Former Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin joins Kraken

Defenseman Brian Dumoulin, a venerable member of the Pittsburgh Penguins for over a decade, has joined the the Seattle Kraken, signing a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $3.15 million.

Appearing in all 82 games during the 2022-23 season, Dumoulin scored 25 points (one goal, 24 assists) while averaging 20:38 of ice time per contest.

During the 2012 NHL Draft, the Penguins acquired Dumoulin, then a prospect, from the Carolina Hurricanes, along with forward Brandon Sutter and the eighth-overall selection in that draft, in exchange for forward Jordan Staal. While Sutter and the pick (which was used to select defenseman Derrick Pouliot) drew most of the attention, Dumoulin wound up enjoying the longest tenure with the Penguins of any of the three players/assets that were acquired in that transaction.

Making his NHL debut during the 2013-14 season, Dumoulin rose to the Penguins’ top defensive pairing alongside All-Star Kris Letang and helped the team claim back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.

Dumoulin, 31, just completed a six-year contract that carried a salary cap hit of $4.1 million.

Zucker joins Coyotes

Former Penguins forward Jason Zucker signed with the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $5.3 million.

A member of the Penguins for parts of the past four seasons, Zucker was one of the team’s most prominent pending free agents this offseason.

Zucker, 31, rebounded from two injury-filled seasons with a strong 2022-23 campaign. Primarily deployed on the left wing of the second line with center Evgeni Malkin, Zucker appeared in 78 games and scored 48 points (27 goals, 21 assists) while averaging 15 minutes, 39 seconds of ice time per contest.

Following the Penguins’ acquisition of top-six forward Reilly Smith via trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, Zucker’s departure seemed all but certain.

Acquired from the Minnesota Wild via a trade in February 2020, Zucker just completed a five-year contract that carried a salary cap hit of $5.5 million.

Bonino joins Rangers

Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bonino has signed with the New York Rangers, agreeing to a one-year contract with a salary cap hit of $800,000.

Bonino just completed his second stint with the Penguins, rejoining the team via trade on March 3.

Splitting the 2022-23 season with the San Jose Sharks and Penguins, Bonino appeared in 62 games and scored 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) while averaging 15:55 of ice time per contest.

A member of the franchise’s Stanley Cup championship teams in 2016 and 2017, Bonino saw his second stint with the Penguins end prematurely as his season came to an end after he suffered a lacerated kidney March 9.

Bonino, 35, just completed a two-year contract that carried a salary cap hit of $2.05 million.

Archibald joins Lightning

Former Penguins forward Josh Archibald signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, agreeing to a two-year contract that carries a salary cap hit of $800,000.

Archibald just completed his second stint with the Penguins. An unrestricted free-agent signing during the 2022 offseason, Archibald appeared in 62 games and scored 12 points (six goals, six assists) while averaging 9:59 of ice per contest.

A sixth-round pick (No. 174) of the Penguins during the 2011 NHL Draft, Archibald was a member of the franchise’s Stanley Cup championship in 2017.

Primarily skating on the fourth line and the penalty kill last season, Archibald, 30, just completed a one-year contract with a salary cap hit of $900,000.

Poehling heads to Flyers

Former Penguins forward Ryan Poehling signed with the rival Philadelphia Flyers, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $1.4 million.

Poehling was scheduled to become a restricted free agent Saturday, but on Friday, the Penguins did not extend a qualifying offer to him, allowing the bottom-six forward to become an unrestricted free agent.

Acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens in July 2022, Poehling appeared in 53 games for the Penguins last season and had 14 points (seven goals, seven assists). A series of various maladies kept him out of the lineup for significant portions of the season.

Poehling just completed a two-year contract that carried a salary cap hit of $750,000.

Kulikov rejoins Panthers

Dmitry Kulikov’s brief tenure with the Penguins has come to an end.

The left-handed defenseman, whom the Penguins acquired from the Anaheim Ducks via trade March 3, has rejoined the Florida Panthers, the team that selected him in the first round (No. 14 overall) in the 2009 NHL Draft. Kulikov agreed to a one-year contract worth $1 million.

Overall, Kulikov appeared in 67 games during the 2022-23 campaign and scored 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) while averaging 19:28 of ice time per contest.

A suspected left foot injury Kulikov suffered March 12 limited him to six games and one assist during his time with the Penguins.

Kulikov just completed a two-year contract that carries a salary cap hit of $2.25 million.

Oilers sign forward Caggiula

Former Penguins forward Drake Caggiula rejoined the Edmonton Oilers, agreeing to a two-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000.

A free-agent signing by the Penguins during the 2022-23 offseason, Caggiula, 29, spent most of the 2022-23 season in the American Hockey League with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Appearing in 65 AHL games last season, Caggiula scored 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists).

With the Pittsburgh Penguins, Caggiula played in four contests and did not record any points.

Caggiula returns to the Oilers, the team he spent the first three seasons of his NHL career with. In addition to the Oilers and Penguins, Caggiula has also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres.

Goaltender Tokarski signs with Sabres

Dustin Tokarski, who served as the organization’s third goaltender during the 2022-23 season, signed a one-year contract with the Sabres that carries a salary cap hit of $775,000.

An unrestricted free-agent signing during the 2022 offseason, Tokarski just completed a one-year, two-way contract that also carried a salary cap hit of $775,000.

Tokarski appeared in four NHL contests last season and posted a 1-2-0 record, a 3.44 goals-against average and an .897 save percentage.

Primarily serving as the starting goaltender for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season, Tokarski played in 36 AHL contests and had a 12-16-7 record along with a 2.69 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and one shutout.

Tokarski previously played for the Sabres during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.