The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled defenseman Brian Strait from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.

Strait, 23, currently leads all WBS defensemen with three assists and four points through the first five games of the season. His plus-6 rating leads the team and is tied for second-best in the AHL.

Strait, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, was one of Pittsburgh's final cuts in training camp. The Boston, MA native skated in four exhibition games, tallying one goal and posting an even rating in four games.

Strait, who was originally drafted by the Penguins in the third round (65th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, made his NHL debut with Pittsburgh on Feb. 21 of last season against Washington. He was scoreless in three NHL games in 2010-11.

Since turning professional prior to the '09-10 season, Strait has appeared in 158 career AHL games for WBS, totaling 28 points (5G-23A) and a plus-50 rating. Before joining WBS, Strait played three collegiate seasons with Boston University of Hockey East, helping the Terriers capture the NCAA national title in 2009.