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Eric Tangradi

An In-Depth Inventory of the Penguins Defensemen

Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ray Shero wants his team to be tough to play against. On Monday morning, he invested $1.7 million in that goal by signing physical defenseman Deryk Engelland to a three-year contract extension. Engelland has just two goals and three assists in 32 games this season, but his value to the Penguins doesn’t come from the scoring department. After delivering technical beat-downs to Colton Orr and Jody Shelley, Engelland has quickly carved out a reputation as one of the league’s top enforcers.

NHL 2010-11 Top 100 Prospect Rankings (Part 2: 51 to 75)

#61 Zack Kassian BUF F Drafted: 2009-13th

One-Timer: Kassian is one of the OHL’s toughest players and doesn’t shy away from donnybrooks, but needs to show more discipline after sometimes taking needless penalties. (Since I wrote that portion for my 2009 draft profile, he unfortunately took it to a new level last season.)There is no doubting the size, skill and energy he brings to the table, but he does need to continue to work on his skating and likewise getting quicker.
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