Penguins A to Z: Jimmy Huntington's season was over before it truly began

With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason for a third consecutive year without a playoff appearance, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 56 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.

Starting with Noel Acciari and going on through to Philip Tomasino (regrettably, there is no Z on the payroll), every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.

This series is scheduled to be published Mondays through Saturdays leading up until June 24, four days before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)

Jimmy Huntington

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Age: 26

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 200 pounds

2024-25 AHL statistics: Four games, four points (one goal, three assists)

Contract: Signed to a one-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000. Pending unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.

Acquired: Unrestricted free agent signing, July 1, 2024

This season: Developing home-grown talent has become a point of emphasis for the Penguins ever since Kyle Dubas took over as president of hockey operations in July of 2023.

And part of that pursuit is ensuring the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are a more competitive outfit for the benefit of legitimate rising prospects.

Having not advanced past the opening round of the American Hockey League playoffs since 2016, Dubas and others in management sought to add veterans who are proficient at that level, even if their hopes to reach the NHL are limited (if not non-existent).

Where else can one find players that fit that bill better than the rival Hershey Bears, winners of the Calder Cup each of the past two seasons?

Huntington was a key contributor to the Bears’ 2024 championship and the Penguins made him something of a priority when the free agent signing period opened. His two-way contract included an ample salary of $350,000 at the AHL level.

The hope was that Huntington could provide a viable presence as a top-six center while offering guidance to his younger teammates with NHL aspirations.

After clearing waivers and being assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Oct. 3, Huntington opened the season as the AHL Penguins’ top center and made an immediate impact, scoring the team’s first goal of 2024-25 in a 7-6 season-opening home loss to the Charlotte Checkers.

Jimmy Huntington has our first goal of the season! pic.twitter.com/lUXnyZC4ep

— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) October 12, 2024

Huntington filled his role perfectly until his fourth game of the season on Oct. 19 when he suffered an undisclosed injury that wound up sidelining him for the remainder of the season.

The future: No substantive word has ever been offered on Huntington’s status. In December, he indicated he suffered “a bad injury” but was short on specifics, according to Inside AHL Hockey.

Assuming he recovers, his role as a trusted top-six AHL forward/good citizen seems secure no matter what team he suits up for. If that entails him suiting up for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins moving forward, that is anyone’s guess, considering he is a pending unrestricted free agent.

A handful of the Penguins’ forward prospects are bound to get a chance at the NHL roster next season, so there will presumably be some vacancies on the AHL roster up front. The opportunity for Huntington will presumably be there. It’s fair to wonder if the desire to continue the union – by management and the player – will be present.

Huntington seemed poised to be a legitimate contributor to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but his season was over before it truly began.