Pittsburgh Penguins sign veteran C Brian Boyle

The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to sign Brian Boyle on Tuesday, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff confirms that the one-year deal will be worth $750K when finalized. Boyle had been in Penguins camp on a professional tryout after failing to even play professional hockey in 2020-21.

Now 36, Boyle’s story is one of incredible perseverance and hard work, with this just the latest impressive chapter. The veteran forward seemed to be out of the NHL last season, but earned himself a spot on the U.S. World Championship team, was given the captaincy and proved he could still play at a high level. Even that wasn’t enough to land him an actual contract, but his performance at Penguins’ camp on a PTO, combined with the team’s injury concerns, will be enough to get him another chance.

No one is mistaking Boyle for a top-line player at this point, but he does bring size, experience and versatility to the bottom of the lineup. The 6-foot-6 forward can play center or left wing, while contributing on both special teams. In 2019-20 with the Florida Panthers, he recorded six goals and 15 points in 39 games, while providing a physical presence and a reliable faceoff percentage. If the Penguins, who are without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to start the season, get a few months of respectable performance out of Boyle, it will be well worth the one-year deal.