Penguins re-sign Dewar, Solovyov to extensions

A couple of players are staying in the Steel City for a little while longer.

On Thursday, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas announced that the team has re-signed forward Connor Dewar to a two-year contract extension and defenseman Ilya Solovyov to a one-year extension.

Dewar’s new deal carries an AAV of $2.25 million through the 2027-28 season. He’s coming to the end of his one-year contract extension, which he signed in July, which has a cap hit of $1.1 million.

Dewar is coming off his first full season with the Penguins, during which he posted his best performance of his NHL tenure. After being acquired by Pittsburgh in a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2024-25 trade deadline, the Manitoba native was a solid depth piece on a team that had renewed confidence. In 78 games, Dewar set career highs in goals (14), assists (16) and points (30). He helped the Pens finish second in the Metropolitan Division, clinching a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four years.

The 26-year-old posted two goals in the team’s first-round series against the rival Philadelphia Flyers, though the Penguins were eliminated in six games.

In 316 regular-season games in the NHL, Dewar has scored 37 goals and 46 assists for 83 points, with another three points in 19 postseason games.

Solovyov is at the end of his current contract, a two-year deal he signed with the Calgary Flames in September 2024. That contract had an AAV of $775,000. His new deal will feature a cap hit of $850,000 for the 2026-27 campaign.

The Belarusian blueliner started the season with the Colorado Avalanche, but was traded to Pittsburgh for Valtteri Puustinen and a 2026 seventh-round pick in January. He appeared in 14 games with the Pens, registering five assists. In 30 total games during the regular season, Solovyov posted a goal and seven assists for eight points. He played in three games against the Flyers in the playoffs, but didn’t register a point.

In 45 career appearances, the 25-year-old has notched a goal and 11 assists for 12 points.