In the 22nd of a 32 part series leading up to the start of the 2025-26 National Hockey League regular season, we will look at the key off-season transactions made by all NHL organizations with an overall grade. Here are the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins added two forwards, two defensemen and one goalie in the offseason. Pittsburgh is looking to regroup after missing the playoffs by 11 points. The Penguins still have a veteran group that consists of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. Now they are trying to find the right nucleus of talent to support this award winning group. Let’s take a look at this group of five.
Anthony Mantha
Mantha signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million on July 2. The native of Longueuil, Quebec is joining his fifth NHL franchise after six seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, four seasons with the Washington Capitals and one season each with the Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames. Last season in Calgary, Mantha only played 13 games, and had four goals and three assists for seven points. The reason for the limited action is because he tore his ACL on November 5 in a 3-2 Flames win over the Montreal Canadiens. In Pittsburgh, Mantha is projected to be on the Penguins’s second line alongside Evgeni Malkin and Ville Koivunen.
Justin Brazeau
Brazeau signed a one-year deal worth $3 million on Canada Day. The native of New Liskeard, Ontario is joining his third NHL franchise after two seasons with the Boston Bruins and one season with the Minnesota Wild. Last season in Boston and Minnesota, Brazeau had 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points in 76 games last season. Brazeau is projected to be on the Penguins’s fourth line with Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte.
Connor Clifton
Clifton was traded from the Buffalo Sabres to the Penguins with a second round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft (Penguins selected defenseman Peyton Kettles) for defenseman Conor Timmins and prospect Isaac Belliveau on June 28. Clifton, a native of Long Branch, New Jersey is joining his third NHL franchise after five seasons with the Bruins and two with the Sabres. Last season, he had one goal and 15 assists for 16 points. Clifton is projected to be on the Bruins’s second defensive pairing with Letang.
Matt Dumba
Dumba was traded from the Dallas Stars to the Penguins with a second round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok on July 10. Dumba, native of Regina, Saskatchewan, is joining his fifth NHL team after 10 seasons with the Minnesota Wild, and one each with the Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Stars. In 63 games with the Stars, Dumba had one goal and nine assists for 10 points. Dumba is projected to be on the Penguins’s third defensive pairing with Owen Pickering.
Arturs Silovs
Silovs was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Penguins for right winger Chase Stillman and a fourth round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft on July 19. Siliovs, a goaltender from Ventspils, Latvia, played the last three seasons with the Canucks. In 2024-25, he had a record of 2-6-1 with a goals against average of 3.65 and a save percentage of .861. Silovs will be backing up Tristan Jarry this season.
Offseason Projected Grade
The Penguins were busy in the offseason as general manager Kyle Dubas made five notable moves. I am going to give the Penguins a C- grade. Silovs was not good last year after being excellent a season before. Dumba and Clifton combined for only two goals, Mantha is returning from a serious injury and Brazeau will only be on the fourth line.
