Penguins A to Z: Phil Varone is the definition of a 4A player

While the NHL is on hold due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 53 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.

Player: Phil Varone

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Age: 29

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 186 pounds

2019-20 AHL statistics: 33 games, 19 points (four goals, 15 assists)

Contract: One-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $700,000. Pending unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason

Acquired: Trade, Feb. 20, 2020

This season: The term “4A player” isn’t an insult.

But it’s not exactly a compliment either.

Taken from baseball, where the top level of the minor leagues is Triple-A, it’s basically a way to describe a hockey player who can dominate at the American Hockey League level but do little of note in the NHL.

Phil Varone might be the perfect example.

A 2009 fifth-round pick (No. 147 overall) of the San Jose Sharks in 2009, Varone has been playing professionally since 2011. During that time, he has all of 97 games and 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) at the NHL level during sporadic call-ups with the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers.

Yet, in the AHL, he has been a dominant player, as evidenced by the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP he won in 2017-18 with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

That’s the player the Montreal Canadiens were hoping they acquired for their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, when they signed Varone to a one-year contract in the summer of 2019. Instead, injuries and a dispute with management led to a premature ending of his time there.

After being sidelined for about 10 weeks because of a right wrist injury, Varone’s fortunes in Laval did not improve once he was healthy thanks to a dispute with coach Joel Bouchard, who benched Varone as well as forward Riley Barber, a Washington, Pa. native and another productive AHL player, on Feb. 16 when he felt they were not “engaged” in the team’s structure.

Four days later, Varone and Barber were traded to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. They needed an offensive boost this duo could provide given the injuries to the NHL lineup which prompted recalls from the AHL roster.

Varone and Barber each settled into top-six roles with WBS. By the time the AHL season was halted in mid-March, Varone was centering the second line with Barber at right wing and AHL All-Star Sam Miletic at left wing. He also was a part of the power play.

In six games with WBS, Varone recorded five assists, including on Barber’s overtime goal in a 2-1 road win against Lehigh Valley on March 11 which ended up being its final game of the season.

(Video courtesy AHL)

The future: General manager Jim Rutherford identified Varone as a player the Penguins could recall for the completion of the NHL’s 2019-20 season with expanded rosters. Specifically, Rutherford cited Varone’s NHL experience as a reason for a possible recall.

If that’s the case, he likely will be limited to a practices with the team. For him to play an NHL game with the Penguins would require substantial injuries or absences among the forward ranks.

Beyond this season, Varone is hardly a priority for the organization, and he could very well move on to another organization on a one-year contract.

In the meantime, Penguins management seems satisfied with him, at least based on just six AHL games. He provides a legit top-six scoring option at the AHL level.

That’s what 4A players are supposed to do.

Follow the Penguins all season long.