On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins engaged in a minor league player exchange with the Minnesota Wild, securing forward Maxim Cajkovic while sending defenseman Will Butcher to the
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Cajkovic, aged 23, has primarily played in the ECHL during the 2023–24 season with the Iowa Heartlanders, contributing 18 points (12 goals, six assists) in 20 games. He has also participated in five American Hockey League (AHL) contests with the Iowa Wild, recording three points (one goal, two assists).
Hailing from Bratislava, Slovakia, Cajkovic is in the final year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $850,833. Although selected in the third round (No. 89 overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Cajkovic has not yet played in the NHL.
The Wild acquired Cajkovic through a trade with the Lightning in July.
Will Butcher, a 29-year-old defenseman, joined the Penguins as a free agent in July. However, he encountered an undisclosed injury during the offseason, sidelining him throughout training camp and the preseason. After recovering, he cleared waivers on Nov. 29 and was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
In 14 AHL games, Butcher, a native of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, accumulated seven points (three goals, four assists). Due to the AHL’s regulations regarding the number of eligible “veteran” players in a team’s lineup, Butcher had recently become a regular healthy scratch. Standing at 5-10 and weighing 195 pounds, the left-handed shot defenseman is on a one-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000.
