Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Defenseman Brian Strait
By Matt Shetler
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that defenseman Brian Strait has accepted the clubs qualifying offer of a one-year, two-way contract worth $605,000 at the NHL level, Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Strait appeared in 12 NHL games over the past two seasons and is part of a mix expected to compete for a roster spot in training camp. In 2012, Strait appeared in nine games for the Penguins, recording an assist, a minus-2 plus-minus, and four penalty minutes.
With the trade of Zbynek Michalek, Strait, a stay-at-home defenseman, will be in competition with the likes of Simon Despres, Joe Morrow and others for a spot as one of the penguins regular six defensemen next season.
With the signing of the restricted free agent Strait, the Pens now have only Eric Tangradi, Robert Bortuzzo and Alex Grant as remaining restricted free agents.