The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a deal at the minor league level for a new young forward.
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins organization have made a trade at the American Hockey League Level. The Penguins announced that they have acquired forward Maxim Cajkovic from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman Will Butcher.
Cajkovic is a 23-years-old native of Slovakia and is yet to make his NHL debut. A third round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019, Cajkovic has spent most of the 2023-24 season at the ECHL level with the Iowa Heartlanders.
In 20 games with the Heartlanders this year, Cajkovic has scored 12 goals and six assists for 18 points. He has made five appearances at the AHL level with a goal and two assists.
Cajkovic’s contract runs until the end of this season and he will likely report to the Penguins’ minor league teams.
Butcher is a veteran defenseman who had dealt with an injury all through professional training camp and into the regular season. While he never played with the NHL Penguins, he wasn’t a constant face in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton lineup.
In 14 games played, Butcher scored three goals and four assists for seven total points. The Penguins have a lot of veteran classified players in their system right now, making it harder for a guy like Butcher to find regular playing time.
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