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Penguins blue line depth plan in motion with Jack St. Ivany's conditioning AHL loan
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Penguins PR posted Jack St. Ivany's conditioning loan, a $775,000 blue-line reset that mattered for Pittsburgh's depth.
St. Ivany, 26, was a fourth-round Flyers pick in 2018, then joined Pittsburgh as a college free agent in 2022.
His current deal runs through 2026-27 at a $775,000 cap hit, which is cheap, movable depth on a team that has needed stable third-pair minutes.
That is the data punch here. This was never a throwaway paper move.
A conditioning loan gives a club up to five AHL games or two weeks to get a player back up to speed after missed time.
For Pittsburgh, the why was simple. St. Ivany's skating and first pass help exits, and his right shot gives the blue line a cleaner look lower in the lineup.
He proved that fit when he got back. Before hand surgery on January 27, he put up 0-7-7 in 17 games, already a career-best assist total.
Jack St. Ivany still matters for the Pittsburgh Penguins
Fans are tired of patchwork pairings, and that frustration makes sense with the stretch run here.
The conditioning loan told you the Penguins wanted him game-ready, not buried. That is a roster-construction detail worth remembering now.
As of March 9, the bigger story is recovery. His hand surgery carried an up-to-eight-week timeline, so Tuesday against Carolina looks early, at least on paper.
That matters because Pittsburgh's next step is not just surviving one night. It is getting one more NHL-capable defender back for the final push.
When St. Ivany is healthy, he is not just filler. He is the kind of cheap, useful depth that keeps a blue line from wobbling when the games get heavy.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 9|129 ANSWERS Penguins blue line depth plan in motion with Jack St. Ivany's conditioning AHL loan Will Jack St. Ivany be a real factor for the Pittsburgh Penguins before the regular season ends? | ||
| Yes | 80 | 62 % |
| No | 49 | 38 % |
| List of polls | ||