The Pittsburgh Penguins have finished some restricted free agent business, signing Radim Zohorna to a two-year contract. It will be a two-way contract in 2021-22 and a one-way contract in 2022-23, carrying an average annual value of $750K in the NHL. Penguins GM Ron Hextall released a short statement on the young forward.
Radim impressed us last season with his ability to transition to the smaller ice surface quickly and adapt his game. He is a power forward with a lot of potential and we are excited to watch him continue to grow as a player.
Zohorna, the 6’6″ behemoth that came up to play eight games with the Penguins this season, is an interesting player to follow as training camps open and rosters take shape. He scored three goals and 11 points in 12 minor league games and the 25-year-old seems to have legitimately turned a corner in his professional career. Undrafted, he also dominated the Czech league early in the season, one which had usually dominated him in the past. In 21 games for Mlada Boleslav BK, he scored 12 goals and 22 points, matching his career-high in points in fewer than half the games.
If Zohorna can continue that breakout offensively, he suddenly becomes a potential option for head coach Mike Sullivan in the bottom-six. The team essentially lost both Brandon Tanev and Jared McCann to the Seattle Kraken, but have added names like Danton Heinen and Brock McGinn through free agency. Even if he fails to make the team out of camp—and the fact that he is still waiver-exempt does not work in his favor—Zohorna will almost certainly get into some games for Pittsburgh this season as an injury replacement.
Zohorna was a great roll of the dice by Rutherford. And this was solid work by Hextall getting the second year at league minimum.
There are still bargain UFAs out there and PTOs could happen, but I would expect Zohorna to make the team. He’s the only player left on the roster with any “truculence”.