The Penguins have until 5 p.m. today to extend qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents in order to hold onto their rights.
Kyle Dubas said on Monday afternoon at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex that they are still "having conversations with" Phil Tomasino and Connor Dewar. Vasily Ponomarev will still be qualified despite signing in Russia already, a move that will allow the Penguins to maintain his exclusive North American signing rights in the event he returns in the future -- similar to what they once did with Filip Hallander, a move that eventually paid off when he did eventually return. There's no downside to qualifying Ponomarev, regardless of whether he eventually comes back.
Dubas said "the rest" will not be qualified -- a group that includes only P.O Joseph from the NHL roster, as well as minor-league players Emil Bemstrom and Taylor Gauthier. They will become unrestricted free agents on Tuesday as a result. Raivis Ansons still remains technically a restricted free agent, but the Penguins have already signed him to an AHL contract for next season.
As far as the pending unrestricted free agents, Dubas said they'll opt to "see what's out there" instead of re-signing them. The pending unrestricted free agents are Matt Grzelcyk and Matt Nieto, as well as Marc Johnstone, Mathias Laferriere, Jimmy Huntington, Nate Clurman, Mac Hollowell, Filip Kral and Colton Poolman from the minors, a number of whom have already signed overseas for next season.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
5:14 pm - 06.30.2025Cranberry, Pa.Plans for pending RFAs, UFAs
The Penguins have until 5 p.m. today to extend qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents in order to hold onto their rights.
Kyle Dubas said on Monday afternoon at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex that they are still "having conversations with" Phil Tomasino and Connor Dewar. Vasily Ponomarev will still be qualified despite signing in Russia already, a move that will allow the Penguins to maintain his exclusive North American signing rights in the event he returns in the future -- similar to what they once did with Filip Hallander, a move that eventually paid off when he did eventually return. There's no downside to qualifying Ponomarev, regardless of whether he eventually comes back.
Dubas said "the rest" will not be qualified -- a group that includes only P.O Joseph from the NHL roster, as well as minor-league players Emil Bemstrom and Taylor Gauthier. They will become unrestricted free agents on Tuesday as a result. Raivis Ansons still remains technically a restricted free agent, but the Penguins have already signed him to an AHL contract for next season.
As far as the pending unrestricted free agents, Dubas said they'll opt to "see what's out there" instead of re-signing them. The pending unrestricted free agents are Matt Grzelcyk and Matt Nieto, as well as Marc Johnstone, Mathias Laferriere, Jimmy Huntington, Nate Clurman, Mac Hollowell, Filip Kral and Colton Poolman from the minors, a number of whom have already signed overseas for next season.
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