The Penguins were busy in free agency over the summer, and three of the players they brought in have been fantastic.
It's been less than a full calendar year since the Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
They finished the 2024-25 season with a 34-36-12 record and sold off some of their players before the 2025 trade deadline closed, including Michael Bunting, Cody Glass, Anthony Beauvillier, Drew O'Connor, and Marcus Pettersson.
It was a necessary step for Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas, as he continued to stockpile more future assets for the next few years.
He was tasked with replacing those players over the offseason, and part of his plan was signing some players to short-term contracts when free agency opened on July 1. Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau, and Parker Wotherspoon were three of the players he signed when free agency opened.
Mantha felt like the Beauvillier replacement after Dubas got a second-rounder back for the latter at the deadline. Going into this season, I figured Mantha would score double-digit goals before being flipped to a contender, since I didn't think this would be a playoff team.
Well, the Penguins are on pace to make the playoffs this season, and Mantha's play is a big reason why. He's been an incredible signing by Dubas and already has 19 goals and 40 points in 53 games. He has five goals and eight points in his last four games, and two of those goals came on Saturday against the New York Rangers.
He's done a great job going to the net for some greasy goals, but has also shown off some silky moves with the puck on his stick. He started the season on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Brazeau, and those three were humming together before Malkin hurt his shoulder in December and missed a full month.
Lately, Mantha has been skating on the third line with Brazeau and Ben Kindel since Malkin has found some great chemistry with Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov, and has fit like a glove. Mantha and Brazeau read each other well, and when you combine that with Kindel's hockey sense and strong playmaking ability, you get a pretty good third line. I don't see any way Dubas moves Mantha unless the Penguins completely collapse before this year's trade deadline.
Jan 31, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Justin Brazeau (16) handles the puck against New York Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson (29) during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesBrazeau was brought in after splitting last season with the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild. I had him penciled in for a bottom-six role, but that changed quickly when he scored four goals in four games to open the season on the second line.
He even scored the Penguins' first goal of the 2025-26 season, showcasing some soft hands in front of the net to bury a puck past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. He also added an empty-net goal later in the game to help seal the win for the Penguins.
He showed off another move in front of the net two days later against New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin for the game-winning goal.
Brazeau has already set a career-high in goals (14) and points (25) this season. He's a threat to score from anywhere in the offensive zone, and I think he'll score more clutch goals for the Penguins as the games get bigger down the stretch.
Jan 29, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Oliver Moore (11) moves the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (28) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesWotherspoon was by far the best defenseman the Penguins had on the left side heading into the season and was paired with Erik Karlsson right away. The two have been inseparable ever since and have been a great pair for the Penguins this year.
Wotherspoon and Karlsson have played 689 minutes at 5v5 this season and have been on the ice for 54.5% of the shot attempts, 53.2% of the expected goals, 55.1% of the scoring chances, and 56% of the high-danger chances. They carry play every time they're on the ice.
The best part about Wotherspoon is how steady he is. He's a rock in his own end and has allowed Karlsson to do his thing in the offensive zone. He's good at skating the puck out of trouble and has an active stick in the neutral zone. He also brings a physical element to the blue line, something the Penguins have severely lacked over the last few seasons.
He was a great find by Dubas after posting some really good underlying numbers for the Bruins in a more reduced role last year.
As my colleague Kelsey Surmacz wrote in January, you can make a very strong case for Dubas to win the General Manager of the Year award right now, and his odds will improve even more if the Penguins reach the postseason. If he wins the award, these three signings will be a big reason why.
(Data via Natural Stat Trick).
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