Penguins add Cup winner Smith in bid to return to playoffs

Also sign Graves, Eller, Acciari in busy offseason

After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is examining where each team stands in preparation for the 2023-24 regular season, which starts Oct. 10. Today, the Pittsburgh Penguins:

2022-23 season: 40-31-11, fifth in Metropolitan Division; did not qualify for Stanley Cup Playoffs

Key arrivals

Reilly Smith, F: The 32-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on June 28 for a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Smith had 56 points (26 goals, 30 assists) in 78 regular-season games and 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games to help Vegas win the Stanley Cup. He could slot into the top-six forward group, possibly alongside second-line center Evgeni Malkin. … Ryan Graves, D: The 28-year-old signed a six-year contract July 1, coming off 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in 78 regular-season games with the New Jersey Devils last season and one assist in 10 playoff games. Graves (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) should provide a physical, defensive-oriented presence on a pair with Kris Letang or Jeff Petry. … Lars Eller, F: The 34-year-old signed a two-year contract July 1. He had 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 84 games with the Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche last season and did not have a point in seven postseason games with Colorado. Eller likely will play third-line center, possibly pushing Jeff Carter to the fourth line. … Noel Acciari, F: The 31-year-old signed a three-year contract July 1 and likely will supply forward depth on the third line after he had 23 points (14 goals, nine assists) in 77 regular-season games for the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs last season and two goals in 11 playoff games. ... Matt Nieto, F: The 30-year-old signed a two-year contract July 1 after having 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 81 games with the San Jose Sharks and Avalanche last season. He did not have a point in seven playoff games. ... Kyle Dubas, president of hockey operations: Hired on June 1, the 37-year-old is also taking on general manager duties on an interim basis. Dubas was previously GM of the Maple Leafs for six seasons (2018-23).

Key departures

Jason Zucker, F: The 31-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Coyotes on July 1. Zucker had 48 points (27 goals, 21 assists) in 78 games last season. … Brian Dumoulin, D: The 31-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Seattle Kraken on July 1. A two-time Stanley Cup champion with Pittsburgh (2016, 2017), Dumoulin primarily played with Letang in his first 10 NHL seasons and had 25 points (one goal, 24 assists) in 82 games last season. … Ron Hextall, general manager: Fired April 14, along with president of hockey operations Brian Burke. The 59-year-old replaced Jim Rutherford on Feb. 9, 2021. Pittsburgh was 118-67-24 under Hextall and Burke, ending a streak of 16 straight appearances in the playoffs last season.

On the cusp

Owen Pickering, D: The-19-year-old, who was the No. 21 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, was captain of Swift Current of the Western Hockey League last season, leading its defensemen with 45 points (nine goals, 36 assists) in 61 games. Pickering was held without a point in eight games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. … Valtteri Puustinen, F: The 24-year-old led Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 59 points (24 goals, 35 assists) in 72 games. A seventh-round pick (No. 203) in the 2019 NHL Draft, Puustinen had an assist in his NHL debut against the Golden Knights on March 11, 2022. … Jonathan Gruden, F: The 23-year-old signed a one-year contract July 14 to remain with Pittsburgh. Acquired Oct. 8, 2020, in a trade that sent goalie Matt Murray to the Ottawa Senators, Gruden had 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) in 54 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season and no points in three games with the Penguins, making his NHL debut against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 16.

What they still need

Even more forward depth. Top-six forwards Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, Malkin and Zucker scored 171 of Pittsburgh' 261 goals (65.5 percent) last season. Much of the work has already been done with Eller, Acciari and Nieto added, but another piece or two to take pressure off the top two lines could be welcome.

They said it

"Obviously, Mike Sullivan's record as a coach and [Crosby's] as a player speak for themselves. I've heard a lot of people that were highly skeptical of the team's ability to contend here. The way I view it is if people want to bet against Mike Sullivan, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and others, they can go ahead and do so. But I'm going to bet on them." -- president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas

Fantasy focus

Graves will have a major increase in fantasy value if he plays on a pairing with Letang, who had 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) in 64 games last season. He also should be the fantasy beneficiary of a strong Penguins offense that was tied for fourth in the NHL last season in shots on goal per game (34.4). -- Anna Dua

Projected lineup

Jake Guentzel -- Sidney Crosby -- Rickard Rakell

Reilly Smith -- Evgeni Malkin -- Bryan Rust

Noel Acciari -- Lars Eller -- Mikael Granlund

Matt Nieto -- Jeff Carter -- Josh Archibald

Ryan Graves -- Kris Letang

Pierre-Olivier Joseph -- Jeff Petry