Shortly after it was reported that the Pittsburgh Penguins would keep defenseman Jack St. Ivany for the next three seasons, two comparable contracts were made. The organisation has signed forward Jonathan Gruden to a two-year extension costing $775K, and defenseman Filip Kral to a one-year contract worth the same amount.
Gruden, like St. Ivany, was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, 95th overall by the Ottawa Senators. A little more than two years later, after not playing a single game for the Senators, Ottawa dealt Gruden to the Penguins in return for goaltender Matt Murray.
Primarily serving as organizational depth at the forward position, Gruden just completed his fourth season at the professional level, but largely played with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Since officially joining the team in the 2020-21 season, Gruden has suited in 208 games for WBS, managing 45 goals and 96 points up to this point.
In Pittsburgh, the team has kept a tight leash on Gruden, allowing him to play 16 games but limiting him to an average of 8:03 of ice time. Much like he did during the 2023-24 NHL season, Gruden should once again serve as injury insurance for the Penguins, with a majority of his games coming at the AHL level.
After suiting up in two games for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2022-23 regular season, Kral spent last season playing for the Lahti Pelicans in the Finnish Liiga. Over 46 games, Kral scored five goals and 37 points, which led all defensemen on the team in both assists and points. After a quality season overseas, general manager Kyle Dubas brings another former Toronto player into the Penguins organization.
Leave a Reply