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The NHL offseason is nearly two months old and free agency has been a wild ride. Each team has made it clear which direction they are heading and not many have hesitated in taking action.
With just over two months separating us from the 2023-24 NHL regular season, let's look at the team that has improved most in free agency this summer.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are the NHL's most improved team in free agency this summer
The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons in 2022-23. So there was some work to do.
But new General Manager Kyle Dubas and the Pens did not wait long to address their weaknesses.
Signed (new arrivals in bold):
Noel Acciari, Tristan Jarry, Ryan Graves, Matt Nieto, Alex Nedeljkovic, Lars Eller, Joona Koppanen, Ryan Shea, Radim Zohorna, Magnus Hellberg, Marc Johnstone, Will Butcher, Vinnie Hinistroza, Andreas Johnsson, Jonathan Gruden, Ty Smith.
Key departures:
Jason Zucker (ARI), Dmitry Kulikov (FLA), Nick Bonino (NYR), Josh Archibald (TBL)
As you can see, that is quite the list.
It was often debated whether or not the Penguins would bring back any of their goaltenders, as they had seen their ups and downs as of late. But Dubas made it clear that Pittsburgh believes in Tristan Jarry, re-signing the 28-year-old for five more seasons. Jarry went 24-13-7 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against average last season.
Behind Jarry, the Pens solidified their crease with Alex Nedeljkovic, along with Casey DeSmith and Magnus Hellberg. It is not known whether DeSmith will be the odd man out, finding himself in a different city next season. But as of now, the Pens are very deep in net.
Ryan Graves was an excellent top-pair option for the New Jersey Devils last season. Playing nearly the entire season next to Dougie Hamilton, Graves finished with 26 points and a +34 rating that ranked second on a very good Devils team.
The Penguins also added some excellent two-way forwards in Lars Eller, Noel Acciari and Matt Nieto. Eller and Nieto each have a Stanley Cup championship under their belts, while Acciari experienced a playoff run with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season.
From the free agency moves made this summer, it is clear that the Penguins are not looking to take a step backward. Instead, Dubas is ready to bring playoff hockey back to the Steel City.
