2024-25 was a continuation of the slow decline that the Pittsburgh Penguins have been on over the last few seasons. Since bowing out of the first round of the 2021-22 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Penguins have gone from 103 to 91 to 88 to 80 points over the last few seasons. GM Kyle Dubas looks to be the man to lead Pittsburgh through an eventual rebuild.
On Saturday, Dubas and the front office decided to take another step towards their future. According to the Athletic's Chris Johnston via X, formerly Twitter, the Penguins placed veteran defenseman Ryan Graves on waivers.
“The #pens announce that Ryan Graves is going on waivers today,” reported Johnston. “He's got four years remaining on a contract that carries a $4.5M AAV.”
While the release of Graves is a mild shock, it's ultimately not surprising. Signed to a big six-year deal just two seasons ago, Graves' fit with the Penguins always felt tenuous. Under former head coach Mike Sullivan, Graves struggled to make an impact.
With other defensemen proving to be a better fit under new head coach Dan Muse, Dubas and the front office decided to move on. As Pittsburgh moves closer and closer to a potential teardown and rebuild, how will the team look as this upcoming season progresses?
Are the Penguins heading for a rebuild?
Even with the release of Graves, Muse looks to have a good amount of depth on defense. Since he was put on waivers, there's a good chance he goes unclaimed and heads down to the Penguins' AHL affiliate. Of course, another team can take a chance on him and see if he can get back to the player he was with the Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils earlier in his career.
The top line duo of Caleb Jones and Kris Letang might be together for only a couple more seasons as Letang has two years left on his current deal. At 38 years old, the Penguins icon could retire once his contract expires. Along with fellow franchise legends Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, their time leading Pittsburgh to playoff runs seems to be near an end. How will the Penguins look in a few years' time once Dubas and the front office complete their eventual rebuild?
