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Pens love kids who go to college.
College is a good fit for some players, normally guys who are more than a year or two away from the NHL. It allows a team to monitor a player's progress over 4 years rather than just two before they decide to give them a contract a move them into a pro career.
Schwartz is a player who will be able to compete for an NHL roster very soon. So, getting him in a situation where he's playing a tougher schedule and focussed on rounding his game for NHL competition is a priority. It also allows them to bring Schwartz to camp and work with him more directly to decide what course to take with his development.