Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas added to his organizational depth yesterday by signing 28-year-old defenseman Will Butcher to a one-year two-way contract. Butcher played for the Texas Stars in the AHL last season and one of his teammates on the blue line was Ryan Shea, who signed with the Pens over the weekend. Butcher has played 275 games in the NHL with Buffalo and New Jersey and was named to the 2017-18 NHL All-Rookie Team.
The Penguins wrapped up their three-day development camp yesterday with a three-team 3-on-3 scrimmage, with the overall winner Team Stevens (named for former winger Kevin Stevens). Sidney Crosby worked out for about an hour prior to the prospects taking the ice, although many of them lined the glass outside the rink just to watch him. One of those watching was first round draft pick Brayden Yager, who said it was a thrill for him to meet the Penguins’ captain.
One standout at development camp was last year’s top draft pick, 6-5 defenseman Owen Pickering, who said it was fun meeting Yager, with whom he roomed after the draft last week. Pickering said that this year’s camp felt different to him than last year’s.
In addition to Pickering and Yager, Penguins director of development Tom Kostopoulos mentioned several other camp standouts, including 2022 sixth round draft pick forward Luke Devlin…2021 seventh rounder Daniel Laatsch, a 6-5 defenseman originally from Altoona…2020 second round pick Joel Blomqvist, a goaltender…center Chase Yoder, a sixth round pick in 2020…and free agent forwards Brayden Schuurman and Ty Glover.
