The Pittsburgh Penguins made a minor league trade Friday, sending center Oula Palve to the Dallas Stars for defenseman John Nyberg.
Nyberg, 23, is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound two-way defender who was picked in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. He is playing his second season in North America, recording two goals, six points and an even plus-minus rating in 19 games with Dallas’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars.
Nyberg is in the last year of an entry level contract that pays him $745,000 when in the NHL. He will report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The Penguins signed the 27-year-old Palve to some fanfare in April, as he was coming off a 16-goal, 51-point season in Finland’s top league. He was seen as a player who could challenge for a bottom-six center position on the NHL roster.
He hasn’t fared well in Wilkes-Barre, recording a goal, eight points and a minus-20 rating in 37 games.
