The Florida Panthers have added some depth to their forward group, agreeing to terms with Scott Wilson on a one-year, two-way contract. Wilson has spent the last few seasons in the Buffalo Sabres organization, playing mostly at the minor league level.
Now 28, Wilson has carved out a long professional career after being the 209th overall selection in 2011. After three seasons at UMass-Lowell, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014 and has suited up in more than 200 NHL games in the years since. Between 2016-2018 he was a regular in the league, even scoring 26 points in 78 games with the Penguins before helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2017. In Buffalo, things haven’t gone as smoothly, with Wilson playing more at the AHL level over the past two seasons.
There is certainly a chance that he can find a full-time roster position in Florida, though it seems more likely that Wilson will hit the waiver wire again before the season begins and spend most of his time in the AHL. That is of course if the AHL has a season, which isn’t certain at this point.
If it doesn’t, Wilson is exactly the type of player that can be kept around in a taxi squad of sorts, ready to jump into the lineup in case of injury.
As a Pittsburgher, I like this signing. He’s a quality depth add that can be played anywhere in the lineup.