The Penguins have re-signed Daniel Sprong, Dominik Simon, and Kevin Czuczman, Jim Rutherford announced on Monday.
Sprong and Simon were set to become restricted free agents this summer. Both received two-year deals that will run through the 2019-20 season, and each is a one-way deal with an average annual value of $750,000.
Czuczman, one of the leaders on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's blue line in 2017-18, was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He received a one-year, two-way contract with an average annual value of $650,000 at the NHL level.
Sprong, 21, said himself on Wilkes-Barre's clean-out day that he’s never going to be the 200-foot player that people want him to be, but he’s a more well-rounded player after this season. He’ll require waivers next season due to his short NHL stint in 2015-16, so the Penguins won’t have the luxury of moving him up and down over the course of the season.
"He's gone through the development process," Rutherford said Monday in Cranberry at a meeting with select local outlets, including DKPittsburghSports.com. "At this level, he's going to have to do the little things right, play the game the right way to maintain a position on the top nine. There's no question he's going to score goals, even if he has some bad habits somewhere else. But I'm not sure that'll go over too big with the coach, though."
Rutherford laughed, referring to Mike Sullivan.
Simon, who turns 24 this summer, will also require waivers this season as he has now played three professional seasons.
"I think Dom's got more to offer offensively," Rutherford said. "He got into a bad habit with us at times where he stayed out too long. His shifts would be too long, which hurt him as the game went along. But if he can get a consistent shift length, he's a guy who can play left side, right side, up and down the lineup ... he can be a very good player for us. Very, very talented player. But he gets himself in trouble when he stays out there too long."
With four goals and 31 assists in 71 games, 27-year-old Czuczman led all Wilkes-Barre defensemen in scoring last season. He didn’t get a shot in Pittsburgh, but was a strong veteran presence on the team and a good depth defenseman.
