The newest youngster signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins could crack the lineup.

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins recently announced a trio of new contracts to build their depth and youth while preparing for the 2024-25 season. While Jack St. Ivany and Jonathan Gruden were re-signed, the Penguins went out and acquired defenseman Filip Kral.

Formerly a Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, Kral spent the entire 2023-24 season in the Finnish SM Liiga. Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas made the signing with the help of some previous connections to the Maple Leafs organization.

Kral may be a new face with the Penguins, but he has a legitimate chance to make the NHL roster. The Penguins are trying to get younger, and Kral is only 24 years old. He’s inexperienced, but looking at the left side of the defense, he’s got good positioning on the depth chart.

Above him currently sits Marcus Pettersson, Ryan Graves, P.O. Joseph, John Ludvig, and Ryan Shea. Pettersson is a lock, but everyone else is a question mark.

It’s entirely possible Graves and Joseph won’t return to the Penguins to start the next season. Graves struggled all year long, and he might be dealt before a new year begins. Joseph is in need of a new contract, but again, he may get moved for a fresh start.

Ludvig is under contract for another year but may not be healthy enough to start the new season. An off-season wrist surgery is expected to have Ludvig on the shelf for four to six months.

The Penguins took a chance on Shea, and he had a decent season, but was it enough to earn a new deal with them? Maybe the Penguins decide to go in Kral’s direction and take a chance on him, much like they did with Shea.

Kral isn’t guaranteed a spot in the lineup, but the circumstances ahead of him in the depth chart give him a bigger leg up than initially expected. If he can stick out and perform well through training camp and possibly some preseason action, he could easily start the year on the third pairing.

The ceiling is still high for Kral. At 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, he has size and potential. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him get the same kind of push Shea got last season.

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