By the Pittsburgh Penguins' standards, the 2022-23 season was an extreme disappointment. The Penguins saw their 16-year playoff streak, the longest active streak in North American sports, come to an end after collapsing at the end of the season. After such a subpar year, the Penguins canned general manager Ron Hextall and other front office personnel.
In their place, the Penguins made a big splash by hiring former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas as their president of hockey operations (and GM for the time being). In his first offseason at the helm, Dubas wasted no time in leaving his mark on the roster.
Rebuilding isn't much of an option for the Penguins due to their contract situation, and even if it was, they wouldn't want to punt the final years of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin's careers. As such, Dubas went on a spending spree with the plethora of cap space Pittsburgh had. The result is a very different-looking roster, although only time will tell if it's enough to get back to the playoffs.
With that said, let's go through each of the Penguins' free agency moves and assign them a grade.
G Tristan Jarry: 5 years, $26.875 million ($5.375 million AAV)
We're starting off not with a new pickup, but rather a re-signing. Jarry has been the Penguins' top goaltender for a few years, and the team rewarded him with a hefty new deal.
Jarry is a solid goalie, boasting a career save percentage of .914 and a goals against average of 2.65, but he's not exactly elite. The biggest concern is how poorly he has fared in the playoffs, with an .891 save percentage and 3.00 goals against average. His most infamous playoff showing was in a first-round series against the New York Islanders in 2021, after which many Penguins fans were calling for his job.
Handing out that kind of money and term to a goalie who has struggled with consistency is certainly a risky play by Dubas, but it's somewhat understandable. None of the goalies available this offseason would've been a big upgrade, and the Penguins at least know what they're getting in Jarry. Still, though, this deal seems like an overpay for what he provides.
Grade: C-
D Ryan Graves: 6 years, $27 million ($4.5 million AAV)
Moving on to the new additions, Graves was the “big-fish” signing for the Penguins this offseason. He was one of the better defensemen on the market this offseason, and he certainly got paid like it. In Pittsburgh, he should slot in naturally on the top pairing alongside Kris Letang.
Once again, though, it feels like the Penguins gave out a bit too much in this deal. The money isn't that bad, but the six-year term is a huge commitment, being one of only four deals handed out this offseason with such term. At least Graves is still relatively young at 28, but who knows how this contract will hold up once he's entering his mid-30s.
Grade: C
C Lars Eller: 2 years, $4.9 million ($2.45 million AAV)
Pittsburgh's bottom six was a bit of a mess last season, even after a complete makeover at the trade deadline. As such, the Penguins made a couple of signings to help remedy that issue this offseason, with the Eller signing being arguably the biggest.
The 34-year-old is still a capable bottom-six player even in the twilight of his career. He actually played 84 games last season after being traded from the Washington Capitals to the Colorado Avalanche, and scored 10 goals and 23 points. However, he has scored nearly 40 points in the past, so he could have more offensive upside.
Eller isn't here to just put up points, though. He has plenty more to offer, such as his two-way game and penalty killing. For a fourth-line center, the Penguins did pretty well with this deal.
Grade: B+
C Noel Acciari: 3 years, $6 million ($2 million AAV)
Fun fact: this is the second time Dubas has acquired Acciari in the span of a few months. His Leafs also acquired him from the St. Louis Blues back at the trade deadline alongside Ryan O'Reilly.
That's nice and all, but what does Acciari himself actually bring to Pittsburgh? Well, like Eller, Acciari is another capable bottom-six forward who can occasionally score (they even had the same point total last season), but that's not their main job.
The difference is that Acciari is a much more physical player. He had 244 hits last season, and finished fourth in the playoffs with 78 hits despite Toronto losing in the second round. Acciari brings some nice grit to the Penguins' lineup, while not sacrificing much on skill.
Grade: B+
G Alex Nedeljkovic: 1 year, $1.5 million
Back in 2021, Nedeljkovic looked like a potential star goalie of the future. In 23 games with the Carolina Hurricanes, he had a .932 save percentage and a 1.90 goals against average, finishing as a Calder Trophy finalist. After such a strong rookie season, it was baffling to see the Hurricanes trade him to the Detroit Red Wings simply because they didn't want to pay him.
Unfortunately for Nedeljkovic, the Hurricanes were proven right when his play fell off in Detroit. Both his save percentage and goals against average tanked, and he only played 15 games last season.
With Pittsburgh, Nedeljkovic will be looking to revive his career. It's a bit unclear if he will be Jarry's primary backup or the No. 3 goalie behind Casey DeSmith, but either way, he'll have to prove he's still got it at the NHL level.
Grade: C
LW Matt Nieto: 2 years, $1.8 million ($900,000 AAV)
Nieto turns 31 in November, and this will be the first time he has played for a team other than the San Jose Sharks or Colorado Avalanche (he had two stints with each). He's always been a decent bottom-six forward, and he scored a solid 12 goals and 24 points last season. Not a flashy signing, but he should help improve the Penguins' bottom six a good bit.
Grade: B-
C Vinnie Hinostroza: 1 year, $775,000
We didn't include some of the Penguins' veteran minimum signings, but because Hinostroza is a somewhat regular NHLer and should be in the lineup most nights, we'll give him some attention. Hinostroza is another bottom-six forward, though he's a bit more offensively-minded than the others. His best season came with the Arizona Coyotes in 2018-19, when he scored 16 goals and 39 points. The Penguins will be hoping for that kind of performance this season, although it may not be particularly likely. Still, more scoring depth is never a bad thing.
Grade: B-