With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason for a third consecutive year without a playoff appearance, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 56 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.
Starting with Noel Acciari and going on through to Philip Tomasino (regrettably, there is no Z on the payroll), every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.
This series is scheduled to be published Mondays through Saturdays leading up until June 24, four days before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.
(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)
Nathan Clurman
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Age: 26
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 205 pounds
2024-25 NHL statistics: one game, zero points (zero goals, zero assists), 11:05 of ice time
2024-25 AHL regular statistics: 31 games, 11 points (two goals, nine assists)
2024-25 AHL postseason statistics: One game, zero points (zero goals, zero assists)
Contract: Signed to a one-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000.
Acquired: Unrestricted free agent signing, July 1, 2024
This season: Nathan Clurman took the scenic route to the NHL. And to be frank, all he got was a glimpse of those scenes.
But he got the NHL finally this season and that was a triumph worth celebrating.
A native of Boulder, Colo., he was selected by his hometown Avalanche in the sixth round (No. 161 overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
After that, he spent two seasons with three teams in the United States Hockey League (USHL), three seasons with Notre Dame in the NCAA ranks and then three seasons in the Avalanche’s system in either the American Hockey League or the ECHL.
More than eight years after being drafted, he finally made his NHL debut this season with the Penguins at the age of 26.
Entering the season, there was little notable about Clurman. He was a quiet free agent acquisition likely bound for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and that’s exactly where he went Oct. 5 after clearing waivers.
Clurman opened the season in a strong fashion for the AHL Penguins, posting a goal and two assists in the first two games of 2024-25.
Nate Clurman slams it home! pic.twitter.com/00VA9tUBNQ
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) October 13, 2024
But injuries forced him to miss games here and there throughout October and November. By December, he was healthy and a regular presence in the lineup.
In mid-December, an undisclosed injury sidelined Pittsburgh defenseman Marcus Pettersson. That, coupled with unspecified ailments by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defensemen Sebastian Aho and Jack St. Ivany, allowed Clurman to receive a recall to the NHL for the first time in his career on Dec. 17.
Clurman bounced between the NHL and AHL roster a handful of times through paper transactions before making his NHL debut Dec. 29. In a 3-2 home win against the New York Islanders, Clurman played a safe, simple game while being deployed on the third pairing.
Three days later, he was returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and remained there for the rest of the season.
Clurman suffered another undisclosed injury Jan. 10 and wound up being sidelined until March 21.
A steady presence in the Penguins’ lineup for the final five games of the regular season, Clurman skated in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s first of two postseason contests before being scratched in the final game.
The future: The Penguins have loaded up a bit on defensive prospects (Finn Harding, Daniel Laatsch, Chase Pietila, etc.) on entry-level contracts in recent months and that certainly suggests veteran defensemen on expiring deals might not have a place in the organization this upcoming offseason.
Safe, reliable play by Clurman seemed to largely satisfy management, even in his lone NHL appearance. But injuries were far too common of a factor.
Clurman’s dedication in reaching the NHL should be admired. But for a variety of factors, he might be one and done with the Penguins.