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WILKES-BARRE — Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach Clark Donatelli admitted he’ll be relieved when he walks into the locker room after Wednesday’s trade deadline has passed.
Then, after all the moves have been made, Donatelli will see the team he’ll have for the rest of the season.
“We’ll be happy after it passes and we know what we have,” Donatelli said after Wednesday’s practice at the Toyota Sportsplex. “The only thing left after this is just wait for some draft picks at the end of the year and go from there.”
Wednesday’s trade deadline brought one new face to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in defenseman Frank Corrado, who was acquired from Toronto in exchange for Eric Fehr, Steve Oleksy and a 2017 fourth-round pick. In addition, Pittsburgh reassigned defenseman Cameron Gaunce to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Jake Guentzel, Carter Rowney and Derrick Pouliot were also reassigned but promptly recalled, a move that made them eligible to return to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at any time during the regular season or playoffs.
Corrado, 23, has 12 points and is plus-6 in 18 AHL games with the Toronto Marlies this year. He has also suited up for two NHL games with Toronto.
The 6-foot, 205-pound blueliner has eight points in 69 career NHL games split between Toronto and the Vancouver Canucks. The Toronto native was chosen in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft by Vancouver. In parts of six AHL seasons, he has 51 points in 126 games.
The additions of Corrado and Gaunce give Wilkes-Barre/Scranton eight healthy defensemen.
Taking it in stride
Prior to Wednesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players didn’t seem to be worried about any possible movement as they milled around the locker room after practice.
“I don’t care too much about it, to be honest,” center Oskar Sundqvist said. “The only time I watch it is when the television in the locker room has it on. When I go home, I’m not going to look at it or care too much about it. I’ll get a call if something would happen.”
Injury update
Defenseman Ethan Prow had a full contact practice on Wednesday and should be ready to play this weekend. Rookie blueliner Lukas Bengtsson, who has been sidelined with Lyme disease symptoms since Jan. 6, is month-to-month and could be done for the season, Donatelli said.
“Looking like he might be done for the rest of the year, but there’s still a little hope,” he said.
Rookie forward Thomas Di Pauli practiced in full and remains on track to return this weekend. Di Pauli has one goal in eight games.
“We really didn’t get to see too much of him, and the little bit we did see he was 70 percent,” Donatelli said. “He’s a highly-touted pick coming out of school and he brings a lot of speed and some jump to our lineup.”
Hitting the road
Oleksy, who was traded to Toronto, spent most of the season with Pittsburgh but appeared in 16 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He spent all of last season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, posting 19 points and 123 penalty minutes in 63 games.
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