Analysis: What to do with Penguins' restricted free agents? taken in Downtown (Penguins)

PENGUINS

Jack St. Ivany

Last week we took a look at the Penguins' pending unrestricted free agents and what they should do with them. Today we'll look at the restricted free agents.

First, a little refresher on what exactly restricted free agency is and how it works.

A player is a restricted free agent until age 27 or they've reached seven years of NHL experience, whichever comes first. The exceptions are if a player is 25 or 26 years old, have at least three years of professional experience, but under 80 games if a skater or 28 games if a goaltender. If a player fits into that latter category, they become what is called a Group 6 unrestricted free agent, which functions like normal unrestricted free agency. Valtteri Puustinen is a notable example of a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this year.

Teams have until June 25 or the Monday after the NHL draft -- whichever is later, this year it's July 1 -- to submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents to maintain their rights. Teams have those rights until July 15 unless extended by the team, and the player has until Dec. 1 to sign and be eligible to play that season. Qualifying offers are all one year and based off the player's previous salary. Players don't have to sign the actual qualifying offer -- they often don't. Teams make the qualifying offer to maintain rights, but continue to negotiate with the player on a contract. If a player doesn't receive a qualifying offer, they become an unrestricted free agent when free agency opens. If the player is qualified, other teams can extend offer sheets during free agency and the original team can receive draft pick compensation depending on the salary given if the player agrees to the offer sheet and it isn't matched by the original team.

With that all in mind, here's a look at the Penguins' pending unrestricted free agents and if it's worth qualifying them. Because restricted free agents are younger (given the nature of restricted free agency) there are only a handful at the NHL level.

EMIL BEMSTROM

Yeah, the Penguins can pass here. 

Bemstrom never quite fit in after being acquired from the Blue Jackets. He had five goals and six assists in 32 games with Columbus -- albeit in a top-six role -- then just three goals and two assists in 24 games in a bottom-six role with the Penguins after the trade. He was concussed in the Penguins' penultimate game of the season.

Bemstrom seemed like a good pickup at the time. Great shot, especially that one-timer from the left circle. Seemed like he could be a real asset on the power play. Even when he was on the power play, we never really saw much of that shot.

There will be better options to fill the fourth-line wing this summer, either in-house or in free agency. Bemstrom shouldn't be qualified.

P.O JOSEPH

Yes.

Joseph turned into a top-four defensemen as the season went on, and often played with Kris Letang down the stretch on the top pairing. Ideally the Penguins go out and address the left side of their blue line in free agency and perhaps acquire a defenseman better suited for that spot next to Letang, but Joseph at least showed enough to be a regular. He never got a shot next to Jack St. Ivany on the third pairing, but that's an intriguing potential young pairing going into next season.

Joseph could likely be retained for relatively cheap, too. He wasn't a regular in the lineup earlier in the season and didn't take on that top-four role until late. With the cap still likely relatively tight next season, bringing back Joseph at a low cap hit could be advantageous. 

JACK ST. IVANY

An even bigger yes.

Look, Kyle Dubas already said in his season-ending media availability that he expects St. Ivany to push for a regular spot next season. So, he'll be back.

It took some time for St. Ivany to be ready for a full-time role in the NHL. He got off to a slower start in his first professional season in 2022-23, and was a third-pairing defenseman in the AHL and often a healthy scratch. Consistency was his main issue. Coach J.D. Forrest gave him an increased role on the top-pairing this season, and St. Ivany grew into it. He found that consistency.

"This year he's just a much steadier, confident player," Forrest told me of St. Ivany after his recall. "He's got a physical edge to him that he's been bringing on a nightly basis. Last year, he could have a couple good games here and there then he'd fall off a bit. This year he's been very steady. If he hasn't been his best, he's still been good. He's figured out how to do that. It's one of those things that comes with maturity. Jack's done a nice job of that."

The third pairing was the best it was all season with St. Ivany there on the right side, and he was entrusted with penalty-killing time too, even from his first NHL game. It'll be interesting to see what he can do with a full season on that third pair.

SAM POULIN

This one seems to be another given. Poulin was another player Dubas named as someone who could push for a regular NHL role in Pittsburgh next season.

Poulin had a tough season this year, luck-wise. Because he missed most of the previous season due to his leave for mental health reasons, he started the year in the AHL. That was the right move at the time, given that he was essentially coming off of a lost season and needed the big minutes. He was playing well and likely in line for a call up, but then suffered a high-ankle sprain that sidelined him for a month. He came back, returned to form, and was again looking to be in line for a call up before he suffered another injury that sidelined him for a month.

Cap constraints kept Poulin in the AHL much of the year. When he finally got recalled late in the year, he seemed poised to settle into a bottom-six role. But the stomach bug that started sweeping the locker room at the start of April knocked him out again, and also was responsible for him ending up back in Wilkes-Barre when cap space was needed to replace Tristan Jarry when he got sick. Poulin just couldn't win. But he managed to stay positive and keep smiling regardless. He was just happy to be playing hockey again.

Poulin should push for a regular spot in the Penguins' bottom-six next season. He can play both center and wing, and he could surely handle at least fourth-ling wing duties next to Noel Acciari.

Poulin has potential. We likely would have seen that realized at the NHL level by now, if not for the extenuating circumstances he's dealt with. But he only just turned 23 years old. He's still young.

JONATHAN GRUDEN

Gruden's worth re-upping, too.

Gruden played 13 games at the NHL level this year, and didn't look out of place. His best game was undoubtedly his last against the Hurricanes, but cap constraints due to injuries and illnesses forced Gruden back down to Wilkes-Barre to make recalls in other positions. It was unfortunate, but there wasn't anything else that could have been done.

Unfortunately for Gruden, he promptly suffered a long-term injury after returning to Wilkes-Barre and wasn't available once cap space did become available at the NHL level. He missed the rest of the regular season before returning for Game 1 of the playoffs with Wilkes-Barre.

Gruden can play center, can play wing, is reliable defensively, can penalty-kill, and brings an edge. He turns 24 next week. He's still young, there's still room to grow. 

COREY ANDONOVSKI

This one could go either way. Andonovski made strides as a second-year pro. But he was never exactly close to a recall to the NHL, and his roster spot may be better suited for one of the newer incoming forwards.

Andonovski was a free-agent signing out of Princeton in 2022. As a rookie, he scored eight goals and 11 assists in 62 games. This year he had seven goals and 23 assists in 63 games. He's a right wing, has got decent size (6 foot 1, 195 pounds) and is physical, perhaps more than any other forward down in the system. He only just turned 25 last month, so he's still young. 

Andonovski brings an element that's lacking throughout the system. But he'd almost surely be behind at least Poulin, Gruden, Vasily Ponomarev and Ville Koivunen on the depth chart. Maybe even behind Marc Johnstone and Joona Koppanen too. Even if he never earns a recall, he'd be a valuable piece in Wilkes-Barre's bottom six. 

DILLON HAMALIUK

Hamaliuk was a forward prospect acquired in the Erik Karlsson deal. If you don't recall hearing his name since he was a standout in the September Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, it's because he spent almost the entire year in Wheeling.

Hamaliuk finished No. 3 in scoring for the Nailers in the regular season with 15 goals and 24 assists in 36 games, and was named to the ECHL All-Star Classic. He had a single assist in eight AHL games. He's with Wheeling for the playoffs, and has one goal and one assist through five games as Wheeling prepares for the second round.

Hamaliuk is still young, at 23. And he has one thing you can't teach, size -- he's 6 foot 4 and 200 pounds. He uses that size and plays physical, he's got an edge to his game. 

One one hand -- that size is intriguing, and he had a great year in the ECHL. On the other hand -- he didn't show much in his limited AHL action.

If the Penguins are concerned about nearing the 50-contract limit or are able to acquire better forward prospects and depth pieces through trades or free agency, then maybe pass on Hamaliuk. But if there's room for him, it'd be nice to see if he could push for a more regular AHL role and be an impact player at that level. What he does in the Nailers' playoff run could be the difference-maker here.

MAXIM CAJKOVIC

Something Dubas made an effort to do this season was to give some of his borderline depth signings better shots elsewhere if they had no path to the NHL here. That's how the Penguins got Cajkovic -- Dubas sent one of Wilkes-Barre's better depth defensemen in Will Butcher to the Wild in exchange for Cajkovic, a 23-year-old right wing who had primarily played for the Wild's ECHL team.

After the trade, Cajkovic spent much of the year in the ECHL. He had four assists in 13 games in Wheeling, and one goal and one assist in five games with Wilkes-Barre. On April 10 the Penguins loaned him to the Slovakian national team.

Not much to go off of here. Probably won't be much more to see in the future in the Penguins' organization. 

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