Monday night capfriendly must have been busy as the Pittsburgh Penguins agreed to terms with forward Blake Lizotte on a two-year, $3.7 million dollar contract. He will be earning $1.85 million dollars annually. After the signing as well as some other key free agent period moves, according to puckpedia the Penguins currently have $3,524,229 in cap space.
Blake Lizotte Signed to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Lizotte is a 5’9″, 175 lbs left-handed centre. Lizotte is also just 26 years old which is a major positive for the Penguins. The fact that he is just 26 years old is crucial for the Penguins as they were the oldest team in the league this past season.
Lizotte has found himself constantly described as an underdog as he was undrafted and made his NHL debut with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2018-19 season. However, he only played one game that season. The 2019-20 season was where he really came into his own as a full-time player. That season, he appeared in 65 games.
Going into the summer, Lizotte was slated to be a restricted free agent meaning the Kings could match any deal for him. Or, the Kings could gain draft capital for losing him. However, he did not receive a qualifying offer from Kings General Manager Rob Blake. Lizotte then became a unrestricted free agent, which the Penguins took advantage of.
In 320 games, Lizotte has 106 points and carries a career CF% Rel. of -2.1. He is a solid two-way middle six forward who is capable of being in the 25-35 point range while killing penalties. Hence, the sub-par Corsi rating. Of course, if you do not believe in CORSI as a comparable metric, he does possess an impressive differential. That differential is takeaway/giveaways. He is really hard on the puck at +37 for his career.
Lizotte will fit on the fourth line, most likely as a right wing but could also play centre. As of now, he would probably play alongside Lars Eller and Jesse Puljujarvi. However, there will be a more definitive answer regarding all the line combinations once rosters are finalized and training camp starts in September.
Another Islander Joins The Pittsburgh Penguins
In addition to Anthony Beauvillier, the Penguins signed defenceman Sebastian Aho to a two-year deal worth $775,000 annually. Beauvillier and Aho will be teammates together once again. However, this time in the Metropolitan Divisional rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Aho follows the best season of his career, statistically, with one that underwhelmed. Conversely, he was able to maintain his minutes per game, around the 16-minute mark. Therefore, the coache must trust his capability of being an important defensive matchup. You have to consider that the Islanders are a playoff team consistently. And it is role players like Aho that make it advantageous for the club’s outcome. If Sidney Crosby has identified you as a player who is tough to play against, you’re getting signed.
With the Penguins, Aho will be utilized as strictly depth and would be the seventh or eighth defenceman on the team. Depth is always important to have especially when the Penguins were bitten hard by the injury bug this past season. With Aho being just 28 years old, it also allows the Penguins to get younger.
The Penguins have signed defenseman Sebastian Aho to a two-year contract.
The contract runs through the 2025.26 campaign and carries an average annual value of $775,000.
Details: https://t.co/RfIeAGmkv3 pic.twitter.com/MpAGOuRm8j
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 2, 2024
Much Needed Cap Filler Trade
To free up a lot of cap space, the Penguins sent Reilly Smith to the New York Rangers for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick. Smith lasted just one season in Pittsburgh after the Penguins traded a third-round pick to acquire him.
Smith was not what Penguins fans hoped for as he had 40 points and just 13 goals. With him making $5 million dollars, the Penguins were going to look to trade him. Even with the Penguins retaining 25% of his contract, the Penguins still saved a good amount of money. It is also interesting that the Penguins were able to get more draft picks and a more valuable pick than what the Penguins gave up just a year ago to acquire him. Well done!
Still Need A Big Move
However, the Penguins still have to make a move and get Sidney Crosby a new winger. There are a few options but the best option is the two-time Stanley Cup winner and two-time All-Star in Vladimir Tarasenko. Tarasenko has always had an incredible shot and pairing him with one of the best playmakers in both the league and of all-time in Crosby would be an elite connection.
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The Penguins even reached out to Tarasenko and made an offer. If he signs with the Penguins, he could have 34+ goals just like he did in the 2021-22 season. Tarasenko on the first line with Crosby and Bryan Rust, mixed in with a new look bottom six and hopefully significantly improved powerplay and the Penguins could be back in the postseason.
Main photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
