Steve Oleksy, the rugged Pittsburgh blueliner that’s appeared in nine games this season, has been placed on waivers, per ESPN.
Oleksy, 30, has been up with the Pens for a while, but his presence in the lineup’s been sporadic. He’s sat as a healthy scratch on a number of occasions, and hasn’t dressed since getting just over 10 minutes in a loss to Ottawa on Jan. 12.
A veteran of 71 career NHL contests, Oleksy caught on with the Pens organization in ’15-16 following a lengthy stint with the Caps. He’s been a willing combatant throughout his professional career, which included a career-high 14 scraps (three NHL, 11 AHL) during the ’12-13 campaign.
Today’s move could suggest that fellow d-man Kris Letang, out since mid-January with a knee injury, is close to returning. Letang took part in Tuesday’s morning skate, though Pens head coach Mike Sullivan didn’t provide a specific date for Letang’s return.