It was a busy first day of NHL free agency Wednesday, with a number of players changing teams. The Pittsburgh Penguins signed two defenseman, including Trevor van Riemsdyk, who played for Washington last year and Declan Carlile from Tampa Bay. They also signed veteran forward Andrei Kuzmenko to a one-year deal. He has battled injuries the past two seasons, but had 39 goals in 2022-23. Last season for Los Angeles, he had 13 goals and 25 points over 52 games.
The Penguins also traded for left-winger Nick Robertson from Toronto for a 2028 draft pick. He is a former 2nd round pick, who had 16 goals and 16 assists with the Maple Leafs last season.
The Pens did lose defenseman Ryan Shea to Edmonton. Goaltender Stuart Skinner signed with Winnipeg. Noel Acciari signed with Philadelphia and Connor Clifton returned to Boston. They also lost Boko Imama to Florida.
The Penguins also signed forward Atley Calvert to a two-year “entry-level” contract. He has played the past two seasons at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 22-year old scored 16 goals and had 38 points over 70 games with the Baby Penguins.