Former Pittsburgh Penguins who are still on the 2025 free agent market

We are now almost two months past the beginning of free agency on July 1. Over a billion dollars in contract value have been handed to free agents since then. Despite this, there are still quite a few players looking for new homes. Some of those names are former Penguins. Let’s take a look at some of those former Pens who are still on the free agent market:

Robert Bortuzzo

While nothing is official yet, it sounds like Bortuzzo might be retiring. Nothing is official yet though, so Bortuzzo is still considered an unrestricted free agent. The defensive defenceman curved out a heck of a career after being drafted in the third round by the Penguins in the 2007 NHL Draft. Bortuzzo spent a number of seasons in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before becoming a full-time defenceman in the 2013-14 season. Bortuzzo would spend the majority of the 2014-15 season with the Penguins before being traded to the St Louis Blues alongside a 2016 7th round draft pick, in exchange for Ian Cole. Bortuzzo would spend the next nine seasons with the Blues, winning the Stanley Cup in 2019. Bortuzzo spent last season with the Utah Hockey Club.

Matt Grzelyck

Grzelyck still being a free agent is a bit of a shock. After joining the Penguins for the 2024-25 season following seven seasons with the Boston Bruins, Grzelyck played some tough minutes and put up a career high 40 points. Being 5’10” is certainly a factor, as the league continues to trend towards bigger defencemen in recent years. Still, he elapsed his previous career high in points and averaged over 20 minutes of ice time per game for the first time in his career. Grzelyck is certainly still an NHLer and deserves a contract somewhere.

Jan Rutta

Rutta is another former Penguins defenceman who still finds himself on the free agent market. Rutta signed a 3-year, 2.75M AAV deal with the Penguins ahead of the 2022-23 season. After one season in Pittsburgh, Rutta was included in the package sent to the San Jose Sharks in the three-way trade for Erik Karlsson. Rutta spent the last two seasons playing rugged minutes in San Jose. As a right shot defenceman and two-time Stanley Cup winner, the 35 year old will likely get a deal somewhere, or a PTO at the very least. Could a return to Tampa Bay make sense?

Brock McGinn

After six seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes playing as a bottom-six winger, McGinn signed a 4-year, 2.75M AAV deal with the Penguins in the summer of 2021. McGinn contributed as a depth winger with 12 and 10 goals in his two seasons as a Penguin. He was traded at the 2023-23 trade deadline in his second season as Pen to the Anaheim Ducks, alongside a 2024 3rd round draft pick, in exchange for Dmitry Kulikov. After the trade, McGinn finished the 2022-23 season as a Duck, and spent the next two seasons in Anaheim as well. He is likely to end up on a PTO somewhere.

Matt Nieto

Nieto signed a two-year, 900K AAV deal with the Penguins in the summer of 2023. Nieto got into 22 games with the Pens in his first year, scoring one goal and four points. Nieto spent last season between Pittsburgh and their AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Dustin Tokarski

Tokarski has been a journeyman goaltender who has gotten into a bit of NHL action in Tampa Bay, Montreal, Anaheim, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and most recently Carolina. Tokarski signed a league minimum deal with the Penguins in the summer of 2023. He played in 36 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, putting up an impressive 0.910 SV% and 2.69 GAA. Tokarski also got into four NHL games with the Penguins, posting an 0.897 SV% and 3.44 GAA.

*Jack Johnson is on a PTO with the Minnesota Wild, while Conor Sheary is on a PTO with the New York Rangers