Well, the Penguins have made at least one move this offseason that brought a smile to my face. They signed restricted free agent forward Radim Zohorna today to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $750,000.
The first year is a two-way deal, meaning Zohorna can be sent to the minors at a fraction of his salary. The second year’s a one-way arrangement, which calls for the hulking Czech forward to make his full NHL pay, even if he’s sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
“Radim impressed us last season with his ability to transition to the smaller ice surface quickly and adapt his game,” said Pens general manager Ron Hextall when announcing the signing. “He is a power forward with a lot of potential and we are excited to watch him continue to grow as a player.”
GM-speak aside, I’m hoping Zohorna carves out a spot in the Pens’ lineup this season, Mike Sullivan’s Smurfish preferences and the presence of his pet Dominik Simon be darned. I personally think the 6’6” 220-pounder has plenty of potential and could possibly fill Jared McCann’s role as a middle-six swing man. IMHO, he’d look awfully good skating next to Jeff Carter. It goes without saying that would be a lot of horseflesh for opponents to handle.
During an impressive eight-game cameo (two goals and four points while averaging a scant nine minutes per game), he displayed soft hands and a surprising touch. Not to mention a high hockey IQ and remarkable speed for a player of his considerable dimensions.
More objectively, No. 67 was on the ice for seven 5-vs-5 goals for and only two against. Good for an excellent goals for percentage of 77.78. His high danger goals for percentage was an equally impressive 71.43. A welcome trait on a team that struggles at times to penetrate the high-traffic areas between the circles. Most of Zohorna’s other metrics, including Corsi for, scoring chances for, shots for, and high-density chances for hovered at 50 percent or slightly above, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Perhaps the only drawback? He’s not especially physical. However, just dealing with a player who possesses his size, speed and attributes should cause match-up headaches for black-and-gold foes.
