Penguins Get Bargain, Sign Will Butcher Two-Way Deal

Defenseman Will Butcher is a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.

Monday night, the Penguins signed Butcher, who has 275 games of NHL experience, to a two-way contract with a $775,000 NHL salary and a $425,000 salary in the AHL.

Butcher, 28, did not play in the NHL last season. He played 65 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars, scoring 43 points (7-36-43). Butcher led all Stars players in assists and set a franchise record for most assists by a defenseman in a single season.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound left-handed defenseman last played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres in 2021-22. He played 37 games with eight points (2-6-8).

Butcher was a fifth-round draft pick by the Colorado Avalanche in 2013 but became a college free agent by not signing with the team after four years at the University of Denver. After high-profile free agency courtships, he signed with the New Jersey Devils.

Butcher played four seasons with the New Jersey Devils and one season with Buffalo. Players on two-way deals are not waiver exempt, and he would have to clear waivers to be sent to the WBS Penguins.