Penguins Acquire Kaedan Korczak from Golden Knights for Parker Wotherspoon

Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas announced Monday that the club has acquired 25-year-old right-shot defenseman Kaedan Korczak from the Vegas Golden Knights.

In exchange, the Golden Knights receive 28-year-old left-shot defenseman Parker Wotherspoon. To finalize the transaction, Pittsburgh will retain 50 percent of Wotherspoon’s remaining salary.

By targeting Korczak, Pittsburgh lands a former second-round pick who is under contract for the next two seasons at a highly stable $3.25 million average annual value (AAV).

At 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, Korczak brings excellent size, mobility, and a highly coveted right-handed shot to Pittsburgh's back end. Primarily utilized in a shutdown role during his tenure in Vegas, the 25-year-old possesses untapped offensive upside and sharp transition instincts. He is expected to step immediately into a top-four role for the Penguins this fall, balancing out their defensive pairs and providing reliable, heavy minutes on the penalty kill.

In return, Vegas lands Parker Wotherspoon, a rugged, stay-at-home defender coming off a solid season where his physical presence and shot-blocking capabilities earned praise. Because Pittsburgh is absorbing half of his contract, Wotherspoon arrives in Vegas at a bargain-basement cap hit of just $500,000.