APRIL 18 • NHL.COM
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 7-12-4 · 8TH IN EAST, METROPOLITAN
7-12-4 · 8TH IN EAST, METROPOLITAN
Next Game vs Canucks · Thu 12:30AM
Many Special Moments Conclude Carter's Phenomenal Career | Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh’s 2023-24 season finale turned out to be the last game of Jeff Carter’s impressive 19-year career, one that has him knocking on t...
Matt Nieto - Ends season on shelf Nieto (knee) was unable to get back onto the ice for the Penguins this season, missing 60 games total.
Impact Nieto's status was never really updated by the Penguins but it seems almost certain that he suffered a setback at some point considering the team previously said he was out 6-8 weeks at the start of January. Before getting hurt, the 31-year-old California native managed just one goal and three assists in 22 games. Even if Nieto is available for the start of the 2024-25 campaign, he figures to be a long shot for anything more than a bottom-six role.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Jack St. Ivany - Adds physicality to roster St. Ivany played in 14 games for the Penguins this season in which he registered 30 hits, 14 blocks and one assist.
Impact St. Ivany shouldn't be expected to offer much in the way of offensive output, he managed just 15 points in 53 minor-league contests, but he is certainly capable of delivering hits. It seems the 24-year-old blueliner earned the trust of the coaching staff, playing in the final two months of the season while the Pens were trying to secure a playoff spot. St. Ivany will be a restricted free agent in the offseason but shouldn't cost the team significantly more than his current $857,500 cap hit.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Ryan Shea - On waivers Shea was put on waivers Thursday, per CapFriendly.
Impact Shea had a goal, 24 hits and 24 blocks in 31 contests with Pittsburgh in 2023-24. Assuming he clears waivers, Shea can be sent to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the squad's playoff run. The 27-year-old has provided two goals and six points in 22 outings with the minor-league club this campaign. The blueliner can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Former Flyers star Jeff Carter retires with Pittsburgh Penguins after 19 seasons A two-time All-Star who won two Stanley Cups with Los Angeles, Carter played the first six seasons with the Flyers, leading them in goals th...
APRIL 18 • INQUIRER.COM
Noel Acciari - Could have played in postseason Acciari clarified Thursday that he suffered a glute injury but would have been ready for the postseason after avoiding surgery, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports...
Impact Acciari missed the final 12 games of the Penguins' season due to his glute injury. On the year, the 32-year-old center managed just seven points in 55 games, his lowest posting total since 2016-17 when he was in action for only 29 contests for the Bruins. Acciari figures to be locked into a bottom-six role for the club next season and might even find himself a healthy scratch periodically if he continues to struggle offensively.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Kris Letang - Played through injuries Letang told reporters he was "dealing with some stuff" during the final weeks of the season, per Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteThursday.
Impact Letang was still able to play but did have a handful of maintenance days along with way. Despite being banged up, the veteran blueliner still managed 10 points in his last 11 contests, reaching the 50-point threshold for the seventh time in his NHL career. With Erik Karlsson on the roster, Letang was a relative non-factor with the man advantage, earning just five power-play points, something fantasy players will have to factor into their decisions heading into 2024-25.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Jeff Carter retires Two-time Stanley Cup champion Jeff Carter announced his retirement from the NHL after playing his final game for the Pittsburgh Penguins on...
APRIL 18 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
Bryan Rust - Records career-high 28 goals Rust managed to set a new personal best with 28 goals this season, despite playing in just 62 games.
Impact Rust almost certainly would have reached the 30-goal threshold were it not for his 20-game absence this season. Looking ahead to next year, the veteran winger should be a lock for a top-six role, which will have him playing alongside either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. If he can stay healthy, Rust should finally be able to crest that elusive 30-goal mark.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Drew O'Connor - Puts up career numbers O'Connor set new personal bests in games (79), goals (16) and assists (17) this season while averaging 15:45 of ice time.
Impact It was a career year for O'Connor that was bolstered by the departure of Jake Guentzel. With an opening on the top line, it was O'Connor who found himself playing on Sidney Crosby's left wing. In that spot, the 25-year-old winger registered 12 of his 33 points this year. Unless the Penguins add a top-six winger in free agency, O'Connor should start 2024-25 in that role as well.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Ryan Shea - Limited offensively Shea played in 31 games as a rookie this season but managed just one point to go with 24 hits, 24 blocks and 17 shots.
Impact Shea started all nine April games during the Penguins' last-gasp push for a postseason spot, seemingly earning the trust of the coaching staff. If the team would like to keep Shea in a third-pairing ahead of next season, it will need to sign him to an extension prior to July 1 or risk him agreeing to terms elsewhere.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Radim Zohorna - Minimal production this year Zohorna played in a career-high 33 games for the Penguins this season in which he generated four goals and three assists.
Impact Zohorna played in 29 games during the first two months of the season but was only able to earn four appearances at the NHL level once the calendar turned to 2024. If he's willing to sign a two-way deal, it's possible the Penguins will bring back the 27-year-old unrestricted free agent this summer.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Jansen Harkins - Ends season without scoring Harkins failed to score a goal in 45 games with the Penguins this year, registering just four helpers.
Impact Harkins -- who was claimed off waivers by the Pens before the start of the season -- struggled with injuries throughout the 2023-24 campaign. The 26-year-old Cleveland native will head to free agency this offseason, and may not have shown the team enough to earn a new deal considering he couldn't score even when healthy. Still, Harkins likely won't be an expensive pick up regardless of where he lands, so maybe Kyle Dubas will opt to re-sign him.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Valtteri Puustinen - Scores goal in loss Puustinen scored a goal on three shots in a 5-4 loss to the Islanders on Wednesday.
Impact Puustinen was able to bring a 14-game goal drought to a close in the season finale. The 24-year-old winger played in 52 NHL games this year in which he generated five goals, 15 assists and 40 hits while averaging 11:45 of ice time. Puustinen will need a new contract before the 2024-25 campaign but should be back with the Pens considering he is a restricted free agent.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Evgeni Malkin - Two points against isles Malkin scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Islanders.
Impact The 37-year-old center wrapped up a solid finish to the campaign that saw him deliver four multi-point performances in his final eight games. Malkin ends 2023-24 with 27 goals and 67 points through 82 games, and he's now played every game for Pittsburgh in each of the last two seasons -- an impressive feat all on its own, and the first time he's managed to do that since his age-21 and 22 seasons. Malkin still appears to have plenty left in the tank, and he has some milestones left to aim for, as he needs just two more goals for 500 in his career and four more points for 1,300.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Erik Karlsson - Snags helper against Isles Karlsson registered an assist in the season finale versus the Islanders on Wednesday.
Impact Karlsson ended the 2023-24 season on a high note with points in seven of his last eight outings for a combined three goals and seven assists. Overall, it's been a down season for the blueliner after he posted a career-high 101 points last year that saw him secure the Norris Trophy. Still, Karlsson got over the 50-point threshold for just the second time in his last six seasons.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Alex Nedeljkovic - Stuck with loss in finale Nedeljkovic made 27 saves in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Islanders.
Impact Neither team had anything to play for, as the Penguins were already eliminated from the playoffs while the Isles were locked into a first-round series against the Hurricanes, but they still put together a spirited back-and-forth affair. The regulation loss was the first for Nedeljkovic since March 9 -- the 28-year-old took over the starting job for Pittsburgh down the stretch, and over his last 12 outings he went 8-1-2 with a 2.93 GAA and .902 save percentage. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and he should be able to do better than the one-year, $1.5 million deal he signed with the Pens last July given his late-season performance.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Sidney Crosby - Two-point night in finale Crosby registered a pair of helpers in a 5-4 defeat to the Islanders in the Penguins's season finale Wednesday.
Impact Crosby averaged over a point per game for the 19th consecutive season, including scoring 40-plus goals for the first time since 2016-17. While the world-class center won't be playing in the postseason this year, he should have a busy offseason that includes signing an extension with the club once he officially enters the last season of his current deal July 1.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Michael Bunting - Two helpers in season finale Bunting recorded a pair of assists in Wednesday's 5-4 defeat to the Islanders.
Impact Bunting had five multi-point efforts over the course of his 21-game stint in Pittsburgh. The winger appears to have thrived playing in a second-line role for the Penguins, a spot he will likely continue to hold down heading into the 2024-25 campaign. The 28-year-old Ontario native fell one tally shy of reaching the 20-goal threshold, a mark he should be capable of getting back to with a full season on Evgeni Malkin's wing.
APRIL 18 • ROTOWIRE
Carter of Penguins retires from NHL after 19 seasons | NHL.com Forward, 39, won Stanley Cup twice with Kings
APRIL 18 • NHL.COM
Penguins' Jeff Carter retires after 19 seasons: 'It was time' A consistent goal-scorer in his prime, Carter scored at least 25 goals eight times. He finished with 851 regular-season points.
APRIL 18 • THEATHLETIC.COM
Yohe's 10 season observations: On Sidney Crosby, Kyle Dubas, the future and what comes next The Penguins ended the season with a 5-4 loss, but there was much more to this game.
APRIL 18 • THEATHLETIC.COM
Penguins Finish Season Strong, But Fall Short of Playoffs | Pittsburgh Penguins On the morning of March 24, Pittsburgh sat at 24th in the NHL standings and 13th in the Eastern Conference, nine points out of the final Eas...
APRIL 18 • NHL.COM
Penguins, Islanders line up to congratulate Carter after last NHL game | NHL.com Veteran forward announces retirement, family greets him on bench
APRIL 18 • NHL.COM
Islanders' close out season with 5-4 win over Penguins Simon Holmstrom scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, Ilya Sorokin stopped Sidney Crosby on a late penalty shot and the playoff-boun...
APRIL 18 • SANDIEGOUNIONTRIBUNE.COM
