The Tampa Bay Lightning, parent club of the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, have signed defenseman Matt Taormina to a one-year, two-way contract.
Taormina, 25, has played in 47 career NHL games with the New Jersey Devils during the previous two seasons, recording four goals and 12 points with a plus-4 rating. Last season, he appeared in 30 games with New Jersey (1-6-7) as well as 33 AHL games with the Albany Devils (6-10-16).
A native of Warren, Mich., Taormina has played in 199 career AHL games with Binghamton and Lowell/Albany. He has totaled 18 goals 53 assists for 71 points, including career-high totals of 10 goals, 40 assists and 50 points as a rookie with Lowell in 2009-10.
Before turning professional, Taormina played four seasons at Providence College. He was named to the 2007-08 Hockey East Second All-Star Team and received an honorable mention in 2008-09.
Taormina was originally signed as a free agent by New Jersey on Feb. 25, 2010.
