The Pittsburgh Penguins have added to their defensive group by signing a veteran defenceman, as the Trevor van Riemsdyk contract was announced today and it is a two-year deal. Van Riemsdyk is signed for an average annual value of $4 million. Let’s go Pen fans.
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The Penguins have signed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to a two-year contract.
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— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 1, 2026
With the van Riemsdyk Contract, the Pens Continue to Tinker Their Defence
As the Penguins continue to make smaller moves, they’ve added to their defence with another large, 6’3″ veteran defenceman. Signed for two years, Trevor van Riemsdyk is another in the series of similar signings made by general manager Kyle Dubas since he arrived in Pittsburgh. He’s consistently made one-to-two year signings for veterans like van Riemsdyk. For the Penguins, this represents another potential asset that could potentially be moved to a contender if the team falters.
The Van Riemsdyk contract news comes as he joins a group of veteran defencemen headlined by Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang and Samuel Girard. Although he’s right-handed, Van Riemsdyk has experience playing on the left side, as noted by assistant general manager Jason Spezza in his press conference today. As the Penguins continue to appear in trade talks for players like Jason Robertson, van Riemsdyk is another move that allows the organization to dangle valued assets in further talks to improve the team. Expect him to play on the team’s third-pairing this upcoming season.
Van Riemsdyk is signed to this deal as he is hard to play against. He loves making his presence known on the defensive side of the puck. In 2025-26, he played 16:14 a night for the Washington Capitals, so the Pens are familiar with the game he brings. Simple, yet effective. In 68 games, he had three goals and 11 assists. Pittsburgh will look for more of that same reliability out of him for 2026-27 and beyond.
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