Minnesota Wild claim Pens forward Nick Johnson
The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost forward Nick Johnson to waivers. To no surprise, it was Chuck Fletcher and Mike Yeo of the Minnesota Wild who claimed Johnson. The 26-year old resigned with the Penguins last June, despite having the opportunity to being an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Johnson had a strong camp in 2011 with Pittsburgh but there was never any feeling that the former 3rd round pick was going to be given an opportunity to win one of the final forward spots. He was among seven players the Penguins demoted on Wednesday. Johnson scored a career-high 20 goals in 2010-2011 with the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins, despite playing in just 48 games.
Penguins recall Nick Johnson and Mark Letestu
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today just after 5:30 p.m., that the team has recalled forwards Nick Johnson and Mark Letestu for tomorrow’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Letestu will replace Max Talbot in the lineup as Talbot will miss tomorrow’s game with a groin injury. Johnson, 24, has played four games for Pittsburgh this season, posting two points (1G-1A). He made his NHL debut and scored his first career goal against the Washington Capitals Jan. 21. Johnson (6-foot-2, 202 pounds) is in his second full season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and ranks sixth on the club with 23 points (7G-16A) in 28 contests. Letestu, 24, has made three appearances for Pittsburgh this year. He made his NHL debut in the Penguins’
Dupuis does not have any structural damage
Penguins news and notes As noted earlier, Nick Johnson and Dustin Jeffrey were re-assigned this morning to Wilkes Barre/Scranton. Although Max Talbot, Pascal Dupuis are progressing, the plan to re-assign Johnson or Jeffrey was due to management wanting both players to suit up for Wilkes Barre tonight. That was the plan regardless of Dupuis or Talbot’s status. *Forward Pascal Dupuis does not have any structural damage to his upper cheekbones or right eye after being hit from behind by Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton Tuesday night. Dupuis eye was swollen shut for over 48 hours and he would not be playing if the Penguins played tonight. The same for Max Talbot who skated today with strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar
Farm Report: Jeffrey leads Wilkes Barre to 4-3 win
Jeffrey leads Wilkes Barre to 4-3 win Dustin Jeffrey (9, 10) scored two goals and an assist as the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins defeated the Adirondack Phantoms 4-3 Monday night at Wachovia Arena to earn their third straight victory. Jeffrey who has made the transition to wing in the past couple weeks, has a team high 35 points on the season and has found great chemistry with linemates Mark Letestu and Nick Johnson. Nick Johnson added three assists as the Penguins top line combined for 7 points. Lane Caffaro (1) added his first goal of the season at 5:41 of the 1st period. Top prospect Eric Tangradi (6) scored the game winner at 14:49 of the third period. Tangradi is off
Farm Report: Penguins interested in grooming Dustin Jeffrey into a left winger
Johnson back at full health Right winger Nick Johnson (6ft2, 200lbs), is regarded by many NHL scouts as the Penguins most under-rated prospect. Johnson plays a strong two-way game and caught the eye of many members in the organization this past September, when Johnson pushed for a roster spot out of camp. Johnson likely would have been one of the Penguins call-ups during the Penguins rash of injuries in October and November but Johnson suffered a high ankle sprain just 7 games into the season, which sidelined him for 7 weeks. Johnson returned to the lineup Wednesday night, scoring 2 goals in Wilkes Barre’s 6-0 rout of Syracuse. This is a big year for Johnson to prove that he is
Waiver wire has Penguins concerned
There is some serious concern in the organization that the Penguins may lose a needed depth player (or players) through waivers. Keys players such as defensemen Nate Guenin, Deryk Engelland, Chris Lee and forwards, Chris Conner, Paul Bissonnette, Wyatt Smith, and Tim Wallace will all be exposed to the waiver wire. The only players that don’t have to clear waivers are forwards Dustin Jeffrey, Eric Tangradi, Luca Caputi, Joe Vitale, Nick Johnson and defensemen Robert Bortuzzo, Jonathan D’Aversa, and Ben Lovejoy. This has the Penguins shopping
Pre-season Game 4: Post-Toronto Thoughts
Toronto — Fielding a lineup that was missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to name a few, Pittsburgh played an aggressive, up-tempo game against the Maple Leafs Tuesday night. A positive sign was the fact that a number players on the bubble played with a lot of determination. Cuts will be made tomorrow afternoon. *The top forward on the night for the Penguins was prospect (RW) Nick Johnson. Johnson played a complete game at both ends of the ice.
Development of prospects the key to maintaining a Cup Contender in Pittsburgh
With just under $42 million committed to 15 players for next season and Pittsburgh talking extensions with defensemen Kris Letang and Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh won’t be a major player in free agency anytime soon. The key to building around the Penguins core in the long run will be the development of their prospects. After giving up multiple draft picks to land Marian Hossa and Hal Gill in the winter of 2008, Pittsburgh is now focused on building through the draft. With concerns that the salary cap will drop $6-$7 million for the 2010-2011 season, management will have to get very creative next summer. What Pittsburgh has going for them is the fact that they have three to four prospects at
Day 1 Training Camp: Lovejoy not a lock to win No. 7 defenseman spot
The Pittsburgh Penguins reported to training camp today as the players will conduct their first on ice session on Sunday. The players underwent physicals and fitness testing today at the UPMC facility on the South Side. Players reported at 8 a.m.. The Stanley Cup Champions have very few position battles. Replacing Max Talbot on Evgeni Malkin’s line will be the most intriguing battle to watch. The Penguins will give Pascal Dupuis every opportunity to win the job. Tyler Kennedy will also get a look. On defense one concern in the organization is the lack of depth behind their top 6. Penguins General Manager Ray Shero has always tried to bring in 8 to 9 NHL ready defensemen in camp. The
Rookie Tournament: Leafs beat Penguins 3-1
*Based in Southern Ontario, Junior “A” talent evaluator Brian Kelly is a special contributor to Inside Pittsburgh Sports, covering the 2009 Rookie Tournament. Kitchener, Ontario – The Pittsburgh Penguins top prospects got their first look at Swedish goaltender Jonas Gustavsson Sunday night in the Penguins opening game in the 2009 Rookie Tournament. Gustavsson was strong in net making 36 saves and leading the Maple Leafs to a 3-1 win. The Maple Leafs got goals from Alex Berry, Viktor Stalberg and Greg Scott. For Pittsburgh it was a game they would like to move on from. They were outworked and out chanced as the Leafs were the faster and more physical team. Brian Burke is quickly building the Leafs system into