Day two of free agency hasn’t been nearly as busy for Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, but he has still been able to add to the current team.
On Wednesday he was able to add another forward to the mix when he inked Steve Downie to a one-year, $1 million deal.
Downie, who played parts of last season with both the Colorado Avalanche and Philadelphia Flyers, racked up 24 points (four goals) in 62 games played.
The Pens will be the fifth franchise Downie has suited up for in his eight year NHL career as he will bring some value and some toughness as a bottom six forward.
It’s worth noting that Downie worked well for current Penguis assistant coach Rick Tocchet when Tocchet was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Downie had his best year in 2009 under Tocchet when he scored 22 goals and chipped in 24 assists.
He is a pretty good signing at the price. He’s been slowed by injuries in recent years, but when he’s healthy, he’s a gritty forward that can chip in offensively.
He’ll probably end up on the Penguins’ third line, but there’s an outside chance that he will find his way onto one of Pittsburgh’s top two lines if others don’t step up and fill the void.
Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Lightning
