With nothing in particular to write about, I thought I’d once again focus on the Penguins’ biggest area of turnover (and potentially, biggest bone of contention). Namely, our defense.
No fewer than five defensemen who saw action on the Pens’ blueline last season have departed. That includes two of our top performers, Parker Wotherspoon (traded) and Ryan Shea (free agent).
Imported to flesh out our new-look defense are right shots Trevor van Riemsdyk and Kaedan Korczak and portsider Declan Carlile.
Were the changes necessary?
Going strictly by the numbers, perhaps. The Pens ranked 24th out of the 32 NHL teams in most non-shootout goals allowed with 258. How much of that was directly attributable to our defense and how much could be pinned on our goaltending is a matter of conjecture. But obviously, POHO/GM Kyle Dubas and his staff felt changes needed to be made.
I’ll be the first to admit, the way they chose to go about it left me more than a bit flummoxed. Aside from Erik Karlsson, who flashed his Norris Trophy form, Shea (35 points, plus-30) and Wotherspoon (30 points, plus-17) were arguably our best and most productive defensemen. The former emerged in stunning fashion as a bona fide NHL defender under Dan Muse and the latter shone as Karlsson’s partner.
However, the fact that both enjoyed career seasons may have served to hasten their departures from the ‘Burgh in a backhanded way. That and age. Both are 29, a little long in the tooth in Dubas’ scheme of things.
As an aside, fellow PPer Caleb DiNatale has a rather interesting take on the changes. He asserts that teams that excel at blocking shots and shielding their goalies while playing with a degree of physicality generally succeed, not only during the regular season but in the playoffs as well.
Sound enough logic.
He also believes Dubas may have been looking to upgrade our defense in those areas.
I decided to put Caleb’s theory to the test by examining the hitting and shot-blocking prowess of the three newcomers compared to the five departed defensemen. The following table displays shot blocks and hits per 60 minutes.
| DEPARTURES | ||
| Player | Blks/60 | Hits/60 |
| Clifton | 6.01 | 12.95 |
| St. Ivany | 4.41 | 8.88 |
| Dumba | 4.38 | 5.93 |
| Wotherspoon | 4.16 | 6.02 |
| Shea | 3.61 | 1.51 |
| NEWCOMERS | ||
| Player | Blks/60 | Hits/60 |
| van Riemsdyk | 5.27 | 0.65 |
| Korczak | 4.58 | 4.90 |
| Carlile | 3.68 | 4.95 |
By far the best of the bunch at insulating goalies? Connor Clifton, who topped all defenders both incoming and outgoing in blocked shots and hits per 60. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Shea was a comparative lightweight in both categories.
The most accomplished shot-blocker behind Clifton? Newcomer van Riemsdyk, with an average of 5.27 blocked shots per 60. It should be noted that JVR’s been a high-volume shot-blocker throughout his career. However, the 35-year-old defender also has by far the fewest hits per/60 (0.65).
Next in line in terms of hitting? Now former Pens Jack St. Ivany, Wotherspoon and Matt Dumba. Carlile and Korczak, who certainly aren’t shrinking violets when it comes to using the body, fall in behind them.
To wrap up, it doesn’t appear the newcomers are going to be a huge upgrade, if any, in terms of insulating our goalies. Whether they help form a more effective defense remains to be seen.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.
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Hey Rick!
Great article. I wanted to expand a bit on my original point about the Penguins’ defensive additions, since I only touched on it quickly last time.
When I was rewatching playoff games and comparing them to regular-season tape, what stood out with the stronger teams wasn’t simply “they block a lot of shots.” It was that they blocked efficiently — taking away the dangerous looks, keeping plays to the outside, and then getting the puck out. High raw blocked-shot totals often just mean a team is stuck in its own zone facing a high volume of attempts.
That’s the distinction I was trying to make. Good teams generally face fewer shots and spend less time defending, so their BKS/GP numbers look lower even when their defensive impact is stronger.
Quick look at BKS/GP (2025-26):
Stronger / playoff side
Pittsburgh: 14.68
Minnesota: 15.46
Buffalo: 14.22
Colorado: 12.67
Tampa Bay: 12.27
Carolina: 11.32
Bubble / just-missed side
Washington: 15.95
Detroit: 15.93
San Jose: 14.70
Columbus: 14.60
St. Louis: 13.61
Florida: 12.10
The numbers are fairly comparable on the surface. But the weaker teams post higher totals largely because they spend more time in their zone and face more shots. Florida at 12.10 is interesting — a team with a strong defensive reputation sitting right next to Carolina (11.32) and Colorado. Those clubs block shots constantly on tape, yet the volume stats stay lower because they don’t live in their own end the way Detroit (15.93) did.
Now the SA/GP side of it:
Stronger side
Carolina: 23.93
Colorado: 26.16
Tampa Bay: 26.70
Pittsburgh: 27.38
Buffalo: 29.07
Minnesota: 29.40
Bubble / just-missed side
Columbus: 28.87
Detroit: 27.74
Washington: 28.13
Florida: 26.79
San Jose: 29.65
St. Louis: 27.71
The clearest separators between the top groups and the just-missed teams were lower shots against, better goals-against rates, and less time spent in the defensive zone. Carolina led the league in fewest SA/GP and lowest defensive-zone time. Colorado paired strong shot suppression with the best GA/GP in the league. Teams that just missed generally allowed more volume and lived in their own end more often.
That’s the profile I see the Penguins trying to add with players like Trevor van Riemsdyk, Carlile, and Korczak — smart, efficient shot-blockers and defensive-zone players who can kill plays, get the puck out, and transition, rather than just absorbing volume. I think that fits the model better than what Shea and Wotherspoon were providing.
Curious what you make of the efficiency vs. volume distinction.
Caleb,
Just wondering what you mean by Efficiency vs Volume?
Also, Quick not on TVR, He is projected as top pairing with Karlsson. Over the last 3 seasons, TVR’s Even Strength CORSI when skating with another RHD is 35.75%. His pairing with that RHD earns 42.2 Shot Attempts per 60 minutes (SA/60) while conceding 75.85 Shot Attempts Against per 60 minutes (SAA/60). That is horrible.
Over these last three seasons, TVRs Even Strength Corsi isn’t great 46.59% but it is significantly higher than his RHD number. TVR’s SA/60 jumps to 52.45 while his SAA/60 drops to 60.12
Signing TVR wasn’t very bright even if he were to be deployed with a LHD, but it is sheer lunacy to think that skating him with an RHD.
I do look at things in terms of probabilities. The laws of probability are stacked against a TVR – EK pairing; only the most reckless gambler would play those odds.
Wow, Other Rick.
Really eye-opening numbers, especially with TVR playing his off-side. Maybe the only ray of hope lies in the fact that Karlsson will do most of the heavy lifting in terms of fueling the transition game and driving the offense. Which is likely why he's worked well in the past with non-descript partners like Wotherspoon, Mario Ferraro and Jaycob Megna.
In theory, it should allow TVR to just focus on his defensive cores and protecting the house. But I agree...those numbers sure don't inspire a ton of confidence.
Rick
Wow, Caleb, great stuff. Thanks for taking the time to break things down and fully explain your thoughts.
Especially interesting take in your last paragraph on the newbies vs. what Shea and Wotherspoon provided. Perhaps why Dubas chose to move on from them, despite their decent boxcars.
I wound up going to back to an article that I'd written earlier in the summer regarding our defense, specifically to look up 5v5 Corsi for all involved. While certainly not a be-all, end-all metric (deployment certainly factors in, the style a team plays, etc.), to your point it does provide a glimpse of who's spending more time in their own zone versus who's spending more time in the attacking zone. Here are the numbers:
Departed: Wotherspoon 52.14, Shea 49.11, Clifton 48.33, St. Ivany 47.74, Dumba 46.23
Newbies: Korczak 51.53, Carlile 49.39, van Riemsdyk 47.81
Again, without digging too deep beneath the surface, it would seem to be a wash.
FYI: Interesting that the players with the strongest overall metrics, Wotherspoon and Korczak, were traded for each other.
Rick
Rick,
It is difficult to assess where the worst part of the Penguins defense lies, whether it is the GOalies who can't control their rebounds or the defenders who are simply not ther to get to either get to the rebound first, or tie-up an opponent until a teammate helps out. Although there are people charting Blks, Hts, and Rebound Shots, no one charts stats all of the shots a Goalie can't control and the number of all of those rebounds that the Goalie couldn't control that his own team got to first. Nor does anyone track the number of times a defender ties up the stick of an opponent going for a rebound or the number of times a defender unceremoniously dumps an opponent to the ice when they wander into the defender's slot or crease; net front battles do not make the hit list so to speak.
However, your point is well taken and I agree 100%, there really is no indication that Dubas has assembled a group of defenders that would help a Goalie who struggles with rebound control. More importantly, the lack of defenders who evidence the want and skill to insulate their Goalie looms large when the two Goalies have both either showed signs of going struggle with rebounds (Murashov - who has the athleticism to cover up and is young enough that under a good goalie coach could easily still learn) or have proven they can't control rebounds (Silovs) doesn't give me confidence in this up and coming season.
I wish I was wrong or that the rest of the Metro would forget how to shoot and miss the net a lot.