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Reid McNeill said he is spending this summer training back home in London, Ontario, to round out his game.
On Friday, McNeill learned he’ll have two more years to develop his game as a member of the Pittsburgh organization.
Pittsburgh signed the rugged defenseman to a two-way contract on Friday, keeping McNeill in the organization’s blueline mix for the next two years.
McNeill, 23, spent the last few days watching a few teammates leave and many new faces arrive via free agency and the trade for Phil Kessel.
He was ready for his turn.
“I’m really excited to be back for two years. It’s great not only for job security, but the Pittsburgh organization is where you want to develop and it’s one you want to be a part of,” McNeill said.
McNeill helped Wilkes-Barre/Scranton allow the fewest goals in the American Hockey League for the fourth time in the last five years in 2014-15. He played in 54 regular-season contests, compiling seven points (2G-5A), a plus-6 and 121 penalty minutes.
In two-plus years with WBS, McNeill has 12 points (3G-9A) and a plus-17 in 112 regular-season contests and five points (1G-4A) in 30 playoff games. McNeill has also played 44 ECHL games with the Wheeling Nailers.
Consistency, reliable defense and physicality have been the trademarks of McNeill’s game, but now he’s working to add another component.
“Offensively, I want to bring more of that to my game,” McNeill said. “Not do a complete overhaul of things, but kind of round it out.”
And put last season behind him.
McNeill missed six weeks of action down the stretch last season with an injury, returning for two weeks in the postseason. When the Penguins were eliminated, McNeill went home and took a mental break from hockey.
“This summer I really stepped back and looked at things,” he said. “I wanted to get my mind off things and focus not on the contract situation, but how I can improve my game.”
In addition to adding some offense, McNeill said he wants to address the small details, such as taking fewer stick penalties and becoming a better skater.
For the rest of the summer, McNeill will continue to train in his hometown with another former Penguin, Scott Harrington who was traded to Toronto in the package for Kessel.
McNeill said he’s sad to see Harrington go, but excited to meet the new faces joining the organization, such as Hershey’s Steve Oleksy.
“We had some battles and he’s a tough guy to play against,” McNeill said. “He’s the kind of guy you want on your team.”
Aside from several new teammates, McNeill will also welcome a new coach at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Mike Sullivan. While he said John Hynes and Alain Nasreddine will be tough to replace, Sullivan’s NHL experience as a coach and player means a lot to younger players like himself.
“That’s somebody you respect immediately,” McNeill said. “When somebody has that much experience, it sends a clear message that he knows what he’s talking about. It will be an exciting time next season.”