Vladislav Kolyachonok gets claimed off waivers by one of his former teams

Vladislav Kolyachonok is on the move again, and it stings a little more in Pittsburgh. Dallas grabbed the former Penguin on waivers, then the whole thing quickly turned into a Texas Stars paperwork shuffle.

Kolyachonok is 24, a left-shot defender born in Minsk, and he was a 2019 second-round pick, 52nd overall by the Florida Panthers. He's never been flashy, but he's the kind of cheap depth piece contenders always seem to find at the right time.

The Penguins know him because they claimed him from Utah on February 9, 2025. That move came straight from the team, and the cap hit was the kind of number every club can live with at $775,000 through 2025-26.

He only played 12 games in black and gold, but he didn't look lost. Hockey Reference and NHL's own player page both line up that he posted 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points with Pittsburgh, and he handled roughly 14 minutes a night.

Then came the twist that still feels very Kyle Dubas coded. Pittsburgh shipped him to Dallas in the Matt Dumba deal in July 2025, and Kolyachonok became one of those «fine, whatever» names you forget until waivers bring him back.

Here's the social trail fans are reacting to, and it says it all.

Dallas putting him through waivers later was about numbers, not talent. That's what made it feel like an opening for Pittsburgh to pounce, especially with how often the Pens have needed calm third-pair minutes.

Penguins fans are tired of watching other teams scoop up usable defensemen for free while the blue line stays a nightly adventure.

Kolyachonok has already logged NHL time with Arizona, Utah, Pittsburgh, and Dallas, and that bounce-around life usually means teams see something but never commit. NHL's transaction log backs up just how fast his stops have piled up.

From Dallas' angle, he's a low-risk depth bet who can survive injuries and back-to-backs. In 11 games with the Stars this season he had 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points, which is perfectly acceptable from a depth defender.

From Pittsburgh's angle, it's the missed opportunity that nags. This is exactly the tier of player you claim when you're trying to patch a roster without paying trade deadline prices.

Now Kolyachonok ends up in the Texas pipeline again, and the Penguins are left watching the same movie. The next time waivers offer a familiar name, fans are going to want the claim in before the coffee gets cold.

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