Jean-Sebastien Dea
Signs with Neftekhimik
Jean-Sebastien Dea was one of the many players Ray Shero brought in after drafting him while with the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise. The Pens put him on waivers in 2018, and he immediately made an impact. He scored three goals in his first four games after the waiver claim.
It seemed like Shero had once again seen something we didn’t see, but that didn’t last. Dea didn’t score another goal with New Jersey, and he was once again placed on waivers. The Penguins claimed him back, but he’s been on the move ever since.
Dea has spent the past two seasons in the KHL, but he’s re-signing with the franchise that gave him a chance last season. Neftekhimik traded for him midseason, and he rewarded them with 11 points in 27 games. They really liked playing him in a better spot in the lineup. Between Neftekhimik and Metallurg, he had 10 goals on the year.
Dea is never going to be a prominent player, but it seems like he found a team that likes him in a certain role. He just needs top-six minutes, and he will try to once again be a contributor to the offense. Is this ever going to lead to a return to the NHL? It would be hard to think so with his advancing age and his lack of impact in the NHL already.