Penn State Nittany Lions senior goaltender and McKees Rocks, Pa native Matt Skoff will take part in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ annual prospect development camp. The camp, which will be held next week at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, will feature Penguins draftees and prospects along with other invited young players. Skoff, 23, started 18 games for the Nittany Lions in 2014-15, posting a .907 save percentage and a 2.81 goals-against average. It was an up-and-down year for Skoff, who ... Read More
Penguins sign defenseman Will O’Neill
After a big day one of NHL free agency, the Penguins had a quieter day two, signing depth defenseman Will O’Neill to a one-year, two-way contract worth at $575,000 the NHL level O’Neill, 27, spent the last three years in the Winnipeg Jets organization, playing 199 games with their AHL franchise in St. John’s, Newfoundland. In his time with the IceCaps, he had 22 goals and 82 assists and was one of the team’s most prolific point producers on the blue line. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, ... Read More
COLUMN: Rutherford all-in on Kessel, was it the right move?
After years of searching for a goal scoring winger for Sidney Crosby, the Penguins may have found their man. The Pens sent Kaperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, Nick Spaling, and the Penguins 2016 first and third-round picks to the Leafs for right-winger Phil Kessel, defensemen Tim Erixon, forward Tyler Biggs and the a 2016 second-round selection. Additionally, Toronto retained 15 percent of Kessel's remaining salary. In other words, the Penguins acquired one of the better goal scorers in the NHL ... Read More
Who won Pens & Blue Jackets free-agent arms race?
The burgeoning rivalry between the Pittsburgh Penguins and their nearest opponent is heating up as they have been butting heads with the Columbus Blue Jackets over social media and have been vying for free agent supremacy. Whose summer signings look to make the biggest impact this year? Cornerstone Additions: Columbus made a splash when it was announced that they had acquired Brandon Saad from the Chicago Blackhawks, while the Penguins stole the show on the opening day of free agency with a ... Read More
Pens mailbag: Kessel, the cap, who is Kael Mouillierat and more
I heard that Kessel is a bit of a dressing room problem. While not technically a question, it is a concern, and a fairly serious one. Deserved or not, Phil Kessel’s reputation ranges from that of a guy that’s a bit out of shape and doesn’t always try his hardest to a full-blown locker room cancer. I’ve also heard others say that Kessel is a little bit misunderstood and that his social anxiety causes tension between him and the media. Here’s what Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford ... Read More
Pens GM Rutherford gets his man
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford finally got his man. After several weeks of handwringing over would he or wouldn’t he, Rutherford pulled the trigger on a six-player deal that brought in Toronto Maple Leafs star right-winger Phil Kessel on Wednesday. “We worked on this deal with Toronto for over a month,” Rutherford said in press conference Wednesday afternoon. “It got a little legs on draft day, but it really heated up last night and we were able to complete the deal today. With ... Read More
Penguins sign center Kael Mouillierat
The Penguins have had a busy first day of free agency, and it continued with the singing of former New York Islanders center Kael Mouillierat to a one-year, two-way contract worth $575,000 at the NHL level. Mouillierat, 27, is a 6-foot, 200-pound center, who has been an elite scorer at the AHL level for several seasons, but just got his first NHL opportunity in 2014-15 with the New York Islanders. He had a goal and an assists in six games with the Isles. Meanwhile, he led their top farm ... Read More
Penguins add former Bruins defenseman David Warsofsky
The Pittsburgh Penguins have brought over defenseman David Warsofsky from the Boston Bruins on a one-year, two-way contract worth $600,000 at the NHL level. Warsofsky, 25, is a native of Marshfield, Massachusetts had spent most of his career in New England, moving from Boston University to the Providence Bruins and on to Boston. He’s an offensive defenseman, averaging over 20 assists per season at the AHL level. In 2014-15, he played on 40 games at the AHL level, scoring 4 goals and ... Read More
Penguins sign ex-Capitals defenseman Steve Oleksy
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed free agent defenseman Steve Oleksy to a one-year, two-way contract worth $575,000 at the NHL level. Oleksy, 29, is a native of Chesterfield, Michigan. He has spent the last three seasons in the Washington Capitals organization, splitting time between the Capitals and their top farm club, the Hershey Bears. Over the last three seasons, he’s played in 62 games for the Capitals, scoring three goals and recording 16 assists. He also appeared in seven NHL ... Read More
Penguins sign Red Wings farmhand
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Detroit Red Wings minor-leaguer Kevin Porter to a one-year, two-way contract worth $575,000 at the NHL level. Porter, 29, is a 5-foot-11, 194-pound center with a left-handed shot. He spent the 2014-15 season with the Red Wing’s Triple-A affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he scored 16 goals and 23 assists in 76 games. The journeyman has spent time with the Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres over his seven-year professional ... Read More