Penguins Wrap: Going After Karlsson, Catching Up With Jarry

It’s mid-July, and the Pittsburgh Penguins still haven’t named a general manager.

That hasn’t prevented them from making some significant personnel moves, however, as president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas, who is serving as the team’s interim GM, has been busy signing players.

Here’s a look at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ past seven days:

Sunday

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a lot of forwards on one-way contracts, but shedding some of the surplus might not be all that difficult. And what should Danton Heinen be worth on the open market?

A Penguins Q&A, Part II. There were so many good questions (and answers) that a sequel became necessary.

Monday

If the Penguins are still looking to add some offense to their bottom two lines, here are four free agents who might be able to provide it.

Drew O’Connor, the only Penguins player to file for salary arbitration, is scheduled to have his hearing on Aug. 4, the final day on which those will be held.

Tuesday

It turns out that one-time Penguins fan favorite Brandon Tanev helped to convince Noel Acciari, a college teammate, to sign here as a free agent.

Lars Eller knows all about the Pittsburgh Penguins from his days with Washington. And he understands the role he’ll be expected to fill here. (+)

Is Sam Poulin, who sat out most of last season, ready to claim a full-time spot on the Penguins’ roster this fall?

Pittsburgh and Carolina are reported to be the places where Erik Karlsson is most likely to be traded.

Wednesday

If the Penguins add Erik Karlsson, Jeff Petry will have to move on.

Thursday

Tristan Jarry reports that he is “100 percent healthy” after going through an injury-plagued 2022-23 season.

Sure, adding Erik Karlsson likely would make the Penguins better in the short term, but the price to acquire him would undermine Kyle Dubas’ attempts to restock the franchise’s prospects pool.

Friday

Sources confirm that Tristan Jarry has neither a degenerative hip issue nor a chronic one.

Finnish defenseman Emil Pieniniemi becomes the first member of the Penguins’ 2023 draft class to sign with them.

Restricted free agent Jonathan Gruden signs a one-year, two-way contract with the Penguins.

Saturday

There’s a market for Erik Karlsson, but San Jose GM Mike Grier doesn’t have as much leverage in trade negotiations as it might seem.

Defenseman Ty Smith, a restricted free agent, signs a one-year contract to stay with the Penguins.