Acciari Adds Physicality, Toughness to Penguins' Overhauled Bottom-Six

Noel Acciari goes way back with Brandon Tanev, as they played four years of college hockey together at Providence College - winning an NCAA title in 2015 - and they remain close to this day.

So, when Acciari was considering signing with the Penguins, he spoke with his good buddy and former fan favorite in Pittsburgh about the organization and the city - and Tanev helped cement Noel's decision to ink a three-year deal.

"He had said that Pittsburgh's got a special place in his heart, and he said, 'you're going to love it. Sully (Mike Sullivan) is going to love you, and everyone's just going to love you, the way you play,'" Acciari said during a virtual media availability on Tuesday. "So yeah, he kind of chipped in there."

Acciari comes to the Penguins from Toronto, with Kyle Dubas - then general manager of the Leafs - acquiring the 31-year-old forward from St. Louis. They were able to start forming a rapport during their time together, and Acciari said that also had a big impact on signing here.

"But at the same time, I've played against these guys in Pittsburgh, and playing against the caliber that they bring every year is always tough to play against," Acciari said. "So, to be able to join that is exciting."

Acciari is part of the overhaul Dubas orchestrated on the third and fourth lines, to help provide Pittsburgh's star players with more support through secondary scoring and just being tougher to play against. While Acciari can bring the former, scoring 14 goals in 77 games split between the Leafs and Blues last season and reaching a career-high 20 goals in 2019-20 with Florida, he absolutely excels at the latter.

"He's going to be extremely physical every night," Dubas said. "In terms of the toughness that he brings… he'll put any part of his body on the line to block shots. He'll be very welcome here at even strength and on the penalty kill."

That sort of willingness crystallized when Acciari first entered the league, with the Rhode Island native signing as an undrafted free agent with Boston in 2015. He was ecstatic for the opportunity, especially since the Bruins were considered his hometown team, being from New England. Acciari wanted to make the most of his shot and figure out what it would take to stay in the NHL, and learned that for him, it was all about taking pride in a bottom-six role.

"I take it personal getting scored on," Acciari said. "Obviously, everyone wants to score goals. I want to do that, too. But at the same time, you win games keeping pucks out of your net. So, I want to be good defensively first, and then I think the offense will come from that. For me, it's blocking shots, making hits, getting out of the zone quick, and chipping in when you can at times."

Dubas certainly has done a tremendous job of finding players like Acciari and Lars Eller who are not just capable; they're excited about the roles that await them in Pittsburgh - and prepared to do everything within their power to get the Penguins back into the postseason.

"We want to get back into that playoff mentality and get there again, and I know the guys that have been here for a while, they know what it takes to win," Acciari said. "They weren't happy with last year, and basically just want to get this season started so we can get back there as soon as possible."