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Noel Acciari had a standout 2025-26 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring 13 goals and 25 points. As an impending free agent, he demonstrated versatility and reliability, contributing significantly in both offensive and defensive roles.
**Player:**Â Noel Acciari **Born:**Dec. 1, 1991 (34 years old) **Height:**Â 5-foot-11 **Weight:**Â 209 pounds **Hometown:**Â Johnston, Rhode Island, U.S. **Shoots:**Right **Draft:**Â Undrafted **2024-25 Statistics:**Â 67 games played; 13 goals; 12 assists; 25 points; one assist in six playoff games **Contract Status:**Impending free agent on July 1, completed a three-year, $6 million contract ($2.0m cap hit) **History:****2023-24**Â (50% C, 27% D), **2024-25**
A popular compliment that youâll hear pop up in the NHL lexicon these days is for a player to describe another as an âhonest playerâ. Itâs high praise that anyone would be proud to have attached to them. The term doesnât exactly mean the same as it does in the outside world that one is being truthful or candid, a google search summarizes an honest hockey player as âa hardworking, reliable, and fundamentally sound athlete who plays with integrity, maximizes their effort every shift, and plays a disciplined, low-mistake gameâ. The term applies more to actions than words. Itâs safe to say there might not be a more honest player in the NHL today than Noel Acciari. The Rhode Island native added ruggedness (65 hits in 67 games) and was a willing shot blocker (62). His rate of giveaways (1.34 per 60 minutes played) was the on the team. While officially listed as a right winger in all but one game, Acciari lent versatility to function as a center at the start of play with 594 faceoffs, the third highest total on the team. 205 of those faceoffs were while shorthanded to lead the Penguins in that department. Acciariâs 52.0% overall winning percentage in the circle came up huge, especially considering the importance of all those shorthanded draws that largely take place in the defensive zone. His 2:35 average ice time per game shorthanded was second on the team, barely trailing frequent running mate âs 2:41. Acciari also stepped up offensively, despite being utilized in a lopsidedly defensive role in terms of zone starts. Acciariâs 13 goals were the fourth time in his career that heâs cracked double-digits and his highest season total since scoring 14 in 2022-23. Those 13 goals outpaced the nine combined goals scored during his first two seasons with the Pens from 2023-25. Likewise, Acciariâs 25 points was the second highest total of his career and outproduced his combined point total (19) from his first two seasons as Penguin. âIâm going to do everything for the guy next to me out on the ice, whether itâs blocking a shot, making a hit, trying to make a play, score a goal,â Acciari said in . âLeave it all out there every night. If I can do that every night, then Iâm happy with that.â No lies detected from an honest player.
Noel Acciari played 67 games, scoring 13 goals and 12 assists for a total of 25 points.
Acciari is labeled an 'honest player' due to his hardworking, reliable style, low mistake rate, and commitment to team play.
Noel Acciari is an impending free agent, with his current contract set to expire on July 1 after completing a three-year, $6 million deal.
Acciari excelled defensively, leading the Penguins with 62 shot blocks and having the lowest rate of giveaways on the team.
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**Data via Natural Stat Trick**. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes. Corsi For%: 48.5 (13th) Goals For%: 57.6 (4th) xGF%: 51.6 (9th) Scoring Chance%: 52.1 (6th) High Danger Scoring Chance%: 51.6 (11th) 5v5 on-ice shooting%: 11.8 (9th) On-ice save%: 91.83 (2nd) Goals/60: 1.00 Assists/60: 0.92 Points/60: 1.91 (9th) After ranking 17th out of 17 forwards in Corsi For% in 2024-25 and 15th in xGF%, Acciari turned the tables in a major way in 2025-26. The goalies did their part while he was on the ice and he had to come by these numbers despite enduring 32.3 defensive zone faceoffs per 60, the highest on the team. Acciari and his fourth line mates did wonderfully to stay well above water in terms of scoring chances and expected goals. Coming in at nearly two points per 60 turns a nice job into a superb season once the offensive production and finishing added onto a solid foundation.
**Via****Advanced Hockey Stats****and****NHL Edge**
Whatâs the cost of chasing youth at the expense of losing capable option already on hand? Thatâs the big query for the Pens to ponder when it comes to Acciariâs status moving forward. They want to get younger but other options like Rutger McGroarty and Avery Hayes donât have the experience, ability to win faceoffs or proven performance as top penalty killers that Acciari can bring to the table, even though theyâre both over a decade younger. Whether thatâs enough to earn Acciari another contract in Pittsburgh, however, remains to be seen.
Acciari played well enough to merit a job in the NHL somewhere in 2026-27. His honest play and strong results were a contributing factor for the magic of 2025-26 where the Pens outperformed expectations. Despite that, moving along seems like it will be the outcome for player and team in this case. Ideally he latches on with a top club that needs a little edge on their fourth line and can make a run for a Stanley Cup to cap off a very successful career, but he is the type of heart and soul player that could make any club better off by having him around as a background player with plus, plus intangibles and effort. He wasnât given the teamâs 2025-26 Unsung Hero award for the second season in a row by accident. Thatâs the type of guy that teammates, coaches and managers all greatly value and respect.
In the summer of 2023, Kyle Dubas made a bevy of free agent adds of Tristan Jarry, Ryan Graves, Lars Eller, Matt Nieto, Alex Nedeljkovic and Acciari. Three years later Acciariâs play plus the future second and third round picks brought in via the trades of Jarry, Nedeljkovic and Eller (some of which arenât until 2028 or 2029) were the only bright spots to be found from that major, messy foray into free agency. Thatâs not saying a whole lot, but Acciari ended his contract on a very high note, admirably filling a tough role to handle and performing it in an impressive manner. **Pensburgh** **Grade: B+** A stronger start for a better October/November would have been necessary for an A, but you canât ask for much more out of a veteran fourth liner than what Acciari provided this year. He did a lot of the dirty work and was a big part of a tremendous fourth line.