Former NHL draft picks Drew Shiestel has signed for Cardiff Devils.

The Canadian defenceman landed in the UK this morning, trains with his new Devils teammates on Tuesday morning and is expected to play against Fife Flyers on Wednesday.

“Drew is a great skating, two-way defenceman who is solid in his own end and moves the puck well,” says head coach Andrew Lord.

“His game fits well into our system here because he is mobile and has a great first pass that is perfect with our transition game. 

“He has not been playing anywhere this season but has been skating with a team in his home town three times a week. He’s he in good shape and ready to get right into games.”

Shiestel (rhymes with pistol) will wear 22, a number most recently worn by former captain Tyson Marsh, and will be with Devils for the rest of this season.

He comes to Wales after spending the majority of last season in Norway with Lorenskog HC before moving to Zagreb in the top Austrian League, EBEL. 

Schiestel is a former second round NHL draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres, who took him with the 59th pick overall in the 2007 NHL draft.  

He spent five seasons in the American League where he played in the AHL All-Star game during 2010-11 season.

The following year he played for the Texas Stars alongside current Devil Mike Hedden.

Hamilton-born Shiestel, aged 29 and 6ft 2ins tall, is a D-man who can jump up into the play. He has good stick detail, using his reach to stop opposition forwards.

He joins Gleason Fournier, Mark Louis, Bryce Reddick, Josh Batch and Mark Richardson on the blue line for Devils.

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