Pittsburgh Penguins terminate the professional tryout of longtime NHL defenseman

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they released defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov from his professional tryout contract. Knyzhov signed a PTO earlier this summer but did not appear in either of the first two preseason games for the team.

Knyzhov, a 6-foot-3, 222-pound left-handed defenseman, proved his worth in NHL games he had played before this. Despite all that, the Penguins decided to waive him even before the preseason was over. Not being around for the early games probably factored into the decision when one considers that he did not get a chance to prove himself on the ice.

The Penguins signed Knyzhov to a PTO on August 22, the lone player brought in with such an agreement to training camp. While PTOs are usually extended to players when a club is considering whether the player might fit, Knyzhov's time in Pittsburgh was brief.

Knyzhov, 26, has spent the past five seasons in the San Jose Sharks organization. Last season he appeared in 10 NHL games, going scoreless with one assist while averaging 17:39 of ice time per game. That was after an extended recovery from injury limited him last season.

With Nikolai Knyzhov's release, the Penguins now have 51 players remaining in their training camp roster. The team will further this process as they get closer to the start of the regular season.