Declan Carlile signs with the Pittsburgh Penguins

Plus, more former Warriors have signed for the 2026-27 season

Declan Carlile made 42 appearances for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season and played for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships this past spring. He parlayed that success into a new deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins last week.

The former Merrimack defenseman was an unrestricted free agent after the season. He signed a two-year deal with the Penguins worth a total of $3.0 million. It’s a one-way contract, meaning his salary will be $1.5 million per season regardless of where he plays (NHL or AHL).

Based on the current roster construction, Carlile looks like he’s on pace to be one of Pittsburgh’s seven NHL defensemen. The group is headlined by Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. Carlile looks to be in a battle for playing time on the second or third pair with the likes of Ryan Graves, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Kaedan Korczak.

Carlile is currently No. 8 all-time among NHL games played by Merrimack alumni. He has the chance to vault up to No. 3 on that list over the course of next season. Steve McKenna (373 games) is the all-time leader, with Johnathan Kovacevic (258 games) still active in the second spot.

Here is a complete list of Merrimack alums who have already signed on the dotted line for 2026-27.