Penguins acquire defenseman Chris Wideman from Panthers for Jean-Sebastien Dea

After news hit of the (questionable) trade for Erik Gudbranson, Jim Rutherford wasn’t finished, cutting a deal with the Florida Panthers to bring in another right-handed defenseman in Chris Wideman for Wilkes-Barre Scranton regular Jean-Sebastien Dea.

Considering the bomb we all just had to weather, Wideman has actually done just fine so far this season, despite his ever-lasting journey from team to team. He comes with a one-year, $1 million contract and is a pending UFA at the end of the season.

While nothing special, Wideman’s skill set seems to fit well in a bottom-pairing role. The 29-year-old has seven points (two goals, five assists) in 25 total games played. He has split time in 2018-19 with a few clubs. Ottawa, Edmonton, and Florida all gave him looks, but it he never seemed to stick and earn a consistent role in any of those lineups.

It’s also worth mentioning that Wideman hasn’t played in a single NHL game since January 5. Being that he couldn’t crack the lineup in any of his prior teams, there shouldn’t be a lot expected from this guy. He’ll likely be stuffed down in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton somewhere.

Wideman’s career has sort of gotten lost ever since the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, where he played in 15 games for the Senators before losing to the Penguins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.