The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed goaltender Taylor Gauthier to a one-year, two-way contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
Opening the season on an American Hockey League (AHL) contract, Gauthier will carry a salary cap hit of $775,000 with his new deal.
The Penguins, under former general manager Ron Hextall, originally signed the undrafted Gauthier to a three-year entry-level contract in 2022. After that deal expired in 2025, Gauthier remained with the organization, signing a one-year AHL contract this past offseason.
After suffering an undisclosed injury early in training camp, Gauthier has spent this entire season with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. In 22 games this season, he has posted an 11-6-5 record, a 2.07 goals-against average, a .924 save percentage and one shutout.
On Wednesday, during a 4-3 road shootout win against the Rapid City Rush, Gauthier became the Nailers’ franchise leader in goaltending wins with a 61-39-9 record.
Speaking in Cranberry after the NHL’s trade deadline expired, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas explained the need to sign Gauthier arose after Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Filip Larsson agreed to a mutual contract termination Feb. 4 so that he could return to his native Sweden.
That left the Penguins with only four goaltenders signed to NHL contracts before Gauthier signed on Friday.
“Taylor’s had a great year in Wheeling, really just continues to highlight the importance of that affiliation and the way that it’s worked out for us,” Dubas said. “So, it’s good on him. He’s been with the organization for a while. Continues to stay with it, having a great season there.”
This transaction leaves the Penguins with 48 NHL contracts for the season, two short of the league’s limit of 50.