2015–16 Pittsburgh Penguins season

NHL team season

The 2015–16 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the 49th season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 5, 1967.^[2] Their regular season games began on October 8, 2015 against the Dallas Stars.^[3] On December 12, the team had a record of 15–10–3. The organization then fired head coach Mike Johnston and replaced him with Mike Sullivan, head coach of the organization's American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre.^[4]

The Penguins qualified for the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season. They earned second place in the Metropolitan Division with 104 points. They began the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs on April 13 against the New York Rangers, the team they were eliminated by in the Stanley Cup playoffs both of the previous two seasons. They went on to beat the Rangers in five games. In the second round the Pens defeated the Washington Capitals, the winners of the Presidents' Trophy, in six games. The team then played in their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2013 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Pens defeated the Lightning in seven games, despite trailing the series 3–2 after Game 5, to earn the franchise's fifth berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. In the Finals, the Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks in six games to win the franchise's fourth league title.

Pre-season

Game log

Statistics

Final
Note – Statistics compiled from Official Game/Event Summaries from NHL.com

Preseason statistics

Regular season

Game log

Season standings

Source: National Hockey League^[9]
p – Clinched Presidents' Trophy; x – Clinched playoff spot

Detailed records

Final^[10]

Injuries

Playoffs

The Penguins announced on April 11, 2016 that they will wear their Alternate jersey for all home games throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.^[44]

Game log

Injuries

Suspensions

Post-season

Injuries

Player statistics

Skaters

Goaltenders

^†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
^‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.

Notable achievements

Awards

Team awards

Awarded week of March 27

Milestones

Transactions

The Penguins have been involved in the following transactions during the 2015–16 season:

Trades

Notes

• Note 1 Toronto to retain 15% ($1.25 million) of salary as part of trade.
• Note 2 Pittsburgh to retain 33% ($1.125 million) of salary as part of trade.
• Note 3 Edmonton to retain 50% ($1.95 million) of salary as part of trade.

Free agents

Waivers

Signings

Other

Notes

• a – Two-way contract
• b – Entry-level contract

Draft picks

The 2015 NHL Entry Draft will be held on June 26–27, 2015 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.^[119]

Draft notes^[120]

• The Pittsburgh Penguins first-round pick went to the Edmonton Oilers as a result of a trade on January 2, 2015 that sent David Perron to the Penguins in exchange for Rob Klinkhammer and this pick.^[121]
• The Pittsburgh Penguins third-round pick went to the Florida Panthers as a result of a trade on March 5, 2014 that sent Marcel Goc to the Penguins in exchange for a 2014 fifth-round pick (#143–Miguel Fidler) and this pick.^[122]
• The Pittsburgh Penguins fourth-round pick went to the Toronto Maple Leafs as a result of a trade on February 25, 2015 that sent Daniel Winnik to the Penguins in exchange for Zach Sill, a 2016 second-round pick, and this pick.^[123]

References

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2. National Hockey League (2013). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2014. Diamond Sports Data, Inc. p. 109. ISBN 978-1-894801-26-3.
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96. "Penguins Sign Forward Conor Sheary to a Two-Year Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. July 1, 2015.
97. "Penguins Re-Sign Defenseman Reid McNeill". Pittsburgh Penguins. July 3, 2015.
98. "Penguins Re-Sign Defenseman Brian Dumoulin to a Two-Year Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. July 9, 2015.
99. "Penguins Re-Sign Forward Bobby Farnham". Pittsburgh Penguins. July 13, 2015.
100. "Penguins Sign Forward Dominik Simon to a Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. July 15, 2015.
101. "Penguins Re-Sign Forward Beau Bennett". Pittsburgh Penguins. July 15, 2015.
102. "Penguins Sign Forward Dominik Uher". Pittsburgh Penguins. July 17, 2015.
103. "Penguins Sign Top Draft Pick Daniel Sprong to a Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. August 28, 2015.
104. "Olli Maatta Signs Six-Year Contract Extension". Pittsburgh Penguins. February 26, 2016.
105. "Penguins Sign Forward Carter Rowney to a Two-Year Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. March 9, 2016.
106. "Bryan Rust, Scott Wilson, Tom Kuhnhackl Each Sign Two-Year Contract Extensions". Pittsburgh Penguins. March 14, 2016.
107. "Penguins Sign Forward Teddy Blueger to a Two-Year, Entry-Level Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. March 22, 2016.
108. "Penguins Sign Defenseman Ethan Prow". Pittsburgh Penguins. March 29, 2016.
109. "Penguins Sign Goaltender Sean Maguire to a Two-Year, Entry-Level Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. April 6, 2016.
110. "Penguins Sign Defenseman Lukas Bengtsson to a Two-Year, Entry-Level Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. April 27, 2016.
111. "Penguins Sign Forward Jake Guentzel to a Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. May 23, 2016.
112. "Penguins Re-Sign Forward Kevin Porter to a One-Year Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. June 20, 2016.
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115. "Sergei Gonchar Named Penguins' Defensemen Development Coach". Pittsburgh Penguins. October 27, 2015.
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