The Pittsburgh Penguins have officially extended the contracts of forward Connor Dewar and defenseman Ilya Solovyov. This announcement came from Kyle Dubas, the team’s President of Hockey Operations and General Manager.
Connor Dewar, 26, will stay with the Penguins for two more years, with his contract averaging $2.25 million annually. He had a standout season in 2025-26, setting personal bests with 14 goals and 16 assists, totaling 30 points. His strong performance earned him a plus-16 rating, the highest among Penguins forwards and third overall on the team. Dewar also made his mark in the playoffs, scoring two goals in six games—his first in Stanley Cup playoff action.
Dewar excelled on the penalty kill, leading all Penguins by logging over 209 minutes shorthanded and contributing to the team’s sixth-best penalty kill rate in the league, at 81.4%. Notably, he recorded 144 hits, the most of any forward on the team.
Originally drafted by Minnesota in 2018, Dewar has played five NHL seasons, accumulating 37 goals and 46 assists in 316 games.
Ilya Solovyov, 25, signed a one-year extension worth $850,000. He had his best season yet in 2025-26, playing 30 games split between Colorado and Pittsburgh. Solovyov scored one goal and added seven assists, both career highs. He made his playoff debut with Pittsburgh, participating in three games.
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 208 pounds, Solovyov has played parts of two NHL seasons and contributed 12 points in 45 games. He also has extensive experience in the AHL, with 232 games played and 69 points. Before moving to North America, he played in the KHL and represented Team Belarus internationally.
Solovyov was drafted by Calgary in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
As the Penguins look to solidify their roster, these extensions highlight the team’s commitment to building a strong foundation. It will be interesting to see how Dewar and Solovyov perform in the coming seasons, especially as the NHL continues to evolve with young talent making an impact.
For more on the Penguins’ roster and future predictions, check out trusted sources like NHL.com and ESPN reports.
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