The Pittsburgh Penguins were not expected to be contenders for a playoff spot in the 2025-26 campaign, but they have proven critics wrong. The team had already made moves this season, including the Penguins trading for Yegor Chinakhov and Stuart Skinner. Now, the front office has made another move during the season, extending Blake Lizotte.
Lizotte is receiving a three-year, $6.75 million contract, having an AAV of $2.25 million, according to a release by NHL.com.
The Minnesota native played two years with St. Cloud State in college, amassing 69 points in 76 games over his two seasons. He would then sign an entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings, playing in one game in the 2018-2019 campaign. Lizotte would become a mainstay on the NHL roster from there. From 2019-2020 through 2023-2024, he played in another 319 games with the Kings, finding the back of the net 37 times while adding 69 assists. He also played in 15 playoff games with a goal and an assist.
In the summer of 2024, he signed a two-year contract with the Penguins, worth an AAV of $1.85 million. In his first season with the franchise, he initially missed games due to a concussion from an errant puck in the preseason. He would go on to play in 59 games, lighting the lamp 11 times and adding nine helpers.
The center has been solid this year, currently playing on the fourth line alongside Connor Dewar and Noel Acciari. He has scored five goals while dishing out five assists. Further, he has a plus-six plus/minus rating for the year.
The Penguins are now 21-14-9 on the season. That places them in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division currently. They are just a point behind the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals for the final wild card spot, and also a point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third in the division. Lizotte, with a new contract in hand, and the Penguins will take to the ice again on Tuesday night, hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning.
