Parker Wotherspoon will be greeted by a familiar teammate when he joins the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the team has recently signed Justin Brazeau to a two-year contract with an annual cap hit of $1.5 million. Earlier the same day, Wotherspoon secured a two-year deal with an average annual value of $1 million.
Brazeau and Wotherspoon were teammates last season before a notable trade that sent Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Marat Khusnutdinov, Jakub Lauko, and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Brazeau has previously played parts of two seasons with the Boston Bruins after signing an AHL contract with the Providence Bruins in 2021. He made his NHL debut during the 2023-24 season, earning seven points over 19 games. In total, he played 76 games for both the Wild and the Bruins, scoring 11 goals and providing 11 assists.
The Penguins now have several former Bruins on their roster, including Connor Clifton and Matt Grzelcyk, which may foster a strong sense of team cohesion as they prepare for the upcoming season. This blend of players with established chemistry could enhance Pittsburgh’s performance on the ice, providing an optimistic outlook for the team as they advance into a new chapter.