Sunday, July 01, 2012

2012 Free Agency Day 1 Roundup

The Pens didn't make a big splash on the first day of free agency this year.  Neither Ryan Suter or Zach Parise made a decision on where they would go, though Parise is supposedly going to make a decision tomorrow.

There were a few smaller moves, the biggest of them being the signing of Tanner Glass.

Glass will be a popular third or fourth line player.  He really stepped up in the hits department last year, with 246, good for 10th in the NHL.  He would have been behind only Brooks Orpik on the Penguins.

The Pens also re-signed Steve MacIntyre, though it was to a two-way contract, which almost certainly means he'll be in Wilkes-Barre.

Five other players signed two-way contracts (meaning, they will almost certainly be playing in Wilkes-Barre, barring injury).

  • The most significant to the home crowd is Dylan Reese, who grew up here in Pittsburgh.  He spent the past two seasons playing for the Islanders.  He has a reputation as a two-way defenseman.
  • Warren Peters was signed from the Minnesota organization.  He played in both the AHL and NHL last year.  He's a forward.
  • Trevor Smith is a tweener - what they'd call a AAAA player in baseball.  He's put up some numbers at the AHL level but never managed to stick at the NHL level.  He's 27 and plays forward.
  • Riley Holzapfel is just 23, but he has logged four seasons in the AHL since being a second round draft pick in 2006.  He's also a forward and has averaged about .5 points per game in the AHL.
  • Jeff Zatkoff was signed out of the Kings organization.  He'll be the second goaltender in Wilkes-Barre.  He has some decent numbers and size (he's 6'3").  Should be a really good tandem in Wilkes-Barre.