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Radim Zohorna

Latest On Pittsburgh Penguins Roster Decisions

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Josh Yohe of The Athletic speculated last night about who the Pittsburgh Penguins will keep as their 12th and 13th forwards. As mentioned in an article earlier this week, the Penguins had a litany of options in their bottom six and have whittled that number down to just a few players. Yohe figures that Jeff Carter, Lars Eller, Drew O’Connor, Matthew Nieto, and Noel Acciari should be locked in to start the season on the third and fourth lines. This leaves just two spots as the Penguins typically like to carry 13 forwards.

Yohe believes that the final two spots will come down to three players Radim Zohorna, recent waiver pickup Jansen Harkins, and Colin White who is currently on a PTO. Yohe seemed particularly impressed with Harkins, who was acquired off waivers on Monday and at 26 years old, could be a late bloomer. He scored 25 goals in 44 AHL games last season and has played 154 NHL games in his career. Harkins has inserted himself physically in the pre-season, something that the Penguins don’t have a lot of.

Zohorna has bounced around the league since coming to North America in 2020. He has been a member of the Penguins previously, the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. In 35 NHL games, he has 5 goals and 6 assists, and while those numbers don’t jump off the screen, he has been very effective in the preseason and offers size at 6’6” and 230 pounds.

Yohe believes that Harkins and Zohorna should be the final two players to make the Penguins NHL roster although he does concede that White is a legitimate NHLer with some upside. The Penguins don’t have a lot of scoring options in the bottom six and White is a former first-round pick who has posted 44 goals and 69 assists in 292 NHL games.

Whoever the Penguins elect to cut will likely find work elsewhere, which should make for interesting roster gymnastics as the Penguins try to maximize their forward depth and keep as many players as they can. The Penguins start the season on October 10th against the Chicago Blackhawks and will need to decide their lineup before the start of the season.

Examining The Pittsburgh Penguins Bottom Six Options

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The Pittsburgh Penguins saw more turnover this offseason than any other organization in the NHL. From the hiring of President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas to the signing of a multitude of fourth liners, the Pittsburgh Penguins look wildly different than they did six months ago. It’s certainly a welcome change in the Steel City after the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

In a recent season preview that was completed by Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, and Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic, the trio pointed out that one of the biggest issues with the Penguins last season was the lack of support from the bottom six forward group. The group was so bad that nearly half of it was put on waivers before the trade deadline. Kasperi Kapanen was claimed, Brock McGinn was traded, and many others departed in free agency or were traded away.

Kyle Dubas completely overhauled the bottom six almost exclusively through free agency. In the early days of free agency, the Penguins signed Noel Acciari, Lars Eller, Vinnie Hinostroza, Andreas Johnsson, Joona Koppanen, Matt Nieto, and Radim Zohorna. Dubas also traded for Rem Pitlick who was a throw-in as part of the Erik Karlsson trade. These eight players now find themselves competing with the remaining Penguins’ bottom six options Jeff Carter, Alexander Nylander and Drew O’Connor, as well as Colin White who is in camp on a PTO. The group of 12 will be competing for six or seven NHL spots in the Penguins forward group.

Competition is almost always a good thing in the NHL and the Penguins training camp has seen a lot of it. Very little is set in their bottom six, except that it will likely be again void of offence. While the group doesn’t have a ton of offensive firepower, they clearly have an identity, which is something that didn’t exist in previous seasons in Pittsburgh. Dubas has targeted players who are capable defensively, can skate with pace, and won’t hand the game away by giving up backbreaking goals. The same can’t be said for the Penguins’ bottom six last season.

With all this, one must wonder which players will have the inside track to start opening night on the Penguins’ third and fourth line. Let’s look at the way Head Coach Mike Sullivan and the Penguins might utilize their options.

In a perfect world, Eller would be a perfect fourth-line center, but in Pittsburgh, he will likely see duty as a third-line pivot. At 34 years old, Eller’s best days are behind him, but he is still a very capable penalty killer and is defensively sound. Eller doesn’t offer the offensive pop he did in his last 20s, but he is just a year removed from a 31-point season.

Flanking Eller on the left side will likely be O’Connor, the Penguins love his size and speed and are hoping he can piece it all together. It goes to show how top-heavy the Penguins are when they are counting on a player who has eight goals and nine assists in 78 career games to be a key component of their third line.

When healthy, it seems very possible that the Penguins will deploy Nylander. The former eighth-overall pick has the pedigree to be a scorer in the NHL, but he has never been able to produce enough offense to stick with an NHL club. Nylander will start the season on the Penguins second line in the absence of Jake Guentzel, and depending on his production he could find himself flanking the right side of the third line, or exposed to waivers.

The Penguins’ fourth line is where it gets interesting. Nieto and Acciari were targeted by Dubas on July 1st and fit the identity that Dubas and Sullivan are building for that group. Nieto is a terrific penalty killer and will be utilized in that role a lot, while Acciari adds a physical element and is good defensively. Both players can add a bit of offense as well, Nieto is coming off a season in which he posted 12 goals and 12 assists in 81 games, while Acciari had 14 goals and 9 assists last season in 77 games.

Finally, last season’s lightning rod Carter remains under contract for one more season and is still a favorite of Coach Sullivan. Carter was never removed from the Penguins lineup last year, despite having the worst season of his professional career. Carter looked run down at times and was consistently a step behind when it came to both offense and defense. However, he was utilized in a third-line center role and probably shouldn’t have been. Carter could perform better when being deployed less often and in a more sheltered role. Given Sullivan’s affinity for Carter, it would take a lot to remove the 38-year-old from Pittsburgh’s lineup.

How the Penguins bottom six will look on opening night remains a mystery. But it should be one of the more exciting roster battles to see in the final week of training camp. The Penguins will have to expose a lot of players to waivers to trim down their roster and could lose some bodies to other teams depending on how things shake out.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Three Players

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As the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to build up their organizational depth, the team has announced three signings, bringing in forwards Marc Johnstone and Radim Zohorna, as well as goaltender Magnus Hellberg. Johstone’s contract will be a two-year, $1.55MM contract, while Zohorna will earn a one-year, $785K deal, both contracts being two-way deals. Shortly thereafter, the team announced that Hellberg would also be making $785K over a one-year deal.

Hellberg becomes the second goalie the Penguins have poached from the Detroit Red Wings, after having also signed goalie Alex Nedeljkovic yesterday. Starting last season with the Ottawa Senators, Hellberg was acquired by Seattle Kraken via waivers on November 22nd, and then subsequently claimed on waivers by the Red Wings the next day. Serving as the primary backup for Detroit last year after Nedeljkovic was sent down to the minors, Hellberg posted a 4-8-1 record, managing a .885 SV% and a 3.29 GAA.

Zohorna is back to the Penguins for his second stint with the organization, after a brief stint split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames organizations during the 2022-23 season. Zohorna spent much of the year playing for the Flames AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, but would then finish the year with the Toronto Marlies after a midseason trade between the two teams. At the AHL level last year, Zohorna played in 51 games, scoring 12 goals and 22 assists.

Lastly, Johnstone has the least amount of experience in the group, having only spent the last two years playing for the Toronto Marlies. A Sacred Heart University product, Johnstone has a total of 73 games played in the AHL, scoring nine goals and 13 assists throughout his short career.

 

Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Joseph Woll

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With Matt Murray’s latest injury, the decision on who will start for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs was effectively made. Ilya Samsonov is now the team’s undisputed starter, though someone will need to help get the team through the last few games of the season.

That someone is Joseph Woll, recalled again today under emergency conditions. Radim Zohorna has been returned to the AHL, while Bobby McMann was moved to long-term injured reserve.

Woll, 24, has had an outstanding season. In 21 appearances at the minor league level he is 16-4-1 with a .927 save percentage. In four games with the Maple Leafs, he is 3-1 with a .934. The 2016 third-round pick is finally rounding into form after several injury-laden professional seasons, and is now pushing for a full-time position with Toronto.

Murray left Sunday’s game after an awkward collision with Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond, appearing to hit his head on the ice. The team has not revealed any timeline for the veteran netminder, but it is just another disappointing outcome in a turbulent season.

In 26 appearances, spread out by several injuries, Murray has posted a .903 save percentage. Samsonov, meanwhile, is now 25-10-4 on the year with a .915, and looks poised to meet Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Tampa Bay Lightning in game one, should nothing else change for the Maple Leafs over the last part of the season.

AHL Shuffle: 3/31/23

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled forward Radim Zohorna on an emergency recall, according to CapFriendly. Zohorna was acquired from the Calgary Flames for forward Dryden Hunt, having suited up for eight games with the Flames. He posted strong numbers in the AHL, with 31 points in 46 games between the Calgary Wranglers and Toronto Marlies.

Zohorna’s recall gives the leaves a hulking presence at center, as he stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 220 pounds. He has 10 points in 33 career games at the NHL level.

 

  • The Dallas Stars have loaned goaltender Scott Wedgewood to the Texas Stars on a conditioning assignment, the team announced on Twitter. Wedgewood has not played for Dallas since Feb. 18, and will likely play a few games in the AHL before joining the NHL squad as it gears up for a playoff run. In 18 games with Dallas this season, Wedgewood sports a .913 save percentage and 2.92 GAA.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent down defenseman Marcus Bjork to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, according to CapFriendly.Bjork, 25, has seen his first taste of NHL action with Columbus this season, recording 11 points (3G, 8A) in 28 games. He has actually been more productive in the NHL, as he has 13 points in 40 games at the AHL level. As Columbus has had a tough season from the get-go, the slight emergence of Bjork is a bright spot for a team that has not had much go its way this season.

Calgary Flames Acquire Dryden Hunt

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After losing four straight going into the deadline, the Calgary Flames will make a depth addition to the forward group. Shayna Goldman of The Athletic reports that Dryden Hunt will head to Calgary—his fourth team of this season. Darren Dreger of TSN adds that Radim Zohorna will be the return for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Starting with the New York Rangers, Hunt was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Avalanche, traded to the Maple Leafs, and now sent to Calgary at the deadline. He has scored exactly one goal at each of his previous stops, playing three games for New York, 25 for Colorado, and nine for Toronto before clearing waivers to play in the minor leagues.

Hunt, 27, has scored just 15 goals in his 202-game NHL career, but adds speed and physical play to a fourth line. That’s the kind of thing Darryl Sutter teams love, meaning he’ll likely be in the lineup every night for the Flames moving forward.

His acquisition was basically free, given Zohorna was claimed off waivers earlier this season as well. The 6’6″ center has been playing with the Calgary Wranglers in the AHL, scoring 29 points in 40 games. In Toronto, he’ll likely stay in the minor leagues and serve as emergency depth, given how many forwards they have for their playoff run.

Snapshots: Hurricanes, Zohorna, Gavrikov, Lundestrom

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The Hurricanes have been a top team in the Metropolitan Division all season long and have recently welcomed back some key veterans in Max Pacioretty and Frederik Andersen in recent days.  Even with their current place atop the Metropolitan Division though, don’t expect them to be shopping at the top of the market before the March 3rd trade deadline.  GM Don Waddell told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that the team will be looking to add depth both on the back end and up front over the coming weeks.  Carolina has a little over $2.2MM in LTIR room per CapFriendly and unlike regular cap space, that doesn’t accrue by the day; they have that much to spend on full-season money now, on deadline day, or anytime in between.  Accordingly, they’re in a spot where they don’t have to wait until closer to the deadline for cap reasons so it’s possible that they’ll look to shop for an early bargain on the trade market.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The frequent shuffling of Radim Zohorna continues as the Flames have returned him to AHL Calgary, notes Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike (Twitter link). The moves are being made to save a little bit of cap space and extend his waiver exemption as long as possible.  The 26-year-old has played in eight games with the Flames so far this season with him needing waivers once he gets to ten so his exemption is likely to expire soon, assuming he’s eventually recalled once more.
  • The Blue Jackets could get defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov back in their lineup on Thursday against Carolina, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 27-year-old missed Tuesday’s game due to an upper-body injury.  The pending unrestricted free agent is likely to be one the more sought-after blueliners leading up to the trade deadline and has nine points and 70 blocked shots in 39 games so far this season while logging 22:29 per game, a career-high.
  • Ducks center Isac Lundestrom could be ready to rejoin the team on their next road trip which begins on Monday, reports Eric Stephens of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 23-year-old has been out for more than a month due to a fractured finger and while he was off to a quiet start to his season before the injury (six points in 24 games), getting a developing young player back can only be good for an Anaheim squad that will likely be looking to move out some veterans in the coming weeks.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Top Rookie, Penguins, Zohorna

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With the calendar turning to January, the NHL announced its Three Stars for December.  Taking home the top spot was Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin, whose 13 goals last month moved him up into second in all-time NHL goals as he now sits at 806, 88 behind Wayne Gretzky for the record.  Oilers center Connor McDavid was the second star after leading the league in goals (14) and points (31) while tying for the lead in assists (17) and is the first player this season to record 30 points in a month.  Sabres center Tage Thompson was the third star after picking up 22 points in 11 games while helping Buffalo pick up eight wins to get back within striking distance of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The NHL also revealed the Rookie of the Month for December with Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov getting the nod. The 23-year-old posted a 1.63 GAA along with a .939 SV% and two shutouts in eight appearances last month, just weeks after inking a four-year, $8MM contract extension that kicks in next season.
  • Penguins defenseman Kris Letang accompanied the team to Boston in advance of tomorrow’s Winter Classic but didn’t practice and remains listed as day-to-day, notes Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. At this point, it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to suit up in the outdoor game.  Meanwhile, blueliner Chad Ruhwedel was a participant in practice, albeit in more of a reserve capacity.  He has been out for the last two games and could be available to suit up against the Bruins.
  • Radim Zohorna has been shuffled back and forth off Calgary’s roster in recent days and that trend continued today as FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike relays (Twitter link) that the Flames have sent Zohorna back to AHL Calgary. The 26-year-old has played in five NHL games this season and will likely be recalled in advance of their next game on Tuesday.  For each day Zohorna is in the minors, the Flames are banking a little over $4K in cap space while extending his waiver exemption as he’ll remain exempt until he plays in ten NHL games or is on Calgary’s roster for 30 days.

Calgary Flames Re-Assign Dennis Gilbert, Recall Radim Zohorna

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Dec 30, 11:13 am: Less than 24 hours later, Calgary has brought Zohorna back up to the roster from the Wranglers. Calgary plays tomorrow against the Vancouver Canucks.

Dec 29, 12:54 pm: The Calgary Flames, fresh off a win against the Seattle Kraken and headed home for a game on Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks, have sent two players to the minor leagues. Dennis Gilbert and Radim Zohorna have been assigned to the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL for the time being.

The moves will allow the Flames to bank a little more cap space over the next few days, as they continue to prepare for a trade deadline without much wiggle room.

Gilbert was only activated from injured reserve yesterday and has played just a single game for the Flames over the last month. The 26-year-old has one point in eight NHL appearances this season, averaging just over ten minutes a game.

Zohorna, meanwhile, went scoreless in his five games with the team earlier this month – all five of which the Flames ended up losing. The 26-year-old was nabbed off waivers at the beginning of the season from the Pittsburgh Penguins but hasn’t quite made the impact some expected.

It is very likely that at least one if not both will be back up when the Flames go on the road again next week.

Calgary Flames Recall Radim Zohorna

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The Calgary Flames have recalled forward Radim Zohorna, per a team announcement. In a corresponding move, forward Matthew Phillips and defenseman Nick DeSimone were assigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers.

Zohorna, 26, was claimed off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins in October, and has spent most of this season with the Wranglers. In 20 games there the hulking Czech winger has posted five goals and 16 points.

While he plays a major role in the NHL, Zohorna has been limited to a very small role in his five NHL contests so far this year. He’s averaging just over eight minutes per night, which ranks last among skaters who have played for the Flames this season. He’ll now head back to the Flames roster hoping to earn more trust from head coach Darryl Sutter and build on his 30-game NHL resume.

Headed down to the AHL is Phillips, who happens to be nearly a full foot shorter than Zohorna. The 24-year-old former WHL star has lit the AHL on fire this year, scoring 30 points in 20 games.

The many calls from fans to give him a genuine shot at the NHL came when he earned his call-up earlier this month, a recall that led to him getting into two NHL games. He struggled in those two contests despite playing in a highly sheltered role. Of the 9:02 minutes he averaged in that two-game stretch, he averaged 2:50 on the power play.

He didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet, though, and after seemingly struggling with the suffocating lack of space and physicality of the NHL, he’s headed back to the Wranglers where he’ll resume his starring role.

Also involved in these transactions is DeSimone, a 28-year-old blueliner. The New York native has carved out a nice career for himself as an undrafted player, scoring 15 points in 20 AHL games, a performance that earned him his first NHL call-up after Dennis Gilbert went down with an injury.

DeSimone didn’t play a ton, getting just over 11 minutes per night, but he got a short look on the team’s penalty kill and does look to be in the midst of his best season since 2018-19.

The two moves give the Flames just 22 players on their roster, meaning they have an extra roster slot at their disposal should they decide to recall a player like Kevin Rooney, who is now in the AHL after arriving this offseason on a two-year, $1.3MM AAV contract.

Also of note regarding the open roster spot is the recent revelation (as reported by Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960) that Gilbert has returned to the ice for practice, albeit wearing a full face shield.

Gilbert has been out since December 18th, and its possible that DeSimone’s assignment to the AHL is paving the way for Gilbert’s return to the roster in the near future.

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