Among the flurry of moves following the onset of NHL free agency was one that might fly under the rader for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But it's one that could make a difference for them next season.

On Jul. 1, the Penguins inked unrestricted free agent left defenseman Declan Carlile to a two-year, $3 million deal. Formerly a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 26-year-old blueliner has played in 46 career NHL games - registering two goals and four points - and is primarily known for his shutdown ability. He also appeared in 16 AHL games for the Syracuse Crunch last season and had two goals and 11 points.

Left defenseman? Mid-late 20s guy who hasn't quite broken out at the NHL level yet? Change-of-scenery candidate? Sound a bit like Parker Wotherspoon, who was recently dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights for an upside right defenseman in Kaeden Korczak?

It sure does.

Of course, it's difficult to expect a repeat from president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas when it comes to finding a pretty random depth defenseman who turns into a top-four blueliner by season's end. Wotherspoon, 28, finally had his breakout with the Penguins last season, totaling three goals and 30 points to go along with a plus-17 in 80 regular season games, all career-highs for him. He also put up those numbers alongside Erik Karlsson, who experienced a renaissance season and was the Penguins' team MVP in 2025-26. 

Wotherspoon's shutdown ability and efficiency with breaking the puck out of his own zone tandemed well with Karlsson's generational offensive punch and ability in transition. Plus, Wotherspoon may not have the smooth, elite skating prowess that Karlsson possesses, but he is still quite mobile, which also contributed to the success of the Penguins' top pairing.

Can Carlile experience a late growth spurt similar to the one Wotherspoon had last season? And is he a guy who can pair well with Karlsson or Kris Letang, who struggled to find a consistent and well-matched partner?

Well, like Wotherspoon, it's hard to say how things will go with a higher-level partner, as Carlile hasn't really played with that level of talent on a consistent basis in his 46-game career. He spent most of his minutes in 2025-26 with 26-year-old Max Crozier, who is a serviceable bottom-pair two-way defender but nothing more.

He spent limited minutes with Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonough, and Darren Raddysh, and the sample sizes were too limited to draw much from. However, Carlile, like Wotherspoon, has some mobility, a high degree of defensive conscience, and a dash of toughness, as the 6-foot-3, 190-pound blueliner had 40 penalty minutes in his 42 games last season. He also recorded 51 hits and 38 blocked shots.

He fights, he hits, he plays aggressively, he can skate relatively well, and he takes care of business in his own end and in defending the rush. 

And, yes, that sounds a whole lot like Wotherspoon. 

The reality is that the likelihood of a Wotherspoon repeat is low. If Carlile can tandem with Karlsson or Letang even close to the level that Wotherspoon did for most of last season, it's a net win for Dubas and the Penguins. Carlile's meager $1.5 million cap hit will have absolutely no effect if he doesn't end up clicking with the Penguins, as they can easily bury him in the AHL if they waive him and he clears.

However, the basic skillsets of Carlile and Wotherspoon are similar enough, and the move itself is almost a replica of Dubas's move to sign Wotherspoon last summer. Even if he ends up on Pittsburgh's left-side bottom pairing, that helps the team. Even if not ideal top-four options, they do still have Sam Girard and Trevor van Riemsdyk to slot there, and they have Owen Pickering, Jake Livanavage, and Maleek McGowan waiting in the wings. 

Overall, the Carlile signing was a smart, risk-free one by Dubas. And, given the Penguins' and their new coaching staff's ability to get the most out of their blueline, it could end up being the type of hidden-gem signing they need to both fill Wotherspoon's void and to afford them some patience in building out the rest of the left side over the next two seasons.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!