A primer on who’s new for a new season

The Penguins enter the 2021-22 season with the same head coach, same core and same goaltender as last season. Rather than major changes to the roster, new general manager Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke opted for minor tweaks, mostly in the form of affordable, bottom-six role players. Here are a few of the newcomers to keep an eye on when the season begins:

Brock McGinn, 27, winger

As the NHL’s free agency frenzy began, the Penguins inked their most-significant addition of a quiet offseason. McGinn, 27, signed a fouryear contract that carries a $ 2.75 million average annual value. The 6-foot, 187-pound forward became a fan favorite in Carolina as a bottom-six energy guy and elite penalty killer. While most of his value will come from things that are hard to quantify, McGinn does have some scoring touch, tallying eight goals and five assists in 37 games last season. With Brandon Tanev gone, McGinn will likely step onto the Teddy Blueger line and bring some of the same physical, role-playing attributes.

Danton Heinen, 26, winger/ center

NHL success came quickly for Heinen during his first full season in 2017-18. He netted 47 points (16 goals, 31 assists) in 77 games and then followed with a 34-point season in 2018-19. However, in recent years, that production has tailed off a bit. After a change of scenery, Heinen scored just seven goals and dished seven assists last year in Anaheim. Now in Pittsburgh on a one-year, $1.1 million contract, he’s an affordable, bottom-six player with upside. If he can find the back of the net like he did early in his career, his production will exceed his salary-cap hit. At worst, he’s a low-cost, low-risk depth player who can fill a variety of roles and play on both wings.

Brian Boyle, 36, center / winger

At 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, Boyle carved out a niche in 800-plus NHL game as a bottom-six grinder who isn’t afraid to throw his body around and drop the gloves. While he’s 36 and sat out the entire 2021 season, his skillset could match a need. The club will be thin at center, especially as it starts the season without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The new front office has also expressed a desire to get bigger and more physical. Boyle, who was invited to camp on a professional tryout offer, could bring all of those attributes. If he makes the team (which is looking more and more likely), he should be a player that’s easy to root for, as a cancer survivor who once scored a hat trick at PPG Paints Arena on Hockey Fights Cancer Night.

Dominik Simon, 27, winger

The number on his jersey is new (49). But the name is not. This offseason, the Penguins orchestrated a reunion when they inked this former Penguin to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a $750,000 value at the NHL level. Simon was a polarizing player in his first stint in Pittsburgh (2015-2020). Coach Mike Sullivan likes the way Simon navigates in tight areas and how he makes subtle plays that create chances for teammates. However, his finishing touch has often left more to be desired. On an inexpensive contract that could be buried in the AHL (if needed), the Penguins are getting a known commodity who they believe has the ability to play up and down the lineup.

Young forward prospects

After another season of development, this could be the season that Sam Poulin, Nathan Legare or Filip Hallander make the climb to the NHL level. Hallander, 21, is the oldest and most physically developed. He brings good 6-1, 195-pound size that complements his power forward game. The Penguins brought him back into the organization this offseason as a part of the trade that initially sent Jared McCann to Toronto; however, his training camp has been marred by a nagging lower-body injury. Meanwhile, the 2019 picks — Legare and Poulin — appear one step closer to the NHL. Legare shed 15 pounds to get faster and brings an elite shot. And Poulin probably has the highest long-term ceiling of the three as a second-round pick with pedigree. Time will tell if or when these three make the climb to the NHL.