Will Butcher signs one-year contract with Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they have signed defenseman Will Butcher to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000.

Butcher is joining his fourth NHL team in four seasons after originally starting his career with the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18. He was one of the top rookies that season, scoring five goals and 44 points in 81 games – all career highs. From there, his game started to slip. He fell to 30 points the following year before injuries and inconsistent play saw him drop to 21 and 11 points, respectively, in his final two years with the Devils.

Butcher then played 37 games with the Buffalo Sabres in 2021-22, scoring two goals and eight points before the team elected to not re-sign him. At the time, his contract was worth $3.73 million for three years. Butcher then signed a league-minimum deal of $750,000 with the Dallas Stars, where he spent the entire season in the AHL with Texas.

The Caps are $1.5 million over the salary cap, with Butcher’s deal unlikely to affect things. The team still has Drew O’Connor as an RFA, with their biggest moves including the trade of Reilly Smith and the signings of Noel Acciari, Matt Nieto, Ryan Graves and Alex Nedeljkovic.