Penguins RFAs Deserve Bigger Roles Next Season

Once the Pittsburgh Penguins get their restricted free agents signed, they deserve bigger roles in the organization.

While the Pittsburgh Penguins should let a majority of their unrestricted free agents walk away to free agency, their pool of restricted free agents (RFA) are in a different boat.

This offseason, between the NHL and AHL rosters, the Penguins have 11 players hitting RFA status.

Too keep things simple, in most situations if a player is an upcoming RFA, the team must submit a qualifying offer before a player can hit free agency or begin an arbitration process.

For the Penguins, neither of those things should be necessary as this crop of RFAs are due for bigger roles in the organization.

We won’t go over all 11 names that are due some sort of new contract because most of them will just get basic deals worth under $1 million.

We will, however, look at a few certain players who should be integral pieces to the 2023-24 Penguins lineup.

You’d struggle to find someone who wasn’t impressed with the steps Drew O’Connor took in his development this past season.

For the first time in his career, O’Connor gained consistent playing time on the NHL roster.

It was just a little over half of the season at 46 games, but it was a career high and he had a number of great showings.

While averaging 9:49 of ice per game, O’Connor scored five goals and six assists for 11 points; his role isn’t to be a scorer, but be responsible in his own end of the ice.

The Penguins will relish the opportunity to have young legs in their depth as they look to shed the ‘oldest team in the league’ badge.

Another depth forward with a defensive mindset, Ryan Poehling came to Pittsburgh and made Teddy Blueger expendable.

Especially with their respective 2022-23 seasons, Blueger couldn’t buy a goal during his final stretch with the Penguins.

Poehling, when he was healthy, was able to utilize his speed to be stout on both sides of the puck.

In 53 games, Poehling scored a clean seven goals and seven assists for 14 points.

A certain depth center, the only issue with Poehling is that he can’t be looked at as a third liner just yet, and that’s a problem area for the Penguins.

Their options are Poehling or Jeff Carter, and neither of them fit the bill of third line center at the moment.

Regardless, Poehling will be a useful player not just next season, but down the line for a number of years to come.

This is an interesting case; on one hand, Alex Nylander definitely earned a spot on the Penguins roster next year, but on the other, where?

Is he a for certain top six forward? Or does he still need to play his way past the third line?

Nylander scored 50 points in the AHL, but only two in nine games at the NHL level.

The 2023-24 season will be prime time for Nylander to show what he’s made of in the NHL and he can help the Penguins depth in multiple areas.

He’s younger, faster, and more offensively gifted than most of what the Penguins’ bottom six looked like in 2022-23.

Quite simply, Ty Smith is the Brian Dumoulin replacement starting with the 2023-24 season.

Smith was buried in the AHL for all but nine games, but when given the call, he looked like a promising young player.

In his nine games at the NHL level, Smith was given a lot to handle, including a stint on the first power play unit.

Smith recorded a goal and three assists and should be utilized next season as the Penguins look to reshape their defense.

At 23-years-old, Smith will be one of the youngest players on the Penguins and go a long way in solidifying the blue line.

None of these players are likely to break the bank when it comes to their next contracts.

They are all going to be affordable and play much bigger roles as the Penguins hope to climb their way back into the postseason next year.

The core can stick around and age, but the supporting cast needs to be filled with more youth and speed.

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