The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Kaedan Korczak from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Parker Wotherspoon, with Pittsburgh retaining 50% of Wotherspoon’s contract, the team announced.
The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t wait for the next roster wave to make a move. Today, they completed a trade that brings defenseman Kaedan Korczak to the organization from the Vegas Golden Knights.
Kyle Dubas, the team’s President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, announced the deal. Korczak is coming to Pittsburgh in exchange for Parker Wotherspoon, while the Penguins will retain 50% of Wotherspoon’s contract.
Korczak, 25, is signed through the 2029-30 season and carries an average annual value of $3.25 million. At 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, he’s a tall, physical presence on the back end who has spent the last five-plus seasons within the Golden Knights organization.
Last season, Korczak produced three goals, 13 assists, and 16 points in 78 games with Vegas. He also recorded three assists in 13 games en route to the Stanley Cup Final.
In 155 career NHL games, Korczak has tallied four goals, 33 assists, and 37 points, and finished with a plus-31 rating. His playoff résumé includes another three assists in 14 career postseason games.
Before his NHL stretch, Korczak spent parts of his first four professional seasons with the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League. In that time, he posted 39 points (7G-32A) across 134 games.
Korczak’s background runs through Canadian tournaments. He has represented Team Canada at the 2021 World Junior Championship and the 2019 World Under-18 Championship, winning a silver medal in 2021.
Vegas originally drafted him in the second round, 41st overall, of the 2019 NHL Draft. Now, after years in the Golden Knights’ system, Korczak is headed to Pittsburgh—while Wotherspoon’s contract becomes a shared burden for the Penguins as they move on.
The immediate shift is clear: Pittsburgh has added a Korczak-sized piece to its defensive group for the long term. while adjusting its salary commitment through the 50% retention on Wotherspoon. What remains is the on-ice question of where Korczak fits in the team’s lineup and how quickly the new defensive balance can start to show up in games.
Pittsburgh Penguins Kaedan Korczak Parker Wotherspoon Vegas Golden Knights Kyle Dubas NHL trade defenseman contract retention