The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins made their first signings of the summer on Monday, and they're all familiar faces.
Forwards Ryan Haggerty and Pat McGrath return from last year's team, and forward Cam Brown earns his first AHL contract after spending the majority of last season with the Wheeling Nailers. Veteran defenseman Will O'Neill returns to the Wilkes-Barre blue line, having last played for the team in 2015-16.
Haggerty signing with Wilkes-Barre for a third season comes as somewhat of a surprise, as many expected him to earn an NHL contract this offseason -- including coach Clark Donatelli, who told me last season Haggerty was "for sure" playing like he deserved an NHL contract.
Haggerty, 25, is coming off a career season, setting new highs in goals (16) and assists (21) while playing right wing on a line with Jean-Sebastien Dea and Zach Aston-Reese. One of his main strengths is his shot, which Donatelli described as "NHL-ready":
At the midpoint of the season, Haggerty's point production matched that of Daniel Sprong despite playing in fewer games. Haggerty's season was derailed by an injury, and he only played in 47 regular season games and two of Wilkes-Barre's three playoff games, which may have hurt his chances of earning an NHL contract.
"I just think my compete and my physical condition has put me in a spot to really make a huge impact down here," he told me of his success last season. 'I play a pretty good 200 foot game, and I'm able to get up the ice and play my top speed, which really helps push the pace on our line there, and be there to create my own offense."
McGrath, 25, returns to the Penguins' organization for a sixth straight season. The first Wilkes-Barre native to ever suit up for the Penguins has taken on the role of a pest during his time in the organization, and his 95 penalty minutes was the second-most on Wilkes-Barre last season, despite playing in only 19 games. He set a personal AHL career high last season with two goals, including his first goal at home. It was an empty netter, but his hometown crowd gave him a standing ovation:
For a kid who grew up watching guys like Dennis Bonvie and Tom Kostopoulos play in that building, it must have felt good to finally hear his name announced over the PA system not followed by "five for fighting."
Brown, a 25-year-old center, is coming off a successful first professional season. He was producing at a rate of almost a point-per-game in Wheeling, recording 17 goals and 36 assists in 55 ECHL games.
He earned a tryout contract with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds that lasted 13 games, and he scored a goal and an assist in his time there. He joined Wilkes-Barre as a "Black Ace" after Wheeling failed to qualify for the playoffs, and was scoreless in one game.
Last season, I asked Brown if his short AHL stint was even more motivation to reach that level again.
"Definitely, I think so," he said. "I think just since I got that taste I learned a lot and I think I could even perform better if I end up getting a chance again. I think I know what to expect and I know what things are going to be like. It could be a little bit of a smoother adjustment."
At 5-foot-7, Brown is definitely in the "undersized" category. As he told me last season though, he thinks his size is an advantage, and models his game after other small players like Brendan Gallagher and Mats Zuccarello
"I think a lot of people maybe look at it and think of it as a disadvantage." he said. "As crazy as this may sound, I'd like to think of it as an advantage out there. I'm a little guy out there, and I can fit and sneak around in maybe spots where other people can't. I think maybe I'm a little quicker because I'm a smaller player, and I think that helps me out there."
Veteran Will O'Neill is a huge addition to Wilkes-Barre's blue line, after the departures of notable defensemen Jarred Tinordi (Nashville), Lukas Bengtsson (SHL) and Andrey Pedan (KHL). O'Neill will be entering his eighth professional season, and last played for Wilkes-Barre in the 2015-16 season. O'Neill was an alternate captain that season, and was third overall in team scoring with eight goals and 42 assists in 74 games, trailing only Carter Rowney and Tom Kostopoulos.
O'Neill, 30, spent the last two seasons playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. He made his NHL debut for Philadelphia last season in St. Louis. Through his two seasons with Lehigh Valley, he scored a combined nine goals and 41 assists in 116 games.
