Pouliot
Derrick Pouliot was thrilled to sign a one-year, one-way contract with the Pens.
"It's exciting," he said. "I was real excited when Pittsburgh offered me that and I'm really happy to be back and with the team again. It's been an exciting couple days here."
However, that excitement was tempered for the 23-year-old defenseman knowing that a consistent spot in the lineup isn't necessarily guaranteed with that contract. But coming in, he wants to earn one and knows the mindset he must have in order to accomplish that.
"I think I'm just going to try and take it day by day," he said. "It starts with camp, coming in shape again and having a good camp and building from there. Once I start to play some games, playing consistent, playing solid defensively. As the season goes on, trying to progress and becoming a regular guy that's in the lineup."
Last season, Pouliot reported to training camp in the best shape of his life after training with Gary Roberts in Toronto. He had undergone a transformation physically and was noticeably thinner after adapting his diet and cutting a lot of body fat. Pouliot was looking to take the next step in his career, but he sustained an injury early in the season that had him out until December. From there, he played just 11 games in Pittsburgh before going to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the remainder of the year.
"It was a little bit of a crazy year," admitted Pouliot, who has played 67 total games with Pittsburgh since entering the league in 2014-15. "There were some ups and downs and I didn't play as well as I can at times. I think once I got settled in in Wilkes, though, I was playing regularly and I really got my confidence back. I started to feel good about my game and how I was playing there. I think that really helped in my development, for sure."
The eighth-overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft knows his development hasn't necessarily tracked as quick as some may have expected at the pro level, but at this point, he's learned to just embrace the process, as head coach Mike Sullivan always says.
"It hasn't necessarily happened as quick as a person would like, but you've got to stick with it," he said. "It's not an overnight thing for some guys, it takes a little longer. I think with the season I had last year once I got going, it helped in my development and I hope to continue that coming into this year."
Archibald
When Josh Archibald received a qualifying offer from the Pens earlier this summer, he had a pretty good idea he was going to be back with the organization. But to get a two-year, one-way contract extension with an average annual value of $675,000 was pretty awesome.
"To be able to get that one-way, it's a really good feeling," Archibald said. "We were up to accepting anything with Pitt, but this was definitely kind of icing on the cake. It was something I'd been trying to work for and for them to have that faith in me that they can hopefully see me as an NHLer hopefully soon, it's a nice relieving feeling."
The Saskatchewan native called from Omaha, Nebraska, where he played three years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He's there training and preparing to take on a bigger role this season in Pittsburgh.
"I was talking to my dad and mom and they were like, 'well, the hard work really begins now,'" Archibald said with a laugh. "You've got to prove to them that you deserve to be there and everything. It's really exciting."
The 24-year-old is certainly putting in the work for his professional life, and there's a lot going on in his personal life as well. Archibald and his wife, Bailey - who got married last summer - are expecting their first child on Aug. 13. They're hoping he or she - they aren't finding out the gender ahead of time - will be here in time for his day with the Stanley Cup. In the midst of everything going on for the couple, including planning a baby shower, Archibald hasn't had time to sit and reflect on what has happened. But he hopes he'll have time soon to do that.
"I haven't really had time just to sit back and soak things up," he said. "But I might have to take some time to reflect here within the next couple weeks and just sit down and realize what truly just happened. It's pretty amazing."
Archibald spent most of the 2016-17 season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, but did play 10 games at the NHL level this past season, registering three goals and a plus-4, after playing in one game in the 2015-16 season. He also skated in four playoff games in 2017. One of Archibald's appearances this spring was in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against Nashville, which means his name will be engraved on the Cup. The team's confidence in Archibald has, in turn, given him confidence moving forward.
"For them to have the confidence to put me in against Ottawa and even in that Nashville game, it's definitely a boost for me just showing that 'yeah, we have confidence in you,'" he said. "We know what you can do as long as you go out and do it. It was a really good feeling and hopefully I can just build on that and continue moving in the right direction."
For Archibald, that means continuing to be what he called an "energy guy" who uses his speed in all areas, but in particular to create havoc for the other team's defensemen with his forechecking and physicality. He also hopes to showcase one of his other strengths, which is penalty killing.
"I didn't get to show it as much at the NHL level as I did at the AHL level, but hopefully as the years continue, I'll get to improve on that in the NHL," he said. "Just going out and being consistent and bringing the energy every shift and every night that I can."
Schultz
In late February of 2016, Justin Schultz sat on his couch in his Edmonton home. Waiting. Schultz, a member of the Edmonton Oilers for the previous three-plus seasons at that time, was waiting to learn his future. With the Oilers on the cusp of missing the playoffs for the 10th straight season, the organization wanted to make changes. One of those changes was the team's desire to move Schultz. The 6-foot-2, 193-pound blueliner had heard the rumors of his trade. In the early afternoon, Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli made it official with a call to Schultz informing the defenseman that his new destination would be in Pittsburgh. Over the course of the next season-and-a-half with the Pens, Schultz would take his game to new heights while winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles with the club.
"It's crazy how it worked out," Schultz said. "How I got such a good opportunity to come play with a great team, a great organization, help anyway I could. It's been unbelievable. It's obviously the best two years of my life. To win it once was awesome. To win it last year was crazy. It was so much fun, so rewarding. It was just awesome."
Schultz will now have an opportunity to add to his magical run after signing a new three-year contract with the Pens on Saturday with a $5.5 million average annual value. Re-signing with the Pens was the easiest decision of Schultz's career. There was no place he'd rather be than in Pittsburgh.
"I wanted to come back. It was always Pittsburgh and I knew something would get done," Schultz said. "It's nice to be back in Pittsburgh for another three years. It's where I want to play. I'm excited to come back and help the team as much as I can."
There is no doubt Schultz resurrected his career in Pittsburgh. He was a highly touted prospect entering the 2008 NHL Draft and was selected in the second-round (43rd overall) by Anaheim. After opting not to sign a contract with the Ducks, Schultz was sought after by many NHL teams. He eventually chose to sign with Edmonton and earned a spot on the NHL's All-Rookie Team in 2012-13 after posting 27 points (8G-19A) in 48 games. But Schultz struggled over the course of his tenure with the Oilers. At the time of his trade he was a combined minus-78 in 248 career games with Edmonton. Schultz posted 8 points (1G-7A) and a plus-7 in 18 games with the Pens to finish the 2015-16 season. He then added four assists in 15 postseason games to help Pittsburgh capture the Stanley Cup. Although Schultz hit the open market in the summer of 2016, he opted to take a pay cut and re-signed with the Pens for a one-year deal for $1.4 million. The deal ended up being a steal as Schultz enjoyed his best season in the NHL, setting career highs across the board in goals (12), assists (39), points (51) and a plus-27 in 78 contests.
"I got my confidence back, started playing my game again," he said of his success. "I had great teammates and leaders that help you along the way. I can't thank them enough."
Schultz was a major reason the Pens were able to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 2017. With the club missing its top defenseman in Kris Letang, whose season ended in February due to a shoulder injury, Schultz took on a larger role. The Kelowna, British Columbia native took over as the club's power-play quarterback and chipped in 10 points (3G-7A) in 15 playoff games. An injury forced him out of the lineup for four games during the Eastern Conference Final. Schultz returned for the crucial Game 7 and posted a goal and two points in Pittsburgh's dramatic double-overtime victory. Schultz appreciates both championship seasons, but said the second one was more meaningful because he was with the Pens for the entire season and played a larger role in the achievement.
"They're both unbelievable," Schultz said. "I think this one for me was a little sweeter because of the bigger role and it was tougher for us. We got the end result and it was everything you dream of."
And now that he's a Penguin for the foreseeable future, the dream is to help the team three-peat next season.
"I always wanted to come back," he said. "It was a great team. It helped me a lot. We won the second Cup in a row. It doesn't get much better than that. It's been a fun two years obviously and looking forward to doing it more."
Garrett Wilson
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Garrett Wilson to a two-year contract, it was announced by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford. The deal is a two-way contract that runs through the 2018-19 season, and it has an average annual value of $650,000 at the NHL level. Wilson, 26, spent his first season in the Pittsburgh organization in 2016-17, adding leadership and toughness to the Pens' minor-league affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as an alternate captain. In 59 regular-season games with WBS, Wilson produced 11 goals, 20 assists, 31 points, a plus-16 and 83 penalty minutes. He added two assists in five playoff games. A 6-foot-2, 199-pound Barrie, Ontario native, Wilson enjoyed a solid NHL training camp with Pittsburgh last September, scoring twice in four preseason appearances. Wilson returned to Pittsburgh as a member of the 'Black Aces' practice squad throughout the Penguins' march to a 2017 Stanley Cup championship.
Originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round (107th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Wilson appeared in 34 regular-season contests and six playoff games at the NHL level with Florida before joining the Pittsburgh organization as a free agent on July 1, 2016. He picked up his first NHL point with an assist on Alex Petrovic's game-winning goal in Game 4 of the 2016 First Round series against the New York Islanders. Wilson has played in 275 career AHL regular-season games with San Antonio, Portland and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, tallying 59 goals, 66 assists and 125 points. He has served as an alternate captain for his AHL team in each of the last three seasons.
Three new players arrive
The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed three players who played key roles in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins finishing with the American Hockey League's best regular-season record in 2016-17, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford. Forward Tom Sestito and defenseman Frank Corrado both signed one-year, two-way contracts. Goaltender Casey DeSmith inked a two-year, two-way deal, and it marked the first NHL contract of his career. All three contracts contain an average annual value of $650,000 at the NHL level.
Sestito, 29, saw the most NHL action of the trio last season, skating in 13 regular-season games with Pittsburgh, where he picked up two assists and collected 48 penalty minutes. At the AHL level with WBS, Sestito had 16 points (6G-10A) and collected 121 penalty minutes in 33 games. The 6-foot-5, 228-pound Sestito has spent the last two years with the Penguins organization. He has three assists and 67 penalty minutes in 17 NHL games. Sestito has added 30 points (11G-19A) and 225 penalty minutes in 74 AHL regular-season contests with WBS, plus five points (2G-3A) in 12 AHL postseason games.
Corrado, 24, was acquired by the Penguins from the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 1 in a deal that sent Eric Fehr and Steve Oleksy, plus a 2017 fourth-round draft pick, to the Leafs. Corrado saw most of his action with WBS after his arrival, but he did suit up for two regular-season games with Pittsburgh in March. A 6-foot, 205-pound right-handed defenseman, Corrado appeared in 17 regular-season games with WBS, notching four points (1G-3A) and a plus-3. He also played in one postseason game. A 2011 fifth-round (150th overall) draft pick by the Vancouver Canucks, Corrado has suited up for 71 NHL regular-season games with the Canucks, Maple Leafs and Penguins, picking up eight points (3G-5A).
DeSmith, 25, earned his first NHL contract with this deal after providing the WBS Penguins with excellent numbers on a minor-league deal his first two seasons a pro. This past year, DeSmith was one-half of the AHL's best goaltending duo alongside Tristan Jarry. The two combined to win the Harry 'Hap' Holmes Memorial Award, which is awarded to the goaltenders that post the lowest goals-against average in the AHL. A 6-foot, 180-pound Rochester, New Hampshire native, DeSmith was named to the AHL's All-Rookie Team this year after leading all AHL netminders with a 2.01 goals-against average. DeSmith went 21-5-4 with one shutout and a .926 save percentage in 29 regular-season games. His save percentage tied for second-best in the AHL. An undrafted free agent, DeSmith has appeared in 35 career AHL regular-season contests, compiling an overall record of 23-7-3 to go with his 2.00 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. During the last two AHL playoff runs, DeSmith has assumed the starting role for WBS with Jarry backing up at the NHL level both years. DeSmith has gone 7-7 with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. Before joining WBS, DeSmith played three seasons of college hockey at the University of New Hampshire, where he made the Hockey East All-Rookie Team as a freshman. DeSmith also saw action with the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League for two seasons before advancing to the collegiate level.
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