Scouting report: Lee a mobile, offensive defenseman taken on the North Shore (Penguins)

Cam Lee. -- GS PHOTO / WMU Athletics

This week the Penguins signed their second undrafted college free agent of the season, defenseman Cam Lee out of Western Michigan University.

Lee attended the Penguins' development camp last summer and signed a two-year entry level deal following the end of his senior season.

“Cam is a good-skating, offensive-minded defenseman that fits the current style of play in today’s NHL,” Jim Rutherford said in a team release. “This signing adds more young depth at defense for us. We’re excited to have Cam as a member of the Penguins organization.”

"We are very excited for Cam to begin his professional hockey career with such a great organization in the Pittsburgh Penguins," Western Michigan coach Andy Murray said in the school's press release. "Cam is a very skilled defenseman and we look forward to seeing him succeed in the NHL."

What kind of player did the Penguins get in Lee? Let's take a look:

CAM LEE

Position: Defenseman

Height: 6-0

Weight: 186

Age: 23 (Senior)

Shoots: Left

BACKGROUND

Lee is a native of Ferguson's Cove, Nova Scotia, 30 minutes from Sidney Crosby's hometown, Cole Harbour. His uncle, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, is a former NHL goaltender, and his cousin Alexandre Fortin, is a forward in the Blackhawks organization.

Lee moved to America as a teenager, attending prep schools in New Hampshire and New York. He was drafted by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the sixth round of the 2013 QMJHL draft, but elected to go the USHL route and keep his college eligibility.

After high school, he played in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars for the 2014-15 season, and with the Green Bay Gamblers the following year.

Lee spent the next four seasons at Western Michigan, where he made an appearance in the NCAA tournament as a freshman. His collegiate career ended when the NCHC tournament was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In addition to attending the Penguins' development camp last summer, Lee attended the Canadiens' development camp in 2018 and the Flyers' development camp in 2017.

Lee is one of the players who skates at the Bedford BMO Centre in Nova Scotia over the summer with Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, and several other professional, college, and junior players. Lee has skated with the group since at least 2015.

Lee has twin sisters, Julia and Sierra, who both play for Trinity College. Lee's father, Tom, was an assistant coach for St. Mary's University for seven years and is a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor. Here's a story on him:

STATS

Lee is an offensive defenseman, and his production steadily grew in his four seasons at Western Michigan.

As a freshman, Lee scored two goals and 12 assists in 38 games, finishing fourth among Western Michigan defensemen in scoring. The following year, he recorded six goals and 18 assists in 36 games, and finished second in scoring among Western Michigan defensemen.

As a junior, Lee led his team in scoring among defensemen with seven goals and 19 assists in 37 games. This season, as a senior, Lee missed 10 games due to injury but still was the highest-scoring defenseman with three goals and 18 assists in only 26 games.

In Lee's last game of the regular season, he tied an NCHC record with five assists in a single game in an 8-4 win over Miami.

STRENGTHS

The website Last Word on Hockey wrote that Lee "has always been strong offensively, with a strong shot from the point. Lee understands how to keep his shot low and get it on the net, allowing teammates to get tips and rebounds. He also uses good lateral agility to walk the line and create shooting and passing lanes. Lee has strong vision and passing skills. He can quarterback the power play as well as start the transition game. Lee’s strong skating helps him to get up the ice as well as get back defensively."

These next two clips show two of Lee's five assists in his final collegiate game. In the first clip, Lee (wearing No. 28) skates the puck into the zone and carries it down low until a teammate gets into position for a one-timer:

He sets up another teammate for a one-timer in this one:

Two of Lee's three goals this season came in the same game, Feb. 8 against RPI. In the first one, Lee evades an RPI skater and takes a shot from the point:

For the second goal, Lee uses that shiftiness to create a shooting lane and score on the power play:

WHAT’S NEXT?

With the AHL season on pause, Lee obviously won't be heading to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an amateur tryout agreement anytime soon. If the AHL season is able to resume at some point, Lee could still join the team on an ATO to finish the year. Otherwise, he'll be in Wilkes-Barre when his contract kicks in next season.

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