Penguins/NHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins today agreed to a one year deal with defenseman Andrew Hutchinson, the team announced.
The deal is a two way contract that will pay Hutchinson $500,000 at the NHL level. His salary at the AHL level will be $105,000.
Hutchinson, 30, played in 78 games last season for the Dallas Stars top minor league affiliate, Texas Stars of the American Hockey League.
Hutchinson tallied 9 goals – 19 assists for 38 points in the regular season and added 5 goals and 16 points in the 2010 AHL playoffs.
Hutchinson is regarded as an offensive defenseman with a good first pass on the breakout in the transition game. Hutchinson came up through the Nashville Predators system when Pens GM Ray Shero was the Predators assistant GM.
At 6-foot-2, 205, Hutchinson has good skating ability but it’s his ability in the defensive zone that has kept him being a regular at the NHL level.
Hutchinson has appeared in 135 NHL games (12-26-38pts -10), making stops in Carolina, Tampa Bay and Dallas.
Hutchinson began his career with the Nashville Predators and appeared in 18 games with the Predators during his rookie season in 2003-2004. Hutchinson was the Predators 2nd round pick in 1999.
Hutchinson played a depth role with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005-2006, when the Hurricanes won a Stanley Cup. Hutchinson appeared in 36 regular season games that season with Carolina.
As things stand right now, the Penguins will enter training camp with Ben Lovejoy, Steve Wagner, Deryk Engelland and Andrew Hutchinson on two-way contracts who will be battling for a depth spot.
Currently the Penguins only have five defensemen signed to one-way contracts.
