Penguins acquire Korczak from Golden Knights for Wotherspoon
According to multiple reports, the Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired defenseman Kaeden Korczak from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for defenseman Parker Wotherspoon.
ESPN NHL insider Emily Kaplan first had the news that Korczak was bound for the Penguins, while TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Wotherspoon would be headed back in return, with Pittsburgh retaining 50% of his cap hit.
🚨 Trade To #LetsGoPens Kaedan Korczak 25 y/o D, Yr 1/4 $3.25M To #VegasBorn Parker Wotherspoon 28 y/o D, Yr 2/2 $1M (50% retained) PIT adds net $2.75M cap hit puckpedia.com/trade/1186?6a4…
Korczak, a 25-year-old who comes to Pittsburgh with term and cost certainty, as he’s set to enter the first season of a four-year contract that carries a salary cap hit of $3.25 million, had 16 points in 78 games this past regular season and 3 assists in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games as he played a depth role in the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.
The six-foot-three righty was a second-round pick by Vegas in the 2019 NHL Draft, and he’s provided solid underlying defensive numbers throughout his 155-game career that began with his NHL debut during the 2021-22 campaign.
Korczak becomes the youngest member of the Penguins’ projected defense, and only he and Ryan Graves are under contract beyond the 2027-28 season on that unit.
For Vegas, Wotherspoon brings a veteran presence and defensive stability at a price tag below the league minimum salary, just $500,000, after Pittsburgh’s retention. For a team in desperate need of creative ways to find cap relief, this move accomplishes exactly that.
According to PuckPedia, the Knights have just $7.75 million of space under the salary cap ceiling with nine forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders under contract.
Wotherspoon, a 28-year-old who just wrapped up his first season with the Penguins and first year in the NHL as a whole in which he played over 55 games, was a revelation for Pittsburgh, posting 30 points in 80 games while skating to a plus-17 rating on an average of 20:10 of time on ice per game.