The Pittsburgh Penguins may not be participating in the Stanley Cup playoffs this season.
But a whole lot of ex-Penguins are.
There are only three playoff teams - the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Los Angeles Kings - that are not employing a former Penguin (who was on Pittsburgh's NHL roster at some point) on their playoff rosters. But the remaining 13 teams have at least one, and in many cases, several.
Pens fans: Here is your ultimate guide to help you distinguish which ex-Penguins to root for - or root against.
Carolina Hurricanes
- F Jordan Staal: Staal played for the Penguins from his draft year in 2006 - he was late former Penguins GM Ray Shero's first draft pick (2nd overall) with the Penguins - through the end of the 2011-12 season, winning the only Stanley Cup of his career with Pittsburgh in 2009. He was, primarily, the team's third-line center during that time.
- F Mark Jankowski: Jankowski was with the Penguins for one season in 2020-21, playing in 45 games and registering four goals and 11 points.
Dallas Stars
- G Casey DeSmith: DeSmith played NHL games for the Penguins from 2017-23 as, largely, their primary backup goaltender, and he was dealt in the summer of 2023 to the Montreal Canadiens as part of the blockbuster Erik Karlsson trade.
- D Cody Ceci: Ceci spent one season in Pittsburgh - a solid one - in 2020-21 before signing a four-year, $13 million free agent contract with the Edmonton Oilers during the summer of 2021.
- F Mikael Granlund: Granlund was acquired by the Penguins and former GM Ron Hextall at the 2023 NHL trade deadline, and... let's just say it didn't work out.
Edmonton Oilers
- F Kasperi Kapanen: Kapanen - originally drafted 22nd overall by the Penguins in 2014 before being traded to Toronto and then brought back to Pittsburgh - played parts of three seasons with the Penguins from 2020-23 before getting waived, recording 29 goals and 82 points in 162 games.
Florida Panthers
- F Evan Rodrigues: Rodrigues spent parts of three seasons on Pittsburgh's NHL roster from 2019-22 and was a solid depth piece. He was traded to Toronto as part of the deal that brought Kapanen back to Pittsburgh, and then he signed with the Penguins as a free agent for the 2020-21 season.
- D Dmitry Kulikov: The veteran defenseman had a brief stint with the Penguins post-trade deadline in 2023, but he only played in six games total - registering one point - due to injury.
Even In Passing, Shero Leaves Legacy On Penguins OrganizationIt's hard to talk about the Sidney Crosby-era Pittsburgh Penguins without talking about former general manager Ray Shero.
Minnesota Wild
- F Frederick Gaudreau: Gaudreau, 31, spent parts of one season in 2020-21 with the Penguins, as he was back-and-forth between Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate. He posted two goals and 10 points in 19 games with the NHL club that season.
- F Vinnie Hinostroza: A bit of a journeyman, Hinostroza was with the Penguins' organization in 2023-24 and played in only 14 games at the NHL level, registering a goal and three points.
- G Marc-Andre Fleury: Beloved to the Pittsburgh faithful, Fleury was drafted first overall by the Penguins in 2003 and went on to help the team win three Stanley Cup championships. He was selected first overall in the 2017 expansion draft by the Vegas Golden Knights, ending his long Pittsburgh tenure. Fleury plans to retire once the 2024-25 season concludes for the Wild.
Montreal Canadiens
- D Mike Matheson: A smooth-skating, puck-moving, high-risk defenseman, Matheson came to Pittsburgh from Florida in the Patric Hornqvist trade and played two seasons with Pittsburgh from 2020-22. He was traded to the Habs in a package for defenseman Jeff Petry in the summer of 2022.
New Jersey Devils
- F Cody Glass: Glass was brought to Pittsburgh from the Nashville Predators last summer, along with a couple of draft picks. He was dealt to the Devils at the trade deadline.
- F Daniel Sprong: Sprong was drafted in the second round (46th overall) by Pittsburgh in 2015, and he never quite panned out in parts of his first three NHL seasons with the Penguins. He was traded to the Anaheim Ducks during the 2018-19 season.
- D Brian Dumoulin: 'Dumo' was a key contributor to the Penguins' back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017 as an elite shutdown presence. He was mostly paired with Kris Letang during his 10-year tenure with the Penguins from 2013-23.
Penguins Defenseman Kris Letang Has Surgery To Repair Hole In HeartIt appears the Pittsburgh Penguins will be down one more man for their final game of the season on Thursday against the Washington Capitals.
Ottawa Senators
- F David Perron: Perron was with the Penguins for parts of two seasons from 2014-16 before being dealt to the Ducks, recording 16 goals and 38 points in 86 total games.
St. Louis Blues
- F Oskar Sundqvist: An oft-injured Sundqvist played in 28 total games for the Penguins from 2015-17, posting only a goal and four points.
Tampa Bay Lightning
- F Jake Guentzel: Guentzel enjoyed a spectacular Penguins' career for eight seasons as, primarily, Sidney Crosby's best winger. He scored 219 goals and put up 466 points in 503 games with Pittsburgh before being dealt to the Hurricanes as a rental at last season's trade deadline.
Vegas Golden Knights
- F Tanner Pearson: Pearson came to Pittsburgh during the 2018-19 season when forward Carl Hagelin was sent to Los Angeles, and that was his only season with the Penguins. He registered nine goals and 14 points in 44 games.
- F Reilly Smith: Smith came to Pittsburgh from Vegas prior to the 2023-24 season and showed little interest in being there, was traded to the New York Rangers in the 2024 offseason and showed little interest in being there, then got what he wanted all along and was traded back to Vegas at the 2025 trade deadline.
Washington Capitals
- F Lars Eller: Eller was a reliable third-line center for the Penguins for parts of two seasons from 2023-24 with 19 goals and 38 points in 99 games. He was dealt to the Capitals in November this season after some brutal losses by the Penguins.
Like Ovechkin's Capitals, Penguins Owe It To Crosby To Right The ShipOn Sunday, the hockey world got to witness Alexander Ovechkin - The Great “8” - surpass The Great “One” for the most goals in NHL history.
- F Anthony Beauvillier: After a rough season where he was traded three times, Beauvillier found his inner New York Islander again in Pittsburgh this season before - you guessed it - getting traded, this time, to the first-seeded Capitals. Not a bad outcome for him this time.
Winnipeg Jets
- F Brandon Tanev: After spending two solid seasons as a bottom-six piece for the Penguins from 2019-21, 'Turbo' was, unfortunately, a casualty of the 2021 expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken. He was well-liked in Pittsburgh.
- D Luke Schenn:He wasn't in Pittsburgh for a long time (48 hours), and he certainly wasn't there for a good time (he wanted to play for a contender instead).
Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!