Empty Netter Assists - 10-01-12
Penguins
-Could the lockout hurt James Neal's (right) development?
-Paul Thompson and Eric Tangradi scored shootout goals for the black team in a 2-1 win against team white during an intrasquad scrimmage for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
-"Look in that locker room and there's probably 10, maybe 12 defensemen who could be in a top-four pairing somewhere in the AHL and some could even play in the NHL." - Tangradi on the AHL Penguins' depth on defense.
-The NHL and NHLPA continued negotiations and discussed secondary issues such as safety and drug testing.
-Happy 45th birthday to former Penguins forward Scott Young. Acquired midway through the 1990-91 season in a deal which sent Rob Brown to the Hartford Whalers, Young's Penguins career amounted to 43 games and 27 points that campaign. In the spring, the appreared in 17 playoff games and scored seven points while winning a Staney Cup ring. After spending most of the 1991-92 season playing in Italy as well as for the United States Olympic team, Young was dealt at the 1992 trade deadline to the Nordiques in exchange for Bryan Fogarty.
{youtube width="465" height="349"}U8PowdDfy7A{/youtube}
-Happy 24th birthday to former Penguins forward Luca Caputi. A fourth-round pick in 2007, Caputi spent parts of two seasons with the Penguins. As a rookie in 2008-09, he appeared in five games and scored one goal. In four games in 2009-10, Caputi scored two points. At the 2010 trade deadline, Caputi and Martin Skoula were traded to the Maple Leafs in exchange for Alexei Ponikarovsky. In nine games with the Penguins, Caputi scored three points. He is currently a member of the Norfolk Admirals, the Ducks' AHL affiliate.
-Happy 38th birthday to former Penguins forward Domenic Pittis. A second-round pick in 1993, Pittis' Penguins career amounted to one game and no points in 1996-97. In the 1998 offseason, he joined the Sabres as a free agent. He spent last season with ZSC of Switzerland's NLA.
Atlantic Division
-Flyers forward Matt Read (right) has joined Södertälje of Sweden's Allsvenskan for the duration of the lockout.
Southeast Division
-New Capitals coach Adam Oates will assist Washington's AHL affiliate in Hershey during the lockout.
Northwest Division
-Former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Ben Street will have a chance to play closer to home this season with the Abbotsford Heat, the Flames' AHL affiliate.
Norris Division
-"You get paid when players get paid. At least in the past during the lockout players would get a stipend (from an NHLPA) fund. I think it was $5,000 or $10,000. Agents don’t get a stipend, and I don’t have any other work that I do. So it’s difficult.” - NHL agent Mark Gandler on the impact of the lockout.
(Photos: Neal-Jamie Sabau/Getty Images; Read-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)