The Penguins are continuing to make sure their house is in order ahead of the July 1 frenzy.
Pittsburgh announced they’ve re-signed defenseman Matt Niskanen to a two-year, $4.6 million deal, good for a cap hit of $2.3 million per season.
Niskanen finished this past season with 21 points working as a third-pair defenseman for the team. Niskanen also had three points in the playoffs for the Pens in their opening round loss to Philly. Niskanen was part of the deal with Dallas that also brought James Neal to the Penguins and it’s safe to say that’s working out well for Pittsburgh.
Now Niskanen has the opportunity to grab a top-four defensive spot with the team with Zbynek Michalek sent to Phoenix, but with the Pens also in pursuit of Ryan Suter his third pairing spot should be secure. According to CapGeek.com, the Penguins now have $12.2 million in cap space to spend like drunken sailors tomorrow.