Penguins Lose Zohorna to Calgary on Waivers

When the Pittsburgh Penguins completed their game-day skate Monday, Radim Zohorna was a leading candidate to be in uniform for an exhibition game in Detroit this evening.

A couple of hours later, he was out of their lineup — and out of the organization, as Calgary claimed Zohorna off waivers.

Mike Sullivan, who confirmed after the game-day skate that Zohorna would have been eligible to play against the Red Wings if he had gone unclaimed, said that putting him on waivers Sunday had been a “hockey decision,” but praised his performance during training camp.

“I think (Zohorna) has played extremely well over the course of this training camp,” Sullivan said. “That’s one of the reasons he continues to play here.”

At the game-day skate, Zohorna worked between wingers Brock McGinn and Kasperi Kapanen, a spot expected to be filled by Jeff Carter when he returns from injury.

The Penguins signed Zohorna, 26, as a free agent out of Czechia in 2020. He spent most of the past two seasons with their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, but got into 25 NHL games, putting up four goals and six assists.

He had a total of 15 goals and 17 assists in 51 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Penguins have not announced who will fill the opening Zohorna’s departure created in their lineup tonight, but Sam Poulin is expected to get that assignment.

Poulin not only has been moved to center, but is believed to be the only healthy forward on the major-league roster who is available for duty, since Jeff Carter, Teddy Blueger and Jonathan Gruden are injured.

Poulin took part in the Penguins’ game-day skate, then stayed on the ice for extra work, an indication that he wasn’t scheduled to play against the Red Wings.

Exposing Zohorna to waivers was a calculated risk — a guy who is 6 foot 6, 220 pounds and has flashed decent skills is going to get attention — and the Pittsburgh Penguins certainly would have preferred to keep him on the payroll, but have a surplus on NHL-caliber forwards on their depth chart.

There’s just one fewer than they had when the day began.