Three join Penguins, more expected in coming weeks

As the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins continue their push to the playoffs, the team’s roster is expected to continue expanding.

The club has already signed three players to amateur try-out (ATO) agreements. The Penguins added two Pittsburgh draft picks in Nathan Moon and Robert Bortuzzo last Monday before signing undrafted defenseman Lane Caffaro on Saturday.

“It gives them a little bit of a sneak preview of what they have to look forward to,” said Penguins’ interim head coach Todd Reirden. “Whether it’s next year’s rookie camp, or next year’s training camp, this prepares them a little bit more for what’s expected out of them… It also lets them know that while they’ve had successful junior careers, it’s definitely a step up to play in the American Hockey League.”

Moon, a 19-year-old center, joins Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. Pittsburgh’s fourth round selection in the 2008 National Hockey League draft, Moon scored 32 goals and added 40 assists in 62 OHL games this season.

Bortuzzo, a 20-year-old defenseman, was Pittsburgh’s third-round pick in the 2007 NHL draft. The blueliner appeared in 23 games with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers this season, registering one goal, 16 assists, and 49 penalty minutes.

Caffaro, 25, appeared in 135 games for Union College during his NCAA career. The defenseman registered 23 goals, 56 assists, and 227 penalty minutes while at Union, and led all Union defenseman with 22 points this season.

According to Reirden, the Penguins plan to bring in “pretty much everyone who is eligible that we feel has a future in the organization.” In order to be signed, a player must have completed his junior or collegiate season. In other words, the sooner a player’s team gets bounced from the playoffs; the sooner he can be signed to an ATO agreement.

While not everyone who is brought into Wilkes-Barre on an ATO will have the opportunity to get into a game with the Penguins, the players still get the experience of practicing with the team and getting a first-hand view of what the demands of professional hockey are.

“It’s great to be around these guys, seeing the pro practices, how intense they are compared to juniors, and what you have to get up here and the level you have to be to get this spot,” Moon said.

“It seems like a first class organization. They’re spoken very highly of by everyone I’ve talked to. The facility is great, the guys are good, and I’m just happy to be here,” Bortuzzo added.