PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – One of the Pens regulars was not given a qualifying offer and will become a free agent, while their most inconsistent player got the nod.
Forward Danton Heinen signed last offseason for $1.1 million and worked his way into playing 76 games-scoring 18 goals (7th on the team) with 15 assists and was a plus six. It’s more likely about the affordability with Heinen than no desire to have him back for the 2022-23 season. He probably would have signed a qualifying offer with another team they didn’t want to match.
Kasperi Kapanen has shown flashes of being not only a Top 6 forward contributor, but a regular. Then there are times when he disappears. The 25-year-old former Pens first round pick finished with 11 goals and 21 assists in 79 games in 2021-22. The forward was in the final year of a three-year, $9.6 million deal he signed with Toronto.
Others signed to qualifying offers
Defenseman PO Joseph-the centerpiece for the Pens in the Phil Kessel trade played in 20 NHL games (4 this past season) in his career with one goal and four assists.
Forward Kasper Bjorkqvist-Pens 2016 Pens second round pick played his first six games in the NHL this past season. The 25-year-old played 54 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL with eight goals and four assists.
Not signed to qualifying offers
Forward Justin Almeida—23-years-old, Pens 5th round pick in 2018, 63 points (28 goals) in 53 games with the Wheeling Nailers in the ECHL last season
Center Jordan Bellerive—23-years-old, free agent signee, last three full seasons in the AHL with 29 points (8 goals) in 72 games last season
Forward Jan Drozg—23-years-old, Pens 5th round pick in 2017, 43 games in AHL last season with four goals and seven assists
Defenseman Niclas Almari—24-years-old, Pens 5th round pick in 2016, played 13 games with two points in the AHL and six games with four assists in the ECHL last year
Defenseman Cam Lee—25-years-old, free agent signee, played in 61 games in the AHL last year with one goal, 18 assists and 71 penalty minutes
Defenseman Will Reilly—24-years-old, Pens 7th round pick in 2017, last season a goal and four assists in 40 games in the AHL and 6 points (2 goals) in 3 games in the ECHL
Goalie Alex D’Orio—23-years-old, free agent signee, played 22 games in the AHL with a 2.91 GAA and .894 save percentage and 11 games in the ECHL with a 4.02 GAA and .865 save percentage.
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