Penguins bring in Rutta on 3-year agreement
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The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Jan Rutta to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $2.75 million, the team announced Wednesday.
Rutta has spent the last four seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, so the two-time Stanley Cup champion comes with ample postseason experience.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old isn't flashy, but he brings size (6-foot-3, 204 pounds) and physicality. He has experience playing up the lineup (pairing with Victor Hedman at times), but in Pittsburgh, he projects to play on the right side of the third pairing behind Kris Letang and John Marino.
Rutta recorded 18 points in 76 games while averaging 16:23 per contest last season. He also threw 93 hits and blocked 71 shots.