The Pittsburgh Penguins are signing a defenseman, according to TSN’s Chris Johnston. Trevor van Riemsdyk. This will be Pittsburgh’s first step toward free agency, with a spectacular depth defenseman arriving a day after the trade. Parker Wotherspoon For Kaedan Korczak in a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. Pittsburgh also traded a defenseman Jack St. Ivani to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a forward David Gustafsson.
Van Riemsdyk will handle the holes created on Pittsburgh’s fluid blue line. The soon-to-be 35-year-old has spent the past six seasons as the bottom pair of the Washington Capitals. He has averaged 15 points each season, although he hit a career high of 23 points in the 2022-23 season. Van Riemsdyk’s blocked shot had a greater effect – he led the Capitals in half his seasons with the club. He totaled 667 blocked shots in 387 games for Washington, or an average of 141 blocked shots per season.
Van Riemsdyk has long played a minor role in playoff teams. He won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in his first season in the NHL, playing only 18 regular season games and four playoff games. Since then, he has missed just three Stanley Cup playoff games, thanks to timely changes in the organization between the Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes and Capitals. Pittsburgh is hoping Van Riemsdyk can carry his playoff luck over from their rival in the Black and Gold. This season, the Penguins broke a three-year playoff drought, although they were eliminated in the first round.