The Pittsburgh Penguins have added more depth to their roster, signing free agent forward Drake Caggiula to a one-year, two-way contract (link). The deal will pay Caggiula $750K at the NHL level and $400K at the AHL level.
Originally signed by the Edmonton Oilers as an undrafted free agent out of the University of North Dakota, Cagguila has had a very odd career to this point. Despite playing for four different teams in six seasons, and recording just 91 points in 278 games, he has never suited up for a single minor league match. Instead, he just spends as much time in the press box as on the ice, bouncing around the league to provide fourth-line minutes wherever needed.
In Pittsburgh, that streak might break, unless he’s able to beat out some of the younger options that he’ll be competing against for playing time. There is a chance he makes the NHL roster and plays all season, but the two-way nature of the deal suggests that is not a lock, and the fact that he had just two goals and five points in 18 games this season doesn’t help his case.
The 28-year-old represents someone who could potentially be claimed off waivers at the end of camp, but if he clears, could bounce up and down throughout the year to fill in whenever other Penguins forwards suffer injuries.
This is a great stash. We haven’t had a decent tweener to call up from WBS since Stefan Noesen however long ago that was…
We are building up our depth in a way that makes me think a forward (Kapanen? Maybe Zucker…) might be included in whatever deal we make with our D depth.
may not look like much, but this guy racks up hits and fits what they need on the 4th line
Has some surprising skill too. If asked to score, he certainly can
reminds me of Heinen but with some true grit
Hate the Drake!
Question for the Pens is, what kind of trade are they trying to make?
Are they trying to do a hockey trade involving Marino? If so, they have time.
If they are trying to dump salary with Dumo (who could still bounce back) or Pettersson to sign a free agent (like a perfect fit with Geno and Rakell in Ondrej Palat) then they gotta do it in the next 18 hours or so.
But, I will say…between the Pens openly talking needed to trade a D, the Canucks openly talking about needing to trade for a D and Jimmy’s history with our organization, sure does seem like something could get done there.
palat would be a crazy good pickup