Continuing with their tying of loose ends, the Pittsburgh Penguins sealed a one-year deal with third/fourth liner Jeff Taffe. The former first rounder tallied 12 points in this past season (5G, 7A) in 45 games.
Up until I looked at his stats, I can honestly say that 45 games seems like way more than I thought he played in. From what I do remember though, Taffe is a gritty guy who doesn't mind taking the hits to position the puck. You're not going to see 20 goals anytime soon from this guy, but you may see a few tallies when it really counts.
Also included in Penguins re-signings are forward Jonathan Filewich and defenseman Paul Bissonnette. Filewich has carried much acclaim through prospect camp over the past season or two and may be a front-runner this season for a Tyler Kennedy sort of role. Expect to hear good things come September, as Filewich inked a two-year deal with the club.
Paul Bissonnette signed a one-year deal and is more or less off the radar right now for the parent club. Bissonnette spent most of his season with the Wheeling Nailers mixed with a few short stints with the Wilkes-Barre Pens (most likely during Letang and Goglioski's call ups). He's not going to jump to the Pittsburgh squad anytime soon, but it's always fun to watch the youngins come into their own.