Darkhorse defenseman Jake Livingstone hopes to find role in Penguins organization

These days, Jake Livingstone is uninterested in trying to be something he’s not.

Livingstone, one of the nearly 30 defensemen who arrived at training camp looking for a role with the Pittsburgh Penguins, is by no means a grizzled veteran who learned a valuable lesson through years of trial and error on the ice.

The 26-year-old with only five games of NHL experience who is with the Penguins on a professional tryout contract has just come to understand simplicity as the key to his game.

“I don’t do anything special,” the 6-foot-4, 213-pound Livingstone said. “I’m not flashy. I’m a two-way defenseman. I love offense and I play defense hard. I’m hard. I’m physical. I do things the right way with my details – two-way defenseman that does the right things and kind of goes under the radar.”

Livingstone received his PTO offer from the Penguins roughly two weeks before training camp commenced Sept. 18 at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.

A sought-after undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State who promptly made his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators late in the 2022-23 campaign, Livingstone spent the last two seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League.

His first campaign, in 2023-24, he appeared in 68 games, scoring two goals with 15 assists, while last season, he skated in 58 games for the Admirals, contributing seven goals with nine assists.

Livingstone’s NHL resume featured five appearances, where he notched an assist and averaged 15 minutes, 27 seconds of nightly ice time.

With his time in the Predators organization at an end and a two-year, $1.55 million contract completed, Livingstone reflected on the days with his previous employer.

“This last year I thought I stepped up quite a bit, learned a lot from the coaching staff in how they wanted me to play and how I needed to play to play at the pro level,” Livingstone said. “I think it’s just keeping a simple hockey game. Nothing too flashy. I enjoyed my time there. Obviously, we went our separate ways now, but it was good.”

Earning a contract from the Penguins will be a challenge for Livingstone, with far more players than there is equal ice time to go around for first-year coach Dan Muse.

On top of many other things, Muse has to manage getting a wide array of players preseason action — from veterans to draft picks, AHLers to fringe candidates looking for roles such as Livingstone.

Still, Muse is committed to getting eyes on as many players as possible, defensemen included.

“We want to see guys,” Musa said. “We want to see who’s going to make themselves noticed and give them that opportunity. And so while I do think it’s going to look a little bit different for everybody, I do think that that’s going to be there for them.”

Through two preseason contests, Livingstone’s number has yet to be called.

Wednesday against Columbus, the Penguins deployed Caleb Jones, a newly signed free agent, and Connor Clifton, acquired on NHL Draft night for winger Conor Timmins, as their top defensive pairing.

Behind them, Muse played Alexander Alexeyev, Jack St. Ivany, Sebastian Aho and Philip Kemp, all of whom have contracts and are vying to earn a roster spot on opening night.

Muse will also continue to want to get a look at plenty of others ahead of Livingstone on the pecking order, such as prospects Owen Pickering, Harrison Brunicke, Daniel Laatsch and Finn Harding.

Moving forward, nothing – from preseason playing time to a spot in the organization – will be guaranteed for Livingstone.

But he believes he’s in the right place to forge the next chapter of his hockey career.

“I wanted to keep playing hockey in North America and when the Penguins reached out to my agent, I looked at what they had here, how they ran things and I thought it was a great decision to come here and prove myself and prove them right for inviting me,” he said.