Penguins relinquish rights to forward prospect Chase Yoder

The Pittsburgh Penguins relinquished the rights to forward prospect Chase Yoder on Sunday.

Puckpedia reported the transaction Monday night.

It was initially believed Yoder’s NHL rights would expire on Aug. 15 but given that he played five seasons at the NCAA level with Providence, that timeframe was advanced to Sunday.

Yoder, a sixth-round draft pick (No. 170 overall) in 2020, was not expected to be signed regardless of when his rights formally expired.

Per Puckpedia, the standard Aug. 15 signing deadline for NCAA players applies to those who leave school after their fourth year of eligibility or players who are scheduled to graduate after four years of college.

Yoder, 23, was granted a fifth season due to NCAA rules related to the Covid-19 pandemic for all sports.

Serving as Providence’s captain for each of the past two seasons, the left-handed Yoder scored 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 37 games during the 2024-25 campaign.

Yoder (5-foot-11, 200 pounds) was the Penguins’ final selection in the team’s last draft class under former general manager Jim Rutherford. The statuses of players selected in that draft class:

Second round (No. 52 overall) - Joel Blomqvist, goaltender - In the second year of a three-year entry-level contract with the Penguins. Spent most of 2024-25 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Third round (No. 77 overall) - Calle Clang, goaltender - NHL rights traded to the Anaheim Ducks on March 21, 2022. Sent all of 2024-25 with San Diego of the AHL.

Fourth round (No. 108 overall) - Lukas Svejkovsky, center - Traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 30, 2024. Spent most of 2024-25 with Ilves Tampere of Finland’s Liiga.

Fifth round (No. 149 overall) - Ravis Ansons, right winger - In the final year of a three-year NHL contract. Spent all of 2024-25 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Signed a one-year AHL contract for the 2025-26 season on May 5.

Sixth round (No. 170 overall) - Chase Yoder, center - NHL rights expired on Sunday.