Penguins extend qualifying offers to forwards Zach Aston-Reese, Radim Zohorna
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The Penguins extended qualifying offers to pending restricted free agent forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Radim Zohorna.
Aston-Reese, 26, appeared in 45 games last season and had 15 points (nine goals, six assists). His previous contract was a two-year deal with a salary cap hit of $1 million.
The 25-year-old Zohorna made his NHL debut last season, playing in eight games and scoring four points (two goals, two assists). A native of the Czech Republic, Zohorna played his first career games in North America with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League in 2020-21, appearing in 12 games and scoring 11 points (three goals, eight assists).
He just completed a one-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $792,500.
Pending restricted free agent forwards Mark Jankowski and Sam Miletic, defenseman Jesper Lindgren and goaltender Emil Larmi did not receive qualifying offers and will be allowed to become unrestricted free agents.
An offseason signing in October, Jankowski, 26, appeared in 45 games last season and scored 11 points (four goals, seven assists). He just completed a one-year contract for a league-minimum $700,000.
Miletic, 24, played in 21 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season and scored five points (two goals, three assists). After attending the Penguins’ training camp in January, much of his season was disrupted by a bout of mononucleosis.
He hasn’t played at the NHL level. His previous contract was a one-year, two-way deal with a salary cap hit of $700,000.
The 21-year-old Lindgren was acquired in a multi-player trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs that also brought forward Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh. After opening the 2020-21 season with MODO of Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskin league because of the pandemic, Lindgren suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s first preseason game Jan. 31.
Lindgren just completed a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $775,833.
Larmi, 24, signed with the Lahden Pelicans of Finland’s Liiga on May 31 after never playing an NHL game in his two seasons with the Penguins. In six AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season, Larmi had a 1-4-1 record with a 4.87 goals-against average and an .845 save percentage.
He just completed a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $792,500.
The NHL’s free-agent signing period begins Wednesday.