Penguins Training Camp Update: Smith, Four Others Waived
The NHL waiver wire is open for business and the Penguins wasted little time in taking advantage, placing five players on waivers today.
Talk about separating the wheat from the chaff!
Included in those ranks? A recent Kyle Dubas add and one of Ron Hextall’s high-profile acquisitions (and apparent biggest blunders).
The Dubas pickup? Forward Rem Pitlick, acquired a mere seven weeks ago in the Erik Karlsson blockbuster.
The Hextall addition? Defenseman Ty Smith, acquired straight-up in the summer of 2022 for John Marino. A trade that appears to be well on its way to carving out a place of dishonor among the pantheon of black-and-gold clunkers. Not as bad as, say, Alek Stojanov-for-Markus Naslund, but fast approaching the same biosphere.
Expected to compete for one of the open bottom-six slots, Pitlick quickly played himself out of contention for a job. That’s saying something, considering how poorly some of the other candidates have performed (cough…Andreas Johnsson). It didn’t help Pitlick’s cause that he’s pricier ($1.1 million) than most of our other Filene’s Basement adds.