Penguins Unlikely to Be Able to Re-Sign Top Defensive Prospect Per New Report

Mac Hollowell, a 26-year-old right defenseman, played the 2024-25 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He recorded 31 points (1 goal, 30 assists) in 56 games.

Hollowell agreed to a one-year, two-way contract at $775,000 as an unrestricted free agent on the first day of 2024 free agency. The $250,000 AHL salary was the Penguins' desire to one day have Hollowell as a veteran on the blueline.

An AHL 2023-24 All-Star with the Hartford Gulls, Hollowell began the season as WBS's top defenseman and wasted no time demonstrating his playmaker skills with 13 power-play assists in 17 games.

A Spengler Cup all-Team Canada pick in December, he scored a single goal of the season in a Feb. 11 loss to Hershey.

Injuries derailed his season as early as late March, and he missed 12 of the final 14 games, as well as both playoff games for WBS.

Although he led WBS defensemen in scoring, Hollowell was not recalled to Pittsburgh, even when the parent NHL team was reeling from injury woes.

Perhaps he is general manager Kyle Dubas' pet, but Hollowell's NHL future is questionable. Tribune-Review NHL reporter Seth Rorabaugh recently opined that he doesn't believe the Penguins will keep Hollowell next season.

Approaching his 27th birthday, Hollowell is a solid AHL grinder who perhaps looks forward to a new beginning at some point during this coming season, with a clearer path to the NHL if given the opportunity.

No matter what happens, he is a good influence on young prospects and a good AHL player.