Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Calen Addison To Entry-Level Deal

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they have signed defensive prospect Calen Addison to a three-year, entry-level contract. Addison recently signed an amateur tryout offer with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the rest of the season and made his pro debut.

The Penguins traded their first-round pick away to the Ottawa Senators last season, but had two second-round picks and opted to select the youngster Addison after he slipped to the team with the 53rd overall pick in the second round. The team has already signed Filip Hallander, their other 2018 second-rounder, to an ELC as well. Addison has proven his offensive skills, but fell in the draft due to his 5-foot-10 size, lack of physicality and defensive issues on the ice. Regardless, for a team that didn’t have a first-rounder, the team was thrilled to get the highly-rated prospect late in the second round. Addison is well known for a combination of patience and impressive passing abilities and often gets compared to Kris Letang at the junior level with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Addison, one of the youngest players in the draft last year, put up impressive numbers last year, including 11 goals and 65 points as a 17-year-old. The blue liner, who doesn’t turn 19 for another few days, then had almost identical numbers this year, posting 11 goals and 65 points in one fewer game. The big difference this year was an improvement on defense as he went from a -18 rating a year ago to a +2 rating this season. Addison is expected to return to Lethbridge for another season before turning pro.