The Pittsburgh Penguins have added another undrafted college free agent to their program, signing Josh Maniscalco to a three-year entry-level contract. Maniscalco played just two years at Arizona State University and will forego his junior and senior seasons in order to turn pro. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford released a short statement on the deal:
Josh is a solid puck-moving, offensive defenseman. He jumps into the rush and plays a style that is complementary to our group. We think highly of his character and are happy to add Josh to the organization.
Like they have so many times before, the Penguins hope to turn an undrafted talent into a depth player for the organization that can provide an inexpensive contribution. Names like Conor Sheary, Zach Aston-Reese and Adam Johnson have all turned into NHL players for the club despite not being drafted.
Unlike those forwards however, Maniscalco comes to the Penguins as a high-flying defenseman that put up 32 points in 36 games this season. The 6’2″ right-hander could potentially challenge for a role on the club next season if they make sweeping changes, or be a call-up option over the next few years.
Rutherford has figured out that trading pretty much all of your draft picks makes it easier to sign college UFA’s.
He did a nice job trading for a college defenseman last year in Marino. Yeah it was a 6th round pick but looks like a steal