When the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Justin Brazeau to a two-year, $3 million deal in free agency this summer, it seemed like more of a depth signing and didn’t feel like a major splash at the time. Brazeau only had two years of NHL experience and had yet to fully establish himself, tallying just 29 points over his first 95 career games.
He’d also struggled mightily after getting traded from the Boston Bruins to the Minnesota Wild last season, managing only two points in 19 games with the Wild. Not surprisingly, they did not bring him back.
The Penguins took a chance on him, hoping he would benefit from a change of scenery and turn things around in Pittsburgh.
Lucky for them, the move has paid off immediately. The 27-year-old forward has hit the ground running with his new team, scoring five goals and adding three assists in his first seven games for the Penguins, including the first three-point game of his career on Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks.
It’s been a historic start for Brazeau, who has the fourth-most goals in a player’s first seven games with Pittsburgh in franchise history. He trails only teammate Evgeni Malkin (seven in 2006), Pete Mahovlich (seven in 1977) and Andy Bathgate 6 (six in 1967).
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Brazeau has been much more aggressive shooting the puck and appears to be playing with more confidence, as he’s on pace to nearly double his previous career high in shots on goal.
He’s already fitting in and giving the offense a major spark, proving to be a great addition for the Penguins thus far and helping them get off to a good start. This looks like the beginning of a breakout year for him and could result in his first All-Star nod if he keeps it up.
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Featured image via David Kirouac/Imagn Images