The Penguins yesterday introduced two of their new additions, third line center Lars Eller and bottom six forward Noel Acciari. Eller is the consummate third line center who will complement top centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, while Acciari is a gritty hitter who relies on his defense to set up his offense.
Eller is a former top draft choice of the St. Louis Blues. He’s also played for the Canadiens, the Capitals, and last season for the Colorado Avalanche. He scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Caps in 2018. He signed a two-year $2.45 million contract with the Pens. Eller says he likes coming to Pittsburgh because the Penguins are stacked with proven talent.
Eller used one of coach Mike Sullivan’s favorite phrases, being “hard to play against”, to describe both his and the Penguins style of play.
Acciari signed a three-year contract after playing for Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas in Toronto last season. Dubas traded for Acciari to bring him from the Blues to the Maple Leafs. Acciari signed with the Penguins for three years at $2 million per season. Acciari says the Penguins will be a determined group of players this season.
Acciari has also played for the Bruins and Panthers. He is aware of the role he will play with the Penguins.
Another impact player in the rebuilt bottom six forwards could be Matt Nieto, also acquired as a free agent after playing ten seasons with San Jose and Colorado.
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