"He's been a prospect we've watched a lot over the last few years, monitoring his development," coach Todd Reirden said of Siegenthaler. "He's a big, strong guy who can help on the penalty kill as well. I think he's had a decent start to the year in Hershey."
While his teammates expressed excitement for him, they're refraining from offering any pep talks, mindful that too much attention can add unnecessary pressure.
Matt Niskanen, a 12-year NHL defenseman, said Siegenthaler just needs to play instinctively and "enjoy it, have fun."
"Move your feet," Niskanen added. "Every time you touch the puck, think, 'Move your feet.' The quicker you get back for a puck, the more time you have and the easier your play is. If you move your feet up the ice, you've already established your position and have a good gap."
"He's going to have a lot of adrenalin, so I don't want to complicate things for him," Niskanen continued. "He should go out there and play with his instincts because he's a good player."