PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – After signing six new contracts in the first hours of free agency, the Pens signed five including bringing back a forward, who also reunites with the new team president.
Returning to the Pens is 6’6”, 220-pound Radim Zohorna who played 25 games over a couple of seasons with the Pens in the NHL. The 27-year-old scored four goals in 25 games with six assists. Last season Zohorna scored a goal in a pair of games with the Maple Leafs and played eight games with Calgary. He played a majority of games last season in the AHL (51 games, 12 goals, 22 assists) and signed a one-year contract.
Defenseman Ryan Shea
A one-year contract for the 26-year-old who spent last season with the Texas Stars of the AHL. The Massachusetts native had seven goals and 21 assists and was a plus 37. The 6’2” Shea has played 163 career American Hockey League games after playing four seasons at Northeastern University.
Forward Joona Koppanen
The youngest of the signings, the 25-year-old gets a two-year contract after scoring 12 goals with 23 assists in 64 games in the AHL last year (Providence Bruins). The 6’5”, 216-pound forward made his NHL debut January 12 playing a total of five games with the Bruins. He’s played for a number of world teams for his native Finland.
Forward Marc Johnstone
He was a teammate briefly of Zohorna with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. He’s 6’, 181 pounds and had nine goals, 13 assists in 69 games and gets a two-year contract. The New Jersey native played parts of two seasons in the ECHL and before that was a captain at Sacred Heart University.
Goalie Magnus Hellberg
The 32-year-old signed a one-year contract going 5-8-1 total between Ottawa, Seattle and Detroit. He had a 2.50 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage playing in the American Hockey League. Hellberg (6’6”, 220 pounds) has played at nearly every level of professional hockey including parts of five seasons in the NHL and six seasons in the AHL.
Kyle Dubas said they needed to add depth to not only their NHL, but AHL roster and these signings could mostly be starting their seasons in the minors.