The Penguins have recalled hard nosed defenseman Deryk Engelland. The move was most likely a depth one, considering that the Baby Penguins’ season came to an end last night against Albany.
Here is the official release from the team…
PENGUINS RECALL DEFENSEMAN DERYK ENGELLAND
The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled defenseman Deryk Engelland from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.
Engelland, 28, made his NHL debut this season with Pittsburgh recording two assists and 17 penalty minutes in nine games during a November call up. He played his first career NHL game at Boston on Nov 10. Engelland posted his first career point (assist) Nov. 16 against Anaheim. He also had a plus-3 rating against the Ducks.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound defenseman has played the majority of the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, putting up 11 points (5G-6A), a plus-10 rating and 121 penalty minutes in 71 contests. He added an assist in four postseason games.
Engelland has posted 42 points (10G-32A), 405 penalty minutes and a plus-11 rating in 231 games in his career with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He has added six points (1G-6A) and 27 penalty minutes in 39 playoff games and helped Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earn a berth in the Calder Cup Final in 2008.
Engelland has been a steady presence on the blue line for WBS, appearing in all of the club’s 160 regular-season and 35 postseason contests in his first two seasons after signing with the team in July, 2007. His streak was broken this year when he missed nine games while playing in the NHL with Pittsburgh.
The six-year pro has paid his dues with stints in Las Vegas, South Carolina and Reading of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), and Lowell, Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.
The Edmonton, Alberta native played five seasons of junior hockey with Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League.
I really like Engelland and hope the Pens resign him. He’s shown that he isn’t afraid to drop the gloves at the NHL level, and plays a solid stay at home game.
I work at the venue where Albany plays, and saw parts of the first two games of that series. Every time I saw someone finish behind the net or take out someone in front, sure enough it was #5.
I know they start doing these depth moves now, but why didnt they do this earlier in the year. We all know a few of us (Gunner!! lol) were asking for Lovejoy and Engelland to come up for some games before the playoffs so they can get the pace.
It is going to be asking an awful lot of those boys to jump into NHL playoff pace if we get an injury and Go*cough*go gets so jittery that Dan HAS to sit him like he did with Feds….
As the mighty Mets usually says: just sayin……
Oh glad to see that he is up by the way, well deserved, just like Lovejoy