The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a mostly quiet offseason so far, but with the NHL Draft and free agency approaching, they’ll need to get moving. Their Metropolitan Division rivals have wasted no time making big moves to prepare for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73130368/1991173464.0.jpg)
In about 24 hours, the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and Washington Capitals all made changes that should set them up for success.
Rangers Waive Barclay Goodrow
Before the start of the 2021-22 season, the Rangers signed Barclay Goodrow to a six-year contract worth a little over $3.5 million. Goodrow’s numbers declined each of his first three years on that deal, and the Rangers had seen enough.
Rather than look for a trade, the Rangers waived Goodrow, likely intending to get out of his contract. The San Jose Sharks, however, stepped in and claimed him off waivers, taking him back to where his NHL career started.
With Goodrow’s contract entirely off the books, the Rangers can turn their focus on building off of their President’s Trophy season.
Devils Acquire Jacob Markstrom
The Devis have been targeting Jacob Markstrom since the most recent trade deadline. After months of waiting, they finally got him. The Devils have desperately needed goaltending, and they have a notable name in Markstrom.
At 34 years old, Markstrom has 485 career games under his belt with a record of 215-196-57. A Vezina Trophy candidate two years ago, Markstrom is looking to get his career back to its peak.
Markstrom also has a great history against the Penguins; in 11 contests, Markstrom is 7-4 with a .931 save percentage. Putting him in the same division will make life tough for the Penguins.
Capitals Acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois
In a clean one-for-one deal, the Capitals acquired forward Pierre-Luc Dubois for goalie Darcy Kuemper. There may be some criticisms of this deal on Washington’s part, but Dubois has what it takes to be a good player in the NHL.
Dubois has scored 60 points twice in a single season and will have a chance to hit that mark again by playing alongside some solid producers like Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson.
The Capitals did take on Dubois’ entire contract at $8.5 million for another seven seasons, but they believe they can get the best out of him. He will be 26 and still has plenty of NHL life ahead of him.
