Ducks sign Poturalski, Pietila

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the club has signed center Andrew Poturalski and left wing Blake Pietila to one-year, two-way contracts.

Poturalski, 25, is coming off a career year in 2018-19, earning Second Team AHL All-Star honors with 23 goals and 47 assists for 70 points in 72 regular-season games with the Charlotte Checkers. Poturalski finished fifth in the AHL in scoring, and represented the team at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic.

In the postseason, Poturalski led the AHL with 12 goals, 23 points and a plus-15 rating in 18 games and earned the Jack A. Butterfield Award as the most valuable player of the Calder Cup Playoffs, leading the Checkers to their first championship.

Over three-plus seasons with Charlotte, Poturalski has totaled 66 goals and 110 assists for 176 points in 238 AHL games. He has also appeared in two NHL games, both with Carolina in 2016-17.

Pietila, 26, set career highs in 2018-19 with 20 goals, 26 assists and 46 points in 50 AHL games with the Binghamton Devils, good for the team scoring lead.

Pietila also skated in 19 NHL games with New Jersey, recording one assist.

The Devils’ fifth-round choice in the 2011 NHL Draft, Pietila spent his first four pro seasons in the New Jersey organization. He tallied 59 goals and 59 assists for 118 points in 217 AHL games with Binghamton and Albany, as well as one goal and three assists in 38 NHL contests.