The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to aggressively pursue undrafted college free agents, a strategy that they’ve used for years now to supplement their prospect pipeline that is often bereft of draft picks. The next college player to join Pittsburgh will be Western Michigan University sophomore Ty Glover, who has agreed to a three-year entry-level contract.
The deal will start in 2022-23 and carries an average annual value of $859K at the NHL level. He will now report to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an amateur tryout for the rest of the season.
Glover, 21, recorded eight goals and 21 points in 39 games this season for the Broncos, whose season ended with a loss to Minnesota over the weekend. It’s been a winding road for the young forward, who failed to make the OHL–he was drafted by the Flint Firebirds in the 15th round–played two seasons of Junior B, a year in the OJHL, and a year in the USHL before heading to college. Despite landing 215th on NHL Central Scouting’s list of available prospects in 2019 he went undrafted but has now obviously done enough in two years of collegiate hockey to earn an entry-level deal.
Standing 6’3″ he represents another big body for the Penguins to try and develop, even if there likely isn’t a huge offensive upside available at the next level. The team has continually squeezed NHL minutes out of players who were otherwise overlooked, and Glover represents another one of those opportunities for Pittsburgh.
Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald broke news of the deal on Twitter.