Penguins Re-Assign Lafferty, Aggozino, Blandisi and Czuczman to WBS

The Pittsburgh Penguins re-assigned their AHL call-ups, including Sam Lafferty to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Tuesday night. In total, the five players who have been shuttled back and forth from the WBS Penguins as the Penguins have dealt with a seemingly never-ending string of injuries were sent back to the AHL, according to Penguins GM Jim Rutherford.

Forwards Lafferty, Joseph Blandisi, Andrew Agozzino, and defenseman Kevin Czuczman were returned to the AHL, presumably for a couple of reasons. First, the Penguins will have a salary cap savings without the players on the NHL roster, and the players will remain in game shape by playing for the WBS Penguins

The WBS Penguins will play two games before the Penguins next game on Jan 31. against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Agozzino, 29, has one assist in nine games with the Penguins. In 30 career NHL games split between the Penguins and Colorado, Agozzino has six points (1g, 5a).

Lafferty, 24, has been a staple of the injury-strapped Penguins since October. He has 10 points (4g, 6a) in 36 NHL games, but only four points in his last 26 games. The Hollidaysburg native earned attention and positive reviews after a strong training camp and rejoined the team as injuries mounted. He scored six points in his first 10 NHL games.

Blandisi, 25, has racked up a few miles on his car. The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled Blandisi seven times already this season. His next trip to Pittsburgh will be his eighth. The speedy forward has five points (2g, 3a) in 16 NHL games.

Czuczman (pronounced Churchman) has not yet appeared in a game for the Penguins and has not played in the NHL since 2013-14, when he played 14 games for the New York Islanders.

The Penguins are now on a nine-day NHL break which includes the NHL All-Star break, and the bye week. The Penguins lost to the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-0 on Tuesday night.