On the official start of free agency in the National Hockey League, the Pittsburgh Penguins and general manager Kyle Dubas worked the phones to bring several new names to town.

This year’s free agent class was hardly the star-studded lineup of years past, but tons of interesting players were still auctioning off their services in a league that is rapidly trying to adjust to the skyrocketing salary cap.

In total, the Penguins spent $16 million in the opening day of free agency, a few extra bucks on extensions and internal signings, and a draft pick.

Here’s a recap of the team’s July 1st moves:

Nick Robertson

Pittsburgh’s first move of the day was actually a trade, not a signing. Yesterday afternoon, the Penguins acquired the forward Robertson from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2028. Dubas drafted Robertson in the second round in 2019, back when he was the general manager in Toronto.

Robertson is a depth scoring winger who has shown some flashes but hasn’t found a way yet to establish himself as anything more than a mid-lineup player. That prospective ceiling Robertson has is what kept the Maple Leafs interested far after Dubas left, but the relationship between him and the organization has been somewhat fraught for years.

Two years ago, Robertson requested a trade from the Maple Leafs and has hesitated to sign any kind of long-term deal. Now, he gets the chance for a fresh start that his career probably could benefit from, and a chance to play alongside a player he idolized growing up in Sidney Crosby.

Robertson, 24, is coming off career highs in goals (16) and assists (also 16) for 32 points in a 78-game season. He’s someone who largely stays out of the penalty box and has some really effective numbers five-on-five. Even if Robertson doesn’t develop past this current ceiling he has reached, most fourth-round picks don’t make the NHL. Nine times out of ten, trading that pick for anyone who is capable of playing in the league is probably a good move.

If you want to galaxy brain things just a little bit, it probably doesn’t hurt Pittsburgh’s chances for acquiring Jason Robertson from Dallas that his brother now plays for the Penguins.

Declan Carlile

The first official signing, as reported by the team, was an addition on the blue line.

Carlile, a left-shot defenseman who stands at 6′ 3, is coming off of a 42-game season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, his first with any kind of regularity at the NHL level. He scored one goal and added two assists (three points), but offense isn’t what teams are bringing Carlile in for.

The 26-year-old is here to provide depth to a Penguins defensive unit that very much needs some extra people. Inking a two-year worth $1.5 million per, Carlile feels like he could be the next Parker Wotherspoon signing.

Last year, the Penguins picked up a depth defenseman with some underlying numbers and a chance to grow into a bigger role. Wotherspoon was just one year older, and Carlile is making just $500K more.

If not, depth is always important, and Carlile helps out with that.

Andrei Kuzmenko

Kuzmenko is likely the most interesting signing of the day for the Penguins.

Ever since he came over to North America as a 26-year-old, the Russian winger has played for four teams in as many years and has never stuck around in one place for too long. He was a rookie sensation when he debuted with the Vancouver Canucks, scoring a career-high 39 goals and 35 assists (74 points) and leading the league in shooting percentage.

That fetched him a two-year, $5.5 million per year deal from the Canucks, but he suffered a quick fall from grace the following season and was traded midway through the year. Since then, he has played in Calgary, Philadelphia, and most recently, Los Angeles.

With the Kings, Kuzmenko scored 13 goals and 12 assists (25 points) in 52 games. A majority of his scoring came on the power play. Signing for $5 million, the Penguins will hope the 30-year-old’s production will pick up just a bit. It’s a decent bet; the incredibly crafty winger has a career 20.4% shooting percentage. When he shoots, he scores.

His addition does add a bit of a wrinkle to the forward group though. The Penguins are a little crowded up front, and the addition of Kuzmenko could prompt a move. But, how should the Penguins contend with that, given Kuzmenko is here on a one-year deal.

Trevor van Riemsdyk

Another signing to help improve the defensive depth, van Riemsdyk’s deal probably caught some by surprise. The 34-year-old veteran signed a two-year deal worth $4 million annually against the salary cap, and his contract is anomaly in the Dubas era of the Penguins.

Now, van Riemsdyk will trade his Capitals uniform in for a Penguins one. In 68 games for Washington last year, van Riemsdyk scored three goals and added 11 assists (14 points). He averaged 16:14 a night, and given his age, that number probably won’t change a whole lot in Pittsburgh.

While the left side of the defense looks rather thin, suddenly the right side is a little cramped. van Riemsdyk isn’t a long term solution to the organization’s defense, but does his presence mean a trade involving someone else is in the works?

At the very least, he provides an experienced style for a depth chart that has some real question marks towards the bottom of it.