CRANBERRY, Pa. -- The Penguins' depth on the right side of their blue line was bleak entering the offseason.
The only right-handed defensemen signed to an NHL contract in the entire system were Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson and Jack St. Ivany. It wasn't much better last season, either. The only right-handed defensemen lost were Chad Ruhwedel to a mid-season trade to the Rangers, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's 36-year-old captain Taylor Fedun, who hit free agency this summer.
Kyle Dubas took steps to rectify that on the first day of free agency on Monday -- first, with the signing of Mac Hollowell at the very start of the free agency period, followed by the signing of Nate Clurman hours later to a one-year, two-way deal worth the league-minimum $775,000 at the NHL level.
Clurman, like Hollowell, project to start the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They fill a real void at that level, but could also serve as midseason recalls if the opportunity presents itself on the right side.
Clurman, 26, is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound defensive defenseman. The Boulder, Colorado native was originally a 2016 sixth-round pick of his hometown Avalanche, and has played his entire three-year professional career in the Avalanche's system. His first two professional seasons were split between the Avalanche's AHL affiliate Colorado Eagles and ECHL affiliate Utah Grizzlies. Last season Clurman spent the full year in the AHL, scoring one goal and four assists and recording a plus-5 rating in 37 games.
Clurman played three seasons at the University of Notre Dame before turning pro. He won the Big 10 championship as a freshman and captained the team in his junior season.
