The Pittsburgh Penguins added some toughness at the trading deadline Wednesday, claiming right wing Craig Adams off waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks. Adams is expected to be in uniform when the Penguins play the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.
Adams has two goals, four assists and 22 penalty minutes in 36 games with Chicago this season. He has 37 goals in 498 career NHL games with the Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes.
Pittsburgh, back in position to make the Eastern Conference playoffs after winning their last four games, lost some toughness last summer when forwards Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts and Jarkko Ruutu signed with other teams following the Stanley Cup finals. General manager Ray Shero was known to be looking to add a role player or two at the deadline.
The 31-year-old Adams is in the final season of a $6 million, three-year contract and can become a free agent after the season ends.
The Penguins also swapped minor league defensemen with St. Louis, sending Danny Richmond to the Blues for Andy Wozniewski, who was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). Wozniewski has played 56 games for Peoria (AHL) this season and has appeared in 77 NHL games with the Blues and Maple Leafs during his career.
Pittsburgh acquired Richmond in a trade with Chicago for right wing Tim Brent on July 17. Richmond, who at 24 is four years younger than Wozniewski, has three goals and 14 assists in 55 games with Wilkes-Barre.
The Penguins also reassigned forward Bill Thomas, a Pittsburgh native, to Wilkes-Barre. He had two goals and an assist in 11 games during his latest stay with the Penguins.
Forward Miroslav Satan, a disappointment this season, remained with the team after clearing waivers. The Penguins now have the option of sending the 34-year-old Satan to Wilkes-Barre, with the remainder of his $3.5 million salary not counting against their salary cap.
Satan has three goals in eight games since the Penguins brought in Dan Bylsma as coach, but has only 17 goals and 19 assists in 65 games. He was signed after the Penguins failed to re-sign forward Marian Hossa last summer.
