Columbus will have a veteran presence in goal when it breaks training camp this week.
Brad Thiessen, a longtime Pittsburgh farmhand that appeared in five games for the Pens in ’11-12, has reportedly joined the team on a PTO basis, per the Columbus Dispatch.
Thiessen, 29, spent last year with Calgary’s AHL affiliate in Adirondack and, the year prior, split between Anaheim’s AHL club in Norfolk and HIFK Helsinki of the Finnish league.
Though the Blue Jackets have good prospect depth in goal, it’s not surprising they’re bringing in Thiessen. Anton Forsberg, 22, and Joonas Korpisalo, 21, are promising talents but relatively untested; Thiessen, meanwhile, is a former Baz Bastien Award winner as the AHL’s top goalie, with over 150 career games of American League experience.