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Penguins sign right-handed D Rutta to three-year deal

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Ron Hextall said at last week's draft that he was "pretty comfortable with our defense."

He made a pretty significant signing for the defense corps in the opening hours of free agency Wednesday.

The Penguins signed 6-foot-3, 201-pound right-handed blueliner Jan Rutta to a three-year contract worth $8.25 million, Hextall announced. The contract runs through 2024-25 season, and has a cap hit of $2.75 million.

Rutta, who turns 32 later this month, will be 34 when the deal expires.

Rutta spent the last three and a half years with the Lightning, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with Tampa in 2020 and 2021.