While the Penguins find themselves in unfamiliar territory for the first time in nearly two decades, rebuilding, there was still business to be taken care of on Tuesday when the NHL's annual free agency period opened at 12 p.m. EST. 

In the lead up to free agency, Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas said that the team wasn't planning to make any big splashes, saying "that just doesn't fit at all with what we're going to do, and even if we could transition, by the time the prospects are coming through, we don't want to have those types of deals at the back end." 

Right now, after about one day of free agency, the Penguins have about $15.7 million in salary cap space for the 2025-26 season, according to PuckPedia.

Here's who the Penguins have signed in the lead-up to and after the free agency period began. 

Forward Vasily Ponomarev extended a qualifying offer

Heading into free agency, the Penguins had several restricted free agents. With restricted free agents, teams control the player's rights once the contract expires, but in order to keep them, they must sign them to a qualifying offer. 

If a team does not extend a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent by June 25 or the first Monday after the NHL Draft. 

A full explainer on restricted free agency can be found at this link. 

Heading into Monday, the Penguins had seven restricted free agents: forwards Raivis Ansons, Emil Bemstrom, Connor Dewar,  Vasily Ponomarev, and Philip Tomasino. Along with the five forwards, defenseman P.O. Joseph and goaltender Taylor Gauthier were RFAs. 

The Penguins ultimately extended just one qualifying offer, and that was to Vasily Ponomarev. 

It is worth $813,750, according to PuckPedia. 

Ponomarev played seven games for the Penguins in 2024-25, recording no points and two penalty minutes. He was part of the trade the Penguins made on March 7, 2024, that sent Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Penguins re-sign forwards Philip Tomasino and Connor Dewar

Despite not receiving qualifying offers, the Penguins still found a way to bring back two of their RFA forwards. 

The team announced they had signed Philip Tomasino and Connor Dewar to one-year contracts. 

Philip Tomasino was signed to a deal worth $1.75 million and was acquired by the Penguins on November 25, 2024, from the Nashville Predators for a fourth-round pick. 

In 61 games, the 23-year-old forward scored 11 goals, 13 assists, and 24 points. As a Penguin, he scored six game-winning goals, a career-high. 

They also signed Dewar to a $1.1 million contract. 

Acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 7, 2025, Dewar scored four goals and three assists in 17 games with the Penguins. 

Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic traded to San Jose Sharks

On Tuesday afternoon, the Penguins announced they had acquired a 2028 third-round pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. 

As a result of the trade, the Penguins now have 28 draft picks over the next three NHL Drafts, including 16 in the first three rounds. 

The Penguins originally signed Nedeljkovic to a one-year deal in 2023 worth $1.5 million. They opted to re-sign him in the 2024 offseason to a two-year, $2.5 million per season deal. 

In two seasons with the club, Nedeljkovic started 68 games and recorded a record of 32-22-12 and had a .898 save percentage and 3.05 goals against average. 

Penguins sign two defensemen and one forward to two-year contracts

As they did last offseason, the Penguins made multiple signings, none of which extended two seasons. 

They signed forward Justin Brazeau and defensemen Parker Wotherspoon and Caleb Jones to two-year contracts. 

The 27-year-old Brazeau's contract is worth $1.5 million per season. The 6'6" forward spent the 2024-25 season with the Minnesota Wild and Boston Bruins. In 76 games, he scored 11 goals, 11 assists, and 22 points. 

Wotherspoon's contract is worth an even $1 million per season, and he played for the Bruins last season, scoring one goal, six assists, and seven points. 

Jones, who spent the 2024-25 season between the Los Angeles Kings and their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, played six games at the NHL level. Jones has also spent time with the Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, and Edmonton Oilers. 

Veteran forward Anthony Mantha joins Penguins on one-year deal

The Penguins have signed forward Anthony Mantha to a one-year, $2.5 million deal, the team announced on Wednesday afternoon

Mantha spent last season with the Calgary Flames, only appearing in 13 games, but scored four goals, three assists, and seven points in that time. The 30-year-old forward has spent time with the Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights, and Detroit Red Wings since breaking into the league in the 2015-16 season. 

His career high in goals in a season came in 2018-19 with the Red Wings when he scored 25 in 67 games. He's scored 20 or more goals three different times in his career, most recently, with the Capitals in 2023-24. 

Across 507 NHL games, he's scored 146 goals, 157 assists, and 303 points. 

Restricted free agent goaltender signs AHL deal with Wilkes-Barre

Another of the Penguins' restricted free agents has reportedly returned to the organization on a minor-league deal. 

According to Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports, goaltender Taylor Gauthier signed a one-year deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. 

Gauthier was not qualified by the Penguins prior to the RFA deadline on Monday and became an unrestricted free agent. 

He spent time with both of the Penguins' minor league affiliates last season, appearing in 30 games for the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers, where he posted a record of 18-10-2, a save percentage of .928, and a goals against average of 2.06. 

After the 2023-24 season, Gauthier was named the ECHL Goaltender of the Year. 

Penguins add a defenseman and a forward

Along with signing forward Anthony Mantha, the team also announced they signed forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard to a one-year deal and defenseman Phil Kemp to a two-year contract. 

Harvey-Pinard, a 26-year-old forward, spent last season in the Montreal Canadiens' organization and played one game at the NHL level. The majority of his season was spent with the AHL's Laval Rockets, where he scored five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in 40 games. 

In total, Harvey-Pinard has played 84 NHL games and scored 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points. 

The 6'3", 212-pound defenseman Kemp was with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors last season, where he played 56 games, scored seven goals, added five assists, for 12 points. 

Russian defenseman joins Penguins on one-year deal

The Penguins continued adding to their defensive depth chart on Wednesday, announcing the signing of Alexander Alexeyev to a one-year deal. 

Alexeyev joins the Penguins after playing for the Washington Capitals last season, but he split time between the NHL and AHL's Hershey Bears. 

Over 80 games in total with the Capitals across four seasons, he's scored one goal, seven assists, and eight points. 

In 145 AHL games, he's scored six goals, 46 assists, and 52 points. 

His deal is worth $775,000. 

Defender Matt Dumba acquired by Penguins 

The Dallas Stars traded defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2028 second-round pick to the Penguins in exchange for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok.