Anaheim Claims Aggozino Off Waivers From Penguins

Not all the moves Monday involve trades, regardless of the NHL’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. On the same day the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Patrick Marleau from San Jose, the Penguins lost depth forward Andrew Agozzino.

Agozzino was claimed off waivers by the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, according to reports. The Penguins placed Agozzino on waivers over the weekend.

In a season marked by an abundance of injuries for the Penguins, Agozzino, 29, was able to help fill in some of the gap. He was productive at the American Hockey League level and in 12 games with the NHL Penguins had no goals, two assists in 17 games, primarily as a fourth-liner.

The Penguins knew and had made it public that they were going to be in the market for a forward on the trade market. Putting Agozzino through waivers allowed them the leeway to do that and, obviously, was worth the risk of losing Agozzino rather than sending him back to Wilkes-Barre. In addition, the Penguins might have intended to send Agozzino to Wilkes-Barre, at least on paper, so he could have been eligible to play there in the AHL playoffs. There is a roster deadline for that today.

Adding Marleau and losing Agozzino is a trade-off the Penguins surely will take.

The Penguins play the Ducks Friday in Anaheim.