The New Jersey Devils have given former Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks forward Tyler Kennedy a professional tryout agreement (PTO), the team announced Wednesday.
The Devils had brought in Kennedy on a PTO during training camp, but released him from the tryout after he took time away for personal reasons. They had also brought in Lee Stempniak at that time and wound up signing him to a deal that has worked out quite nicely for the team, with Stempniak posting four goals and 11 assists through 18 games.
The 29-year-old forward has been severely hampered by injuries the last few seasons, which has exacerbated his declining production. He split last season between the Sharks and New York Islanders, scoring just six goals and eight assists through 38 games. The Isles had him play in just three postseason matches.
Kennedy’s biggest successes were during his six-year tenure with the Penguins, under current Devils general manager Ray Shero. There he posted his career-high marks of 21 goals and 45 assists at age 24. He also contributed to the Penguins Stanley Cup run when he was just 22, scoring five goals and four assists in 22 postseason games.
https://twitter.com/NHLDevils/status/667048800373067776
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