Pittsburgh Penguins Sign New Defenseman in Latest Move

Over the past few weeks, the Pittsburgh Penguins have inked several promising players to ELC's, with the two notable ones being Finn Harding and most recently, Chase Pietila.

On Monday, Kyle Dubas made it one more, with the team announcing on social media that they've signed defenseman Daniel Laatsch to a two-year Entry Level Contract.

The 23-year old was a seventh-round draft pick of the Penguins back in 2021, with the Wisconsin native being a mainstay on the US National Team at the junior level for many years before being drafted.

Now, he's finished his four years at the University of Wisconsin, and although he tallied just 26 points across those four seasons, his impact is so much more than what you see on the scoreboard.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 190 pounds, Laatsch is a very physical presence on the ice, and it's his shot blocking ability and leadership on the ice that make him a very intriguing prospect.

Being a seventh-round pick, there wasn't very high expectations for him, but over the four years he's shown himself to be a very steady and reliable piece on the Badgers blue line, with the organization hoping he can take strides at the professional level.

It's unclear how many of these players recently inked to ELC's will make a massive impact in the AHL or the NHL, but for now, the Penguins have plenty to look forward too, and if they can develop well, they may have found some very solid players for the future.