It’s a rather quiet time in the offseason for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The NHL Draft is over two months away. Free agency is past even that. While the Penguins have some pending free agents who require a decision one way or the other, there’s not a lot of news on the front of Evgeni Malkin or anyone else.

And in that lull, a fun little exercise is to try and pinpoint some players who the Penguins could go after this offseason. After a surprise return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the rookie year of head coach Dan Muse, the Penguins have a very interesting offseason ahead of them in determining exactly how they want to approach this retool they’ve undergone over the last 24 months or so.

But in looking for players who might fit the mold of what the Penguins and general manager Kyle Dubas are aiming for, a name out of Toronto could be an under-the-radar target: Matias Maccelli.

The 25-year-old arrived in Toronto last season after then-Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving acquired him from Utah for a third-round pick in 2027.

He was coming off a 18-point, 55-game season, good for just under 27 points over a full 82-game slate. The production was subpar for most NHL players and abysmal by his standards. Prior to that, Maccelli had averaged 54.3 points per 82 games.

And it didn’t start out well in Toronto at first, either. Maccelli was a healthy scratch under head coach Craig Berube eight times in the team’s first 30 games, falling out of favor while the left-shot had just eight points through the first two months of the season.

He was able to rebound, however. In 71 total games, Maccelli scored 14 goals and added 25 assists for 39 points, while averaging 14:34 a night. From December onward, Maccelli scored at a 50-point pace, and by season’s end, finished sixth on the Maple Leafs in points.

While he only drew seven penalties last season, he managed to largely stay out of the penalty box. He accounted for just 16 penalty minutes last year, among the lowest figures on the club.

His -23 rating stands out as an ugly figure, but it is important to note that how often the Maple Leafs got shelled last year. Amidst goaltending injuries and a shaky blue line, Toronto failed to get anything above average in net. It all led to the Maple Leafs finishing 31st in the NHL in goals against.

A few weeks ago, it seemed more likely than not that Maccelli’s time in Toronto was over. Now, after a complete regime change, he might still have a future with the Maple Leafs.

Maccelli was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Coyotes back in 2019. That just so happens to be the last draft that former Coyotes general manager John Chayka ran in Arizona. Given Chayka’s connection to Maccelli, it’s possible that the executive wants to retain a player he already identified once.

One of Chayka’s first decisions was to move on from Berube, who just wasn’t a good fit with the organization. Having a general manager who is already familiar with Maccelli and a clean slate behind the bench could open the door to a Maccelli return this summer.

But the Maple Leafs still has to actively make a decision on the forward. The three-year deal he signed back in Arizona worth $3.425 million is coming to an end on July 1st. The 25-year-old will become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

And if Toronto decides to move on from Maccelli, he fits the mold of what Dubas looks for on the market. All in all, Maccelli is a forward in his mid-20s, isn’t the flashiest of additions, and has kind of fallen out of favor in his current town. Isn’t that exactly the type of addition that Dubas loves?

Three of the in-season trades Dubas made this season were for players in exactly that age range. In December, he acquired 24-year-old winger Egor Chinakhov from Columbus. In January, he brought in 25-year-old defenseman Ilya Solovyov. Then in March, he traded for 24-year-old winger Elmer Söderblom.

None of them were seen as a super flashy or head-turning addition. In the cases of Chinakhov and Söderblom, Dubas was bringing in forwards who had some sort of track record of success or production, a level they hadn’t shown during this season with their old teams. And in both cases, Dubas was betting that a change of scenery could benefit the players. So far, he’s 2-for-2.

Of course, with Maccelli’s pending status as an RFA, it’s a little more complicated than the Penguins simply throwing him a contract come July. Assuming Toronto gives him a qualifying offer, the Penguins would have to convince Maccelli to sign an offer sheet.

If the Penguins were lucky enough to get him at a reduced rate, somewhere between $1,575,970 and $2,387,832, the Penguins would only have to pay a third-round pick in compensation. However, it’s far more likely that Maccelli’s next deal is somewhere within the range of $2,387,833 to $4,775,666, which would cost a second-round pick.

When Dubas acquired Chinakhov, he sent both a second and third-rounder back to the Blue Jackets. Would he see a second in 2027 as worth it for Maccelli, after he went for a third-round pick last year after a down season?

If Dubas doesn’t value him at that high of a pick, he could also try and swing a deal for Maccelli via trade. If the Maple Leafs aren’t super keen on retaining him and/or don’t believe they will fetch a second-rounder via an offer sheet, the Penguins could try and jump the line by securing a trade at a reduced rate.

Regardless of the acquisition method, however, Maccelli has a lot of the qualities of a prototypical Dubas addition. He’s a name to keep an eye on when business picks back up.