The Pittsburgh Penguins have 20 players who are scheduled to become free agents this upcoming offseason.

Here is a look at every player listed in alphabetical order and distinguished between unrestricted and restricted status.

(Note: All contact information is via Cap Friendly.)

Unrestricted free agents

Jeff Carter, center

Salary cap hit: $3.125 million

Notes: Carter revealed he is retiring following a season-ending 5-4 road loss to the New York Islanders. No player with an expiring contract has a higher salary cap hit. The Penguins could utilize that substantial cap space to fortify other areas of the roster.

Taylor Fedun, defenseman

Salary cap hit: $762,500 (two-way contract)

Notes: As Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s captain, the 35-year-old Fedun serves as an extra coach for the Penguins prospects. But at this stage of his career, Fedun is playing on borrowed time. While he is certainly respected and valued for his willingness to mentor, management could very well move on from Fedun.

Jansen Harkins, center

Salary cap hit: $850,000 (two-way contract)

Notes: Harkins was claimed off waivers in October and found a role as a fourth-liner. While his offense was limited to four assists (with no goals) in 45 games, he earned the trust of coaches for his defensive work. If he is comfortable with another cheap contract, that could make it easier for Penguins management to re-sign him.

Vinnie Hinostroza, center

Salary cap hit: $775,000

Notes: With top-line winger Jake Guentzel’s health in question entering the season, the Penguins brought in Hinostroza as one of several low-cost free agent forwards with hopes some of them might pan out as a short-term replacement. None of that really happened as Guentzel wound up opening the season able-bodied while Hinostroza languished, bouncing between the NHL and AHL rosters. He can find more opportunity elsewhere.

Alex Nedeljkovic, goaltender

Salary cap hit: $1.5 million

Notes: Seeking to revitalize his career, Nedelkjkovic signed to a classic low-cost “prove it” contract last offseason and proved he was still a viable option as a starter as evidenced by his presence in the Penguins’ lineup for the final 13 games of the regular season. With management professing confidence in top goaltender Tristan Jarry and intrigue in prospect Joel Blomqvist, there might not be room to retain Nedeljkovic. Regardless, Nedeljkovic shouldn’t have any shortage of suitors as a result of his solid rebound campaign.

Xavier Ouellet, defenseman

Salary cap hit: $762,500 (two-way contract)

Notes: A viable top-four defenseman at the AHL level, the 30-year-old Ouellet is likely bound to move on. He is an All-Star who can help make an AHL team competitive but isn’t a threat to take an NHL job at this juncture of his career.

Valtteri Puustinen, right winger

Salary cap hit: $775,000

Notes: As the leading scorer of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins each of the previous two seasons, Puustinen broke through as full-time NHLer this season, posting 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 52 games. While his contributions were inconsistent and Puustinen will be free to sign elsewhere, all parties involved seem interested in continuing this marriage.

Jack Rathbone, defenseman

Salary cap hit: $850,000

Notes: After failing to gain traction in the Vancouver Canucks organization, Rathbone was given a fresh start with the Penguins following a trade in October. A steady contributor to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s successful season, he never seemed to merit serious consideration for a recall to the NHL roster. He seems to appreciate playing for this franchise but a better chance at NHL work will likely be found with another organization.

Dmitri Samorukov, defenseman

Salary cap hit: $775,000 (two-way contract)

Notes: Brought in on an AHL contract, Samorukov signed an NHL deal in November. After a handful of weeks as a healthy scratch with the NHL club, he was sent back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in December, providing steady but inert play on the blue line. A return or departure by Samorukov won’t make or break the Penguins.

Ryan Shea, defenseman

Salary cap hit: $775,000

Notes: An under-the-radar signing last offseason, Shea impressed in the offseason and opened the season on the bottom pairing offering a steady, safe game. By December, he was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and remained with that team until injuries created opportunity in April. Along with rookie Jack St. Ivany, Shea helped form a reliable third pair in the final week of the season. If he is willing to return on another frugal contract, he’ll have a job.

Ludovic Waeber, goaltender

Salary cap hit: $950,000 (two-way contract:

Notes: The Penguins mainly took on Waeber so they could facilitate a trade to unload goaltender Magnus Hellberg to the Florida Panthers in March. The Swiss-born Waeber has offered steady play behind Blomqvist since joining the Penguins. Regardless, with prospects such as Taylor Gauthier and Sergei Murashov in the pipeline, Waeber could very well be moving on.

Radim Zohorna, left winger

Salary cap hit: $775,000 (two-way contract)

Notes: After splitting the 2022-23 season between the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs organization, Zohorna returned to the Penguins who brought him to North America from Czechia in 2020. After an impressive preseason, Zohorna got an early chance on the team’s third line but did not offer much in the way of sustained contributions. After four years, he may need to look elsewhere to stay in the NHL.

Restricted free agents

Corey Andonovski, right winger

Salary cap hit: $925,000 (entry-level contract and eligible for arbitration)

Notes: An undrafted college free agent in 2022 under former general manager Ron Hextall, Andonovski has largely been a middle-six forward with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. If that’s enough to earn a new contract, that’s up for debate, but he is said to have progressed satisfactorily in the eyes of current management.

Emil Bemstrom, center

Salary cap hit: $900,000

Notes: Acquired in February via a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Bemstrom was largely underwhelming despite some ice time in a top-six role. By the end of the season, he was an occasional healthy scratch and finished the season with a concussion. He could be very well allowed to become an unrestricted free agent.

Maxim Cajkovic, right winger

Salary cap hit: $850,833 (entry-level contract)

Notes: The Penguins acquired Cajkovic mainly as a means to unloading defenseman Will Butcher to avoid issues with the AHL’s rules on how many veterans can be in a lineup. Following the trade, he spent more time with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL (13 games) than Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (five games). On April 10, he was loaned to the Slovakian national team. It’s safe to assume he will not be returning next season.

Jonathan Gruden, center

Salary cap hit: $775,000 (two-way contract and eligible for arbitration)

Notes: A steady contributor to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton the past few years, Gruden’s chances at the NHL level have been limited. This season, he appeared in a career-best 13 games and scored one goal. He might have seen more action if an undisclosed injury didn’t hobble him late in the regular season. A fundamentally sound, energetic fourth-line style of player, Gruden seems to have the trust of management, albeit as a reserve in the event of injuries to incumbents on the NHL roster.

Dillon Hamaliuk, left winger

Salary cap hit: $789,167 (entry-level contract)

Notes: A spare part in the blockbuster trade that brought defenseman Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh in August, Hamaliuk spent most of the season with Wheeling. A selection as an ECHL All-Star, Hamaliuk was a major contributor to Wheeling returning to the postseason. If that is enough to merit a new contract, that remains to be seen.

P.O Joseph, defenseman

Salary cap hit: $825,000 (eligible for salary arbitration)

Notes: Only in the lineup for 22 of the team’s first 52 games, Joseph eventually found a role on the top pairing with Kris Letang and offered a steady, safe presence. It’s still fair to wonder if management sees Joseph as part of the franchise’s future, but he didn’t hurt his case with how he played the final two months of the season.

Sam Poulin, right winger

Salary cap hit: $863,333 (entry-level contract)

Notes: A first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in 2019, Poulin took a big step forward this season after a disjointed 2022-23 season when he took a leave of absence to address his mental health. A spate of ill-time injuries largely denied Poulin opportunity at steadier work at the NHL level in 2023-24, but he appears to remain a part of the team’s hopes for the future.

Jack St. Ivany, defenseman

Salary cap hit: $857,500 (entry-level contract and eligible for arbitration)

Notes: After long-timer third-pairing defenseman Chad Ruhwedel was traded away in March, a void was created on the right side of the bottom pair, and St. Ivany filled it upon being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Offering a safe, steady approach with a few hints of physicality, St. Ivany aced his audition for the 2024-25 season.

Follow the Penguins all season long.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)