The Penguins reduced their training camp roster by seven today when they demoted Eric Tangradi, Ryan Craig, Nick Johnson, Colin McDonald, Scott Munroe, Brad Thiessen and Scott Harrington.
Everyone but Harrington, who was returned to his junior hockey club, was sent to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. Craig, Johnson, McDonald and Munroe will have to clear waivers.
Tangradi and Johnson were both seen as having legitimate shots of making the Penguins roster out of camp.
Fans and coaches alike have been hoping for Tangradi, 22, to stake a claim to an NHL spot for the last couple of seasons, but the flashes of talent he has shown haven’t been enough to set himself apart from his competition. Tangradi scored three points in 15 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and 33 points in 42 games with the WBS Penguins during an injury-shortened 2010-11 season.
Johnson, 25, was viewed as more of an outside shot, and his demotion comes of little surprise considering how congested the bottom of the Penguins depth chart is. Johnson scored three points in four games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and 39 points in 49 games with the WBS Penguins last season.