Penguins add Nikolai Knyzhov on professional tryout

Defender with ties to David Quinn will join Pittsburgh in training camp

Earlier this week, we wrote that it will probably be a slow time for the Penguins and professional tryouts this season, but left side defense was standing out as an organizational area of need. Today, news broke that Pittsburgh is bringing in a left handed defenseman on a PTO that will go a long way to filling that need, at least in training camp.

Knyzhov, a 26-year-old who is listed at 6’3” and 222 pounds, has played the past four seasons in the San Jose organization. He appeared in 81 total NHL games for the Sharks, but had his contract mutually terminated for this season after falling out of their plans and playing more in the AHL than NHL in 2023-24.

New Pittsburgh assistant coach David Quinn will be in charge of the defense, and he of course is formally of the Sharks, making the connection of why Pittsburgh might be interested in giving this certain player a look.

But this PTO isn’t about immediate NHL impact. The Pens are already loaded on the left side with depth, Pittsburgh has signed Matt Grzelcyk and Sebastian Aho this summer from outside the organization, as well as deciding to bring back Ryan Shea. John Ludvig is coming off of a spring wrist surgery and in the mix as well, with Marcus Pettersson and Ryan Graves in NHL spots as well.

Given that one defensive injury to the NHL roster during the season will have one, if not both, of Shea and Ludvig recalled to Pittsburgh, there was a need within the organization for more depth for Wilkes-Barre. Knyzhov might be the key with that, which would make him something of this year’s version of Libor Hajek or Dmitri Samorukov. Hajek was also a youngish defender signed to a PTO (and eventually an AHL contract), Samorukov was initially signed to an AHL contract and eventually upgraded to an NHL deal once injuries hit.

The PTO should be good for the Pens, never a bad thing to get a free look at a still somewhat young player. Knyzhov doesn’t look to an obvious path to make the NHL roster out of training camp, but that doesn’t mean all avenues for future employment are gone. If he shows well he could end up being a key piece of depth and help the team out in Wilkes.