CRANBERRY, Pa. -- The Penguins have re-signed defensemen Zach Trotman and Kevin Czuczman to matching two-year, two-way contracts, Jim Rutherford announced on Wednesday.
Both deals carry an average annual value of $700,000 at the NHL level.
Trotman, 28, split last season between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh. He recorded one goal, four assists, and a minus-2 rating in 24 games with Wilkes-Barre, and one assist and a plus-4 rating in 13 games with Pittsburgh.
"Zach's role with us last year was definitely not easy. Sometimes a depth defenseman has to sit out for a number of games and is expected to come in and be on top of his game, and he did an excellent job with that," Bill Guerin said of Trotman. "He's extremely dedicated to his strength and conditioning, which paid off for him because he had a big impact on our season this year. We're excited to have Zach back with us for two more years."
Czuczman, 28, spent all of last season in Wilkes-Barre. He registered four goals, 17 assists, and a plus-8 rating in 65 games.
"Kevin is a player that has shown his dedication to our organization through his hard work with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton over the past few years," Guerin said of Czuczman. "He is capable to play in all situations on the ice and is a true leader for us in Wilkes-Barre. We're glad to have him back."
With seven NHL defensemen already under contract and Marcus Pettersson receiving a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent, both Trotman and Czuczman will likely start their seasons in Wilkes-Barre again. Both players require waivers to be sent to the AHL.
