With the NHL’s trade deadline approaching at 3 p.m. Friday, the Penguins made a deal Wednesday that sent long-time fourth-line center Teddy Blueger to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for minor-league defenseman Peter DiLiberatore and a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The primary benefit of the transaction from the Penguins’ perspective is it clears valuable salary cap space.
Blueger, 28, is in the final year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $2.2 million. In 45 games this season, Blueger has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) while averaging 12 minute, 46 seconds of ice time. He was also a staple of the team’s penalty kill, having led the team’s forwards with 2:37 of short-handed ice time per contest this season.
The native of Riga, Latvia, was a second-round pick (No. 52 overall) for the Penguins in the 2012 NHL Draft and spent parts of the past five seasons at the NHL level with the organization.
DiLiberatore, 22, was a sixth-round pick (No. 180) by the Golden Knights in 2018. He is in the final year of a three-year entry-level contract that carries a salary cap hit of $880,833.
A left-handed shot, DiLiberatore has never played in the NHL and has split this season between the American Hockey League and ECHL.
With Henderson of the AHL, DiLiberatore has appeared in 22 games and has three assists. Most recently assigned to Savannah of the ECHL, he has six assists in 18 games with that club.
DiLiberatore will report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.
Most likely, the Penguins took on DiLiberatore as the Golden Knights have 49 NHL contracts, one short of the limit of 50. The Penguins now have 44 such contracts.
With this transaction, the Penguins have $4,195,480 of salary cap space, according to Cap Friendly.
