NHL Transactions: Penguins to sign Brian Boyle; Hawks ink Erik Gustafsson; and more
Anthony Scultore
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The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to sign veteran forward Brian Boyle, The Athletic reported Monday.
Boyle, 36, has been in training camp with the Penguins on a professional tryout.
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NHL Transactions: Pens ink Boyle off PTO
Boyle has 231 points (130 goals, 101 assists) and 588 penalty minutes in 805 games with seven NHL teams.
He last played in 2019-20 with the Florida Panthers, tallying six goals and nine assists in 39 games.
Signing the former first-round pick (26th overall in 2003) adds depth and experience to a Penguins roster that opens the 2021-22 season on the road Tuesday against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Pittsburgh won’t have forward Evgeni Malkin (knee surgery) until at least December. Captain Sidney Crosby practiced on Saturday for the first time since September wrist surgery.
Blackhawks sign Erik Gustafsson to 1-year deal
Defenseman Erik Gustafsson agreed to a one-year, $800,000 deal with Chicago on Monday to start his second stint with the Blackhawks.
The deal comes one day after Gustafsson was released by the New York Islanders.
Gustafsson, 29, played 3 1/2 seasons with Chicago from 2015-20 and had 116 points (28 goals, 88 assists) in 214 games. The best season of his career came in a Blackhawks’ jersey when be established career highs of 17 goals, 43 assists (60 points) in 2018-19.
Gustafsson was traded to the Calgary Flames in February 2020. He split last season with the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens.
Chicago has a need for an experienced defenseman as Caleb Jones (wrist), Wyatt Kalynuk (ankle) and Alec Regula (back) are all sidelined with injuries.
Overall, Gustafsson has 29 goals and 131 points in 250 NHL games.
The Blackhawks open the season on Wednesday against the host Colorado Avalanche.
Devils add Jimmy Vesey off PTO; Red Wings release Bobby Ryan
The Devils announced the signing of Jimmy Vesey to a one-year deal worth $800,000.
Vesey, 28, was on a PTO with the team an earned a spot with a solid training camp scoring 2 goals in 3 games. Last season, he registered 10 points in 50 games split between the Canucks and Leafs.
Today, the Detroit Red Wings released forward Bobby Ryan from his PTO.
“We felt that Bobby had a good preseason for us, but due to roster limitations, we aren’t able to offer him a contract at this time,” said Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman in a statement. “We will continue to evaluate whether there is an opportunity for Bobby in Detroit as the 2021-22 season begins.”
The 34 year-old was hoping to return to the Red Wings but is now looking for another opportunity. He scored 7 goals and 14 points in 33 contests last season. For his 14 year career he’s registered 569 points 866 games.
–Field Level Media contributed to this report