Penguins Just Made A Quiet Forward Move Worth Watching

The Penguins make a strategic move by signing promising forward Atley Calvert to a two-year deal, banking on his impressive AHL performance and potential for NHL impact.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have locked up a young scorer for the long haul, signing Atley Calvert to a two-year, entry-level contract on Wednesday.

According to PuckPedia, the deal carries an NHL AAV of $930,000 and includes a $55,000 annual signing bonus along with an $85,000 minor-league salary.

Calvert’s path to this contract has been built the hard way. After wrapping up his junior career with the Western Hockey League’s Moose Jaw Warriors, the undrafted winger joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an American Hockey League deal before the 2024-25 season. He spent his rookie year bouncing between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, producing 14 points in 26 AHL games and adding 36 points in 38 games with Wheeling.

This past season, Calvert stayed in the AHL from start to finish. He appeared in 70 games and delivered 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points, helping Wilkes-Barre/Scranton finish second in the AHL’s Atlantic Division. He then chipped in three goals and six points in 15 Calder Cup Playoff games as the Baby Pens pushed all the way to the Eastern Conference Final before falling to the eventual champion Toronto Marlies.

Across 96 regular-season AHL games, Calvert has totaled 25 goals and 27 assists for 52 points.

Before turning pro, the Moose Jaw native made his name as a dangerous finisher with the Warriors. In his final junior season, he scored 47 goals and piled up 95 points, then added 20 points in 20 playoff games to help Moose Jaw win the Ed Chynoweth Cup. He also had two assists at the 2024 Memorial Cup, where the Warriors reached the semifinal before losing to the eventual tournament winners, the Saginaw Spirit.

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