Penguins A to Z: Kevin Czuczman finds a way to impact future

While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 55 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.

Player: Kevin Czuczman

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Age: 29

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 206 pounds

2019-20 AHL statistics: 38 games, 10 points (two goals, eight assists)

Contract: First year of a two-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $700,000. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2021.

Acquired: Free agent signing, July 4, 2017

This season: For over a decade and a half, going back to Craig Patrick’s final days as general manager, the Penguins always have provided a home to veteran American Hockey League defensemen who could be a top-pairing blue liner in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but not necessarily a prime contender for the NHL roster.

It’s a distinguished fraternity, provided your level of distinction is limited.

John Slaney. Alain Nasreddine. Micki DuPont. Nate Guenin. Corey Potter. Andrew Hutchinson. Alexandre Picard. Dylan Reese. Taylor Chorney. Will O’Neill. Steve Oleksy. David Warsofsky. Chris Summers. Zach Trotman.

And Kevin Czuczman.

The motivation for keeping this type of player is two-fold. First, it gives the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins an anchor on the blue line they can rely on in virtually every situation. Second, it provides a seasoned mentor for younger prospects who are moving through the pipeline and, ideally, on their way to the NHL.

Czuczman is the latest to fill that role.

After playing 13 games with the New York Islanders as an undrafted free agent signing late in the 2013-14 season, almost all of Czuczman’s professional experience since has been in the AHL, where he has 374 career games under his belt.

A fair skater who can move the puck and possesses a strong point shot, Czuczman is a legit asset on the ice for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

(Video courtesy Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)

But his greatest value to the organization might be off the ice as he has provided guidance for several of the Penguins prospects, similar to the role former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forwards such as Tom Kostopoulos and Garrett Wilson inhabited in recent seasons.

Players on the NHL roster such as Anthony Angello and Sam Lafferty have cited Czuczman has helping teach them the nuances of being a professional hockey player. Czuczman presumably will continue to do the same for the likes of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defensemen Niclas Almari, Pierre-Olivier Joseph and others.

Czuczman spent nearly four weeks on the NHL roster throughout December and January but only after injuries ravaged the blue lines of the NHL and AHL rosters. He served as a seventh defenseman for that stretch, never getting in the NHL lineup.

The future: Short of something cataclysmic happening to the organization’s defensive depth, it’s doubtful Czuczman will play a game of consequence for the NHL Penguins. He simply is limited as a player.

In the unlikely event the AHL season resumes, Czuczman will return to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

But that doesn’t mean he is not a key contributor to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ future.

Follow the Penguins all season long.