Penguins add depth with 2 trades
The Pittsburgh Penguins made two trades Tuesday designed to improve the team’s depth.
The Penguins acquired goaltender Michael Leighton and a 2019 fourth-round draft pick from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for forward Josh Archibald, goaltender Sean Maguire and a 2019 sixth-round draft pick. That trade was followed by Pittsburgh acquiring defenseman Jamie Oleksiak from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2019 conditional fourth-round draft pick.
Leighton, who is signed to a two-way contract, will report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Leighton, 36, has split this season between the Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning, spending time at the AHL level with Syracuse and Chicago. He has played in 14 AHL games this year, going 4-4-4 with one shutout. He is a five-time AHL all-star.
Leighton has played in 110 NHL games with Chicago, Nashville, Philadelphia and Carolina. He played parts of three seasons with the Hurricanes from 2007-10 when Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford held the same job for Carolina.
Leighton backstopped the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2011 Stanley Cup Final appearance, going 8-3 with three shutouts in the postseason.
Oleksiak, 24, is a 6-7, 255-pounder and has played in 21 games this season with Dallas, producing three points. He played parts of the last six years with Dallas.