to have to earn your job,” Martone said. “You’re not just going to get it given to you. If I get the opportunity to come in, I’m going to give it my all and try to earn my spot in the opening-night roster. If I do, that’s a dream come true to play with the Flyers’ organization.
“But that doesn’t come without the work that needs to be put in, I still have got to do some stuff throughout the summer to get me ready for training camp in September and get me ready to play in the NHL next season.”
Riley Armstrong sees some of Foerster in Martone.
“He reminds me a lot of Tyson when I was coaching him with the Phantoms,” the Flyers’ director of player development said. “He has that little bit of swag to him, like he knows that he’s a good player. And I think that’s a good thing, you want a player that has that, that confidence within himself.”
And if Martone needs to pinch himself being around Simmonds, that’s not a bad thing, either.
“It’s pretty cool when you get to see people you idolized when you were kid,” Martone said, “and now you’re working with them.”
The New Jersey Devils announced they have acquired forward Thomas Bordeleau from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for forward Shane Bowers.
Bordeleau recorded 14 goals and 38 points in 59 games with the San Jose Barracuda and appeared in one game with the Sharks last season.
The 23-year-old has 47 goals and 107 points in 161 career AHL and 18 points in 44 career NHL games.
The 38th overall selection by the Sharks in the 2020 draft, Bordeleau had strong professional debuts in both the AHL and NHL but appears to have been passed on the depth chart by other Sharks prospects. He is a very intelligent player and this is a good high upside trade for New Jersey.
A native of Houston, TX., Bordeleau won the Tim Taylor Award as NCAA's top rookie with the Michigan Wolverines in 2021, was a Top 3 player on Team USA at the 2022 World Junior Championship, and represented the Pacific Division at the 2023 AHL All-Star Game.
Bowers had three goals and 17 points in 65 games with the Utica Comets and went pointless in four games with the Devils last season.
The 25-year-old has 44 goals and 97 points in 282 career AHL games and is pointless in 13 career NHL games.
A first round selection of the Ottawa Senators in 2017, Bowers was a member of Team Canada at the 2019 World Juniors and was named to the NCAA Hockey East All-Rookie Team with Boston University in 2018.
Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre Olivier-Joseph has found his new home.
The Vancouver Canucks have announced that they have signed Joseph to a one-year, $775,000 contract for the 2025-26 season.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have agreed to terms with D Pierre-Olivier Joseph on a one-year contract worth $775,000.
Joseph, 26, did not receive a qualifying offer from the Penguins and became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 because of it. Now, he is heading to the Canucks, where he will look to earn a spot on their NHL roster.
Joseph was reacquired by the Penguins from the St. Louis Blues back in December of this past season. This was after the Penguins did not offer him a qualifying offer and let him walk in free agency last summer. In 24 games with the Penguins this campaign, the left-shot defenseman recorded one assist, 23 hits, and a minus-15 rating.
In 171 games over five seasons and two stints with the Penguins, Joseph recorded eight goals, 30 assists, 38 points, 199 hits, and a minus-18 rating. His best season with the Penguins was during the 2022-23 campaign, as he posted career highs with five goals, 16 assists, 21 points, and a plus-8 rating in 75 games.
Joseph will now look to have a bounce back season with the Canucks after earning this one-year, prove-it deal with them. It will be interesting to see what kind of campaign the 2017 first-round pick has with the Canucks from here.
The Vancouver Canucks have made another free-agent signing, inking defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph to a one-year contract worth $775K. Joseph has previously spent most of his NHL playing time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team that both Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin and President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford have worked with in the past.
“Pierre-Olivier has good speed and mobility and will add to our depth on the back end,” said Allvin in a statement released earlier today. “His addition gives us a player with some solid NHL and pro hockey experience, he is comfortable playing both sides, and he won a world championship with Tyler Myers in 2023. We look forward to getting him here to start working with our group.”
Joseph is a former first-round draft pick, selected 23rd overall in 2017 by the Arizona Coyotes. He never ended up playing a game for the Coyotes, however, instead making his NHL debut for the Penguins after being traded there. He skated in his first NHL game on January 22, 2021, adding an assist and three shots on goal.
In 194 NHL games spread over five NHL seasons, Joseph has scored eight goals and 32 assists. Most recently, he had two assists in 23 games for the St. Louis Blues, and one assist in 24 games for the Penguins, as he played for both teams in the 2024-25 season. In St. Louis, he had the opportunity to play with his older brother, Mathieu, who won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
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He never won a scoring championship or a Hart Trophy. He was never named a first-team all-star. And he never garnered huge headlines.
But make no mistake, Alex Delvecchio was a great player, one of the NHL's all-time greats. In fact. Not only did Delvecchio, who died at the age of 93 on Tuesday, center one of the NHL's all-time greatest lines, but he also represented the epitome of integrity, selflessness and enduring durability.
Unlike his famous linemates Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay on 'The Production Line', Delvecchio played his entire career with the Red Wings and was captain of the team for longer than both Howe and Lindsay combined. Only Steve Yzerman was captain of the franchise for longer.
Delvecchio also won three Lady Byng Trophies as the league's most gentlemanly player to match the number of Stanley Cups he won. And all the while, he managed to be remarkably consistent, missing only 43 games during his 23-year career.
Watch today's video column for more, and share your thoughts.
As the NHL draft concluded on June 28th, 27 of our league’s own officially began their new careers as NHL rookies. Vaclav Nestrasil and Ryker Lee from Muskegon and Madison respectively lead their USHL peers as the 25th and 26th pick in the first round.
Below is a list of every NHL rookie drafted from the USHL this year.
Round 1
Vaclav Nestrasil – RW, drafted 25th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks from the Muskegon Lumberjacks
At 6’6”, this Prague native is a fantastic young enforcer that never gives up on the play. Excellent while playing off-puck, Nestrasil brings a level of unselfishness to the Blackhawks that will bring a multitude of goals for the team.
Ryker Lee – RW, drafted 26th overall by the Nashville Predators from the Madison Capitols
In 58 games with the Capitols, Lee managed to lead his team with 68 points. The elusive shoot-first winger closed his season doing it all by collected a team-high of 37 assists with a team high of 31 goals to go along with them. If utilized well, Ryker Lee could pose a great threat to the NHL.
Round 2
Jacob Rombach – D, drafted 3rd in the 2nd round by the Nashville Predators from the Lincoln Stars
Ivan Ryabkin – C, drafted 30th in the 2nd round by Carolina Hurricanes from the Muskegon Lumberjacks
Ben Kevan – RW, drafted 31st in the 2nd round by the New Jersey Devils from the Des Moines Buccaneers
Round 3
Sean Barnhill – D, drafted 6th in the 3rd round by the New York Rangers from the Dubuque Fighting Saints
Michael Pradel – G, drafted 11th in the 3rd round by the Detroit Red Wings from the Tri-City Storm
Mason Moe – C, drafted 26th in the 3rd round by the New Jersey Devils from the Madison Capitols
Brady Peddle – D, drafted 27th in the 3rd round by the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Waterloo Black Hawks
Teddy Multryn – C, drafted 31st in the 3rd round by the San Jose Sharks from the Chicago Steel
Round 4
Adam Benak – C, drafted 6th in the 4th round by the Minnesota Wild from the Youngstown Phantoms
Caeden Herrington – D, drafted 24th in the 4th round by the Los Angeles Kings from the Lincoln Stars
Round 5
Sam Laurila – D, drafted 10th in the 5th round by the New York Islanders from the Fargo Force
Ethan Wyttenbach – LW, drafted 16th in the 5th round by the Calgary Flames from the Sioux Falls Stampede
Jackson Crowder – C, drafted 27th in the 5th round by the Washington Capitals from the Chicago Steel
Round 6
Ashton Schultz – C, drafted 7th in the 6th round by the Buffalo Sabres from the Chicago Steel
Anthony Allain-Samake – D, drafted 8th in the 6th round by the Anaheim Ducks from the Sioux City Musketeers
Carter Sanderson – LW, drafted 9th in the 6th round by the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Muskegon Lumberjacks
Bruno Idzan – LW, drafted 21st in the 6th round by the Ottawa Senators from the Lincoln Stars
Edison Engle – D, drafted 28th in the 6th round by the Winnipeg Jets from the Dubuque Fighting Saints
Round 7
Caleb Heil – G, drafted 1st in the last round by the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Madison Capitols
Brendan McMorrow – C, drafted 4th in the last round by the Los Angeles Kings from the Waterloo Black Hawks
Matthew Lansing – C, drafted 15th in the last round by the Vancouver Canucks from the Fargo Force
Maxon Vig – D, drafted 17th in the last round by the Montreal Canadiens from the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Nolan Roed – C, drafted 22nd in the last round by the Colorado Avalanche from the Tri-City Storm
Ryan Rucinski – C, drafted 27th in the last round by the Buffalo Sabres from the Youngstown Phantoms
Aidan Park – C, drafted 31st in the last by the Edmonton Oilers from the Green Bay Gamblers
ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced the signing of goaltender Cal Petersen to a one-year, one-way contract worth $775,000.
The Wild were in search of a depth goaltender with experience in the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL). Petersen fits the bill.
Petersen, 30, went 13-15-3 with a 3.14 goals-against average (GAA) and .885 save percentage (SV%) in 31 games last season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL.
The native of Iowa, has played in 106 NHL games where he has gone 46-44-10 with a 2.96 GAA, .903 SV% and four shutouts.
He was once signed to a three-year contract at $15 million ($5M AAV) with the Kings. He has struggled since then and has found himself in the AHL the last two years.
This signing provides the Wild with some goaltending depth in case Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt get hurt during the season.
For once, the Toronto Maple Leafs have something that they haven’t had in about a decade: salary cap space.
There’s just one big problem: there’s no one left to spend it on.
Fresh off winning a Stanley Cup, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad all decided to re-sign with the Florida Panthers. Brock Boeser re-signed with Vancouver. Patrick Kane re-signed with Detroit. And pretty much everyone from Mikael Granlund and Brandon Tanev to Corey Perry and Vladislav Gavrikov were quickly taken off board once the free agency period began.
And so, instead of going on a guilt-free shopping spree on July 1, the Leafs took their $12 million in savings and went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of cheaper items.
They got third-line center Nicolas Roy from Vegas for the rights to Marner. They traded a conditional third-round draft pick to Utah for left winger Matias Maccelli. And they signed Michael Pezzetta, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Travis Boyd each for less than $1 million each.
Maybe there's more to come. But anyone who tells you this lineup is not significantly worse today than the one that was booed off the ice after losing in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers is lying.
It’s worse. It’s much, much worse.
And it looks like it’s not getting any better.
Leafs GM Brad Treliving said don’t judge the team on July 1, because the season doesn't start on July 2. But what’s going to magically happen between now and the actual start of the season in October? Barring a trade, who is left?
As of July 2, Nikolaj Ehlers was suddenly the top name on the board. However, if you didn't like how Marner performed in the playoffs, chances are you're not going to be happy with Ehlers, who has nine playoff goals in his 10-year NHL career. Worse, the Leafs won't be the only one bidding on his services.
"If you're looking for a top-six forward there wasn't a long list of them," Treliving told reporters on July 1. "If you're one of those teams that has a top six forward and you're not going to sign your own guy, you're looking at the same list. So, it really steers you to a point where the anticipation was a lot of those guys were going to sign back with their teams, which ended up happening.”
So what happens next? What happens if this is it?
Say what you want about Marner’s lack of post-season success, but he was a 100-point right winger last season. The Leafs replaced him with Roy and Maccelli, who combined for 23 goals and 49 points. No one thought you’d be able to find another player who could match Marner’s production. After all, there are few in the NHL who can do what he does, whether it’s from a playmaking or a penalty-killing perspective.
Still, there was a sense the Leafs would improve their DNA by signing a combination of players who could provide the team with some level of grit, size and other intangibles.
That really hasn’t happened. And if it doesn’t, there is a real sense that the Leafs could take a step backward next season.
Maybe they aren’t in danger of missing the playoffs. But in a division where Florida retained all their core pieces, Tampa Bay didn’t lose anyone of significance and Ottawa, Montreal and Detroit all got better, Toronto is no longer a lock to finish first again.
By the looks of it, they might not be a top-three team — much less a Stanley Cup contender (not that they every really were).
Not unless Treliving can end up with Ehlers or swing a significant trade and end up with some pieces that will make fans forget about losing Marner.
The Maple Leafs have signed Vinni Lettieri to a one-year, $775,000 contract. The 30-year-old right-shot forward spent all of last season in the Boston Bruins organization. Lettieri appeared in 26 games with the Bruins, scoring three goals and two assists, and 47 games with the AHL's Providence Bruins, where he put up 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points in 47 games.
As an undrafted forward out of the University of Minnesota, Lettieri signed an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers in 2017. After three years in the organization, the Excelsior, Minnesota native played two seasons in the Anaheim Ducks' system (2020-2022).
He signed a one-year contract with the Bruins in 2022, spent most of the season in Providence, and joined the Minnesota Wild on a one-year contract in 2023. Lettieri played a career-high 46 NHL games with the Wild and scored nine points (five goals and four assists).
This is the fifth depth signing Toronto has made over the last 24 hours after losing the likes of Pontus Holmberg, Alex Steeves, Alex Nylander, and Nick Abruzzese to free agency. The Maple Leafs signed Michael Pezzetta and Benoit-Olivier Groulx, along with defenseman Dakota Mermis, to two-year deals with an annual average value of $812,500.
Toronto also added former Maple Leaf Travis Boyd on a one-year, $775,000 contract.
The Detroit Red Wings announced a two-year extension with depth forward Elmer Söderblom.
The Red Wings announced on Wednesday, the extension of winger Elmer Söderblom to a new two-year deal with an annual cap hit at $1.125 million per season.
After recording 17 points through 38 AHL games in Grand Rapids this past season, Söderblom could be given a extended look at a main roster spot.
A former sixth-round pick in 2019, Söderblom has posted respectable numbers with a 0.45 point-per-game pace in the AHL and 0.40 in the NHL. Production that might be giving Steve Yzerman and Detroit’s front office something to think about as they assess potential bottom-six options, where roster spots could be up for grabs.
At 6-foot-8 and roughly 250 pounds, the 23-year-old Swedish winger can look to borrow from the likes of Brian Boyle. The former longtime bottom-six centre carved out a meaningful role for himself as he would record 20-35 points while also working as a great physical tone setter.
Boyle's role made him an impact through 124 playoff games in which he went to two straight Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 and 2015 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This role could be more than attainable for Söderblom as he's shown slightly higher upside in terms of scoring and could learn how to use his large body to leave to lasting impact on opponents.
The entire NHL has been put on notice by the Florida Panthers as physical, gritty hockey is what wins championships now and a role player like Söderblom could be a step in the right direction for the Red Wings.
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While the Pittsburgh Penguins have been making plenty of smaller moves at the NHL level since the start of unrestricted free agency on Tuesday, they've also been shoring up depth at the developmental levels of the organization.
On Wednesday, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - re-signed goaltender Taylor Gauthier and signed forward Aidan McDonough, both to one-year AHL contracts.
Gauthier, 24, has been excellent over parts of the past three seasons within the Penguins' organization. At the ECHL level, he won ECHL Goaltender of the Year honors in 2023-24, when he posted a .923 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average to go along with four shutouts and a 24-16-2 record.
He was also excellent in split duties with fellow goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov this past season in Wheeling - even improving his numbers from the year prior - as he bolstered a .928 save percentage and a 2.06 goals-against average. Gauthier figures to, potentially, tandem with Murashov again next season, but this time, at the AHL level.
At the AHL level so far, Gauthier is 10-5-7 with a .908 save percentage and 2.77 goals against average. He will, likely, battle for a role with the WBS Penguins, along with Murashov and Filip Larsson, who is under contract through the end of the 2025-26 season.
McDonough, 25, captained the Northeastern University Huskies from 2019-23 and recorded 66 goals and 124 points in 124 games. A former seventh-round pick (195th overall) of the Vancouver Canucks in 2019, the 6-foot-2, 201-pound forward appeared in six NHL games for the Canucks in 2022-23, registering one point.
He spent the last two seasons in the AHL, first with the Abbotsford Canucks and next with the Charlotte Checkers. Last season for the Checkers, he recorded 10 goals and 16 points in just 16 games, as a broken leg resulting from a fight kept him out for most of the season.
NHL News: Penguins Sign Big Former Oilers DefensemanThe Pittsburgh Penguins are adding more size to their defensive depth.
