Injuries and unfavorable role hindered bottom-six forward last season
With looming uncertainty and training camp battles for the Penguins in 2024-25, there are several players acquired by GM and POHO Kyle Dubas - namely center Cody Glass, center Kevin Hayes, and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk - who seek fresh starts and better results for each of their first seasons in Pittsburgh.
But some players looking to rebound will have familiar faces, and one of those players is forward Noel Acciari.
Acciari, 32, signed a three-year, $6 million free agent contract with the Penguins last summer. When Dubas pursued Acciari - the 5'10", 209-pound forward played for the Toronto Maple Leafs at the end of the 2022-23 season, when Dubas was still the team's GM - the hope was for Acciari to be a strong defensive presence on the fourth line with some offensive upside.
However, some things didn't go as planned.
Acciari played only 55 games last season, which included a few different injury stints. In the games he did play, he was a strong defensive presence - in fact, the best defensive forward in the league according to StatMuse - but produced only four goals and seven points. His 34.5 percent on-ice expected goals share (xGF%) was also the lowest mark of his career.
His best offensive season came in 2019-20 with the Florida Panthers, when he registered 20 goals and 27 points in 66 games. Even his serviceable 14 goals and 23 points in 77 games in 2022-23 would have sufficed.
Between the injuries and the fact that Acciari prefers to play the wing but was stuck at center last season, he did not play a large enough offensive role for the Penguins last season. His penalty killing numbers and defensive acumen simply may not be enough this season if he expects to see regular playing time, given the logjam and younger options the Penguins now have for the bottom-six.
If he is healthy - and assuming he is still on the roster come October 9 - Penguins fans should expect a bit of a bounce-back from Acciari offensively. Because the Penguins have loaded up on centers during the offseason, Acciari figures to play the wing, where he is more comfortable.
But health is the biggest caveat, as Acciari has never played a full 82-game season in his nine-year NHL career. His 77 games in 2022-23 is his highest games-played mark.