Slowly but surely, the Pittsburgh Penguins are making some sneakily good moves to add depth to their prospect pool on the blue line.

For two offseasons in a row, Penguins' president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has identified defense as an area of concern that the Penguins need to improve upon. In the summer of 2025, he went out and grabbed left defenseman Parker Wotherspoon traded to the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday - who became a staple on the top pairing next to a vintage-form Erik Karlsson. There is also the up-and-coming righty in Harrison Brunicke, who will likely see more time at the NHL level next season. 

Since then, Dubas has continued to add. And one of those additions is an NCAA product who possesses some nice upside.

In the final days of the regular season, Dubas and the Penguins signed NCAA free agent left defenseman Jake Livanavage to a two-year, entry-level contract, and he burned the first year of that deal when he made his NHL debut on Apr. 14 against the St. Louis Blues in the final game of the Penguins' regular season. 

"Obviously, it was a dream come true. Something you want to happen since you were a little kid," Livanavage said of making his debut. "Just such a surreal moment, and, you know, the guys in the locker room are awesome. To be around some of the best in the world, it was lot of fun and something that I always look back on and I'm super grateful for."

Prior to making his debut, Livanavage was able to hang around Sidney Crosby and some of the Penguins' other veterans in the press box and during practices, learning as much as he could from them before taking the ice against the Blues.

"I don't know what most people put him at, but he's definitely a top-three player to ever play the game," Livanavage said. "So, to be able to sit next to him and pick his brain and see what he does on a day-to-day basis was... I don't think you can really get any better than that. So, just super grateful, and [he's] an awesome leader."

Even though his debut last spring was something he'll never forget, Livanavage is ready to turn the page. And he is gunning for a spot on the Penguins' opening night roster out of training camp.

Livanavage, a USHL product, put up some impressive numbers with the Chicago Steel in junior hockey before committing to the University of North Dakota, where he spent the last three seasons. The 22-year-old recorded 14 goals and 82 points to go along with a plus-40 in 117 games with North Dakota, and he helped lead them to the NCAA National Championship last season, where they lost to the University of Denver.

"It was awesome. Anytime you're playing for a championship at any level, it's incredible," Livanavage said. "Not the outcome we wanted, but just a special group that we had, and the bond in the locker room that we had, it was pretty special. Like, those teams don't come around very often, so it was just an unbelievable year, and I'm just so thankful for that program and the opportunity they gave me."

His collegiate hockey experience - like many other NCAA prospects have echoed - allowed him the time to get into the gym and work on some off-ice training ventures that he didn't get the opportunity to pursue otherwise with his junior hockey schedule. The Gilbert, Ariz. product said the five days between games during the week allowed him to put on size, recoup his body, and better condition him to play against increasingly bigger competition. 

He is well aware that putting on even more size would benefit him in readying for NHL competition, as he wants to keep building on his 5-foot-11, 190-pound frame. And, well, if what Livanavage said about his summer is true, he has already begun to accomplish that. 

"This summer, it's just getting bigger and stronger," he said. "You know, being able to play against men. Just coming out and working as hard as I can and just being ready for training camp from the first day. I feel good right now, and I'm super excited to get going.

"I put on about 15 pounds this summer already. I feel like the weight gain in the summer, you know, it's challenging, but it's just something you have to do if you want to play at that level. And you, obviously, want to play there. It's anything you have to do to play at that level, so like I said, it's been 15 pounds this summer and a couple more to go."

Of course, Livanavage is one of the older players at the Penguins' annual prospect development camp this year. But, he sees it as an opportunity to get to know more guys - and, especially, guys around his age who he's played against in the past - in the organization in addition to the NHL talent he got to spend some time around in the last month of the 2025-26 season.

He also knows every development opportunity with the organization gives Pittsburgh the chance to be reminded why they called him in the first place. And Livanavage certainly remembers that Zoom call with Pittsburgh prior to signing.

There were other opportunities. But, added onto the fact that Pittsburgh has a rich winning history, Livanavage said that the Penguins felt like the right place to go immediately after he spoke with him - and he couldn't ask for a better culture to help foster his growth and development.

"Honestly, [in] my first zoom call with them, I got off the phone and just felt comfortable," he said. "It was a little bit of back and forth figuring out what we wanted and stuff like that, but when it came down to it, I just felt comfortable coming off the zoom call, and right away, it was just kind of like, 'I think that's it. Like, that's where I want to be.'

"I think the development they put into their players and how much, top to bottom, they care about their prospects and everything, it's super special. You don't get that everywhere."

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