Ty Smith discusses playing with Jan Rutta throughout training camp on the Pittsburgh Penguins third pairing. In somewhat of a surprising move, the Penguins have sent defenseman Ty Smith to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins alongside Mark Friedman in a move to get cap compliant before the deadline on Monday at 5 P.M. Smith was acquired in an offseason trade with the New Jersey Devils that sent fellow defenseman John Marino out of Pittsburgh. Smith entered training camp in a presumed battle with P.O. Joseph for the final spot alongside offseason free agency signing Jan Rutta. Smith garnered much of the preseason time alongside Rutta so the Penguins could find out exactly what they got in him. As advertised, Smith looked out of place on defense at times but also flashed potential to be an adequate power play quarterback in the event of a Kris Letang injury. With the team tight against the salary cap, the Penguins chose to keep Joseph as he would’ve needed to clear waivers to be sent back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Smith is still waivers exempt and likely ended up being the casualty for that reason. Smith, much like Joseph, is a former first-round pick and is still just 22-years-old. He will certainly be on the ice for the Penguins soon. The organization could elect to make an early season trade that would free up cap space and allow them to bring Smith back with the team. Until then, Rutta, Joseph, Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Jeff Petry, Marcus Pettersson, and Chad Ruhwedel will be the seven defensemen the Penguins will carry into opening night barring a trade. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Mark Friedman Clears Waivers, What's Next for Penguins Defense? [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-mark-friedman-clears-waivers] Ron Hextall Overplayed His Hand With the Penguins Defense [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/ron-hextall-overplayed-hand-pittsburgh-penguins-defense] Jan Rutta Filling Role Perfectly at Penguins Camp [https://www.si.com/pens-talk/jan-rutta-role-perfectly-pittsburgh-penguins-camp] Penguins vs. Red Wings Takeaways: Depth Shows its Spark [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-red-wings-takeaways-depth-spark] Report: Penguins Looking to Trade PO Joseph [http://si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-looking-trade-po-joseph] * undefined * undefined
