Varone agreed to a contract with KHL club Barys Nur-Sultan on Thursday, per his agent Aljosa Pilko.

EDGE Analysis

Varone split time between AHL Laval and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last year in which he recorded four goals and 15 assists in 33 contests. The 29-year-old center has logged 97 games in the NHL for Buffalo, Ottawa and Philadelphia in which he registered eight goals, nine assists and 80 shots while averaging just 9:53 of ice time. Once the AHL season starts up, Varone could garner interest from NHL clubs who want him on hand for potential call-ups.

Varone, along with Riley Barber, was acquired by the Penguins from the Canadiens on Thursday in a swap for Joseph Blandisi and Jake Lucchini.

EDGE Analysis

Varone hasn't appeared in an NHL game this season, though he did log 47 contests for the Flyers in 2018-19, notching three goals and four helpers. With the Rocket, the 29-year-old managed just 14 points this year, though injuries have limited him to a mere 27 contests.

Varone penned a one-year, two-way contract with the Habs on Wednesday worth $700,000 at the NHL level.

EDGE Analysis

Varone dominated the minors the past three seasons, as he racked up 149 points in 161 minor-league contests. The center appeared in 47 games for the Flyers last season, in which he tallied three goals, four assists and 34 shots while averaging 7:55 of ice time. Despite the two-way nature of his deal, Varone could secure a more permanent spot on the 23-man roster with a strong showing in training camp.

Varone finished the 2018-19 season with three goals, seven points, 34 shots on net, eight PIM and a minus-2 rating in 47 games.

EDGE Analysis

Overall, that's not bad, but a vast majority of that production came before the middle of February. Varone went scoreless in his final 18 NHL games and only had 15 shots on net during that stretch. So while owners can be pleased Varone set career highs in the games played, goals and assists categories, it still feels as though he left something to be desired.

Varone has gone pointless with six PIM and 12 shots on net in the last 16 games.

EDGE Analysis

The 28-year-old has been in and out of the lineup during his scoreless streak, so his pointless run dates back to Feb. 19. But even if Varone doesn't post another point this season, 2018-19 has still been one of his better efforts. He's played a career-high 45 games and tallied career bests with three goals, seven points and a plus-1 rating.

Varone sat as a healthy scratch in the 4-2 loss to the Islanders on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

The 28-year-old hasn't reached the scoresheet since Feb. 17, going 14 straight without a point. As a result, the Flyers elected to scratch Varone in a must-win situation on Saturday. The Flyers are still in the race after the loss, but they might have to run the table to earn a wild-card spot. Varone has three goals and seven points in 43 games this season.

Varone didn't get on the scoresheet Friday against the Maple Leafs and hasn't scored a point in 11 straight contests.

EDGE Analysis

The 28-year-old had a decent start to the 2018-19 campaign with three goals and seven points in his first 29 contests, but he's gone completely silent since the middle of February.

Varone has no points with a plus-1 rating, four PIM and four shots in the last six games.

EDGE Analysis

Prior to this dry spell, Varone was playing well, having scored two goals and six points with a plus-5 rating in 11 games. But he's reverted back to producing very little, and he's not even getting many pucks to the net. Varone is still experiencing the best NHL season of his career, but the 28-year-old has three goals and seven points with 23 shots on net in 35 games.

Varone has two goals and six points with a plus-5 rating in the last 12 games since returning from the All-Star break.

EDGE Analysis

That's not a ton of production for standard leagues, but prior to the All-Star break, Varone had just one point with a minus-4 rating in 18 contests. Varone also went into the break on a 12-game pointless streak. Overall, Varone has posted career highs across the board, including in games played -- three goals, seven points and 30 contests.

Varone has a goal in his last three games, giving him two this season.

EDGE Analysis

The career minor leaguer is a regular in the Flyers lineup now, and he's just seven contests shy of tying a career high for NHL games played during a season. That's a great individual accomplishment, but owners are still scraping the bottom of the barrel if they add Varone to their roster. He has two goals with no assists, a minus-3 rating, 15 shots on net, 11 hits and nine blocks in 21 games this season.