The Pittsburgh Penguins kept one of their restricted free agents Wednesday, signing winger Joseph Blandisi to a one-year, two-way contract.
Blandisi, 24, will make $700,000 when in the NHL and $200,000 at the AHL level.
Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Derek Grant in January, Blandisi went scoreless in six games with the Penguins. An agitating, 5-foot-10 forward with good speed, he had nine goals and 20 points in 27 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Blandisi looks to be among a group of forwards that includes speedy winger Adam Johnson, Finnish center Oula Palve and newly signed winger Andrew Agozzino on the NHL-AHL bubble area of the Penguins depth chart.
“Joe has NHL talent. He’s a guy that has often been used in a depth role, but those players are extremely important to have,” Penguins assistant general manager Bill Guerin said in a release. “He has a high skill level and is a very competitive guy. There’s no reason why Joe can’t push to play in the NHL full time.”
With Blandisi in the fold, the Penguins have four restricted free agents left:defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forwards Zach Aston-Reese, Teddy Blueger and Johnson.
