Penguins forward Radim Zohorna: ‘I just want to stay here’
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For those who watched it, there was little to like about the Pittsburgh Penguins’ malodorous 4-2 road loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
At least the first 56 minutes, 27 seconds of it.
But late in the third period, one cause for optimism emerged.
The Penguins got a goal from a bottom-six forward.
At 16:27 of the final frame, Radim Zohorna, in his season debut at the NHL level, converted a chance off an industrious shift by him and his linemates, Lars Eller and Drew O’Connor.
In the left corner of the offensive zone, O’Connor fended off Blues forward Jakub Vrana and defenseman Marco Scandella, then rimmed the puck to the end boards for Zohorna. Shielding the puck from defenseman Tyler Tucker, Zohorna flicked a backhand pass to the left of the crease to Eller, who whacked a forehand shot on net. Goaltender Jordan Binnington made the save, but the rebound bounced toward the far post, where Zohorna swooped around and jabbed in a forehand shot under Binnington’s left leg.
“It was good,” Eller said Monday in Cranberry. “(Zohorna) looked pretty comfortable. We had some (give-and-go sequences) and were able to get some extended (offensive) zone time. So that was good. It was a step in the right direction for the line. So, he did well.”
By most measures, Zohorna did well in training camp and the preseason, appearing in four games and scoring three points (one goal, two assists) as well as recording 10 shots, second most on the team.
Yet, Zohorna went on waivers Oct. 8. Going unclaimed, he was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League one day later as management opted to open the season by giving forward Jansen Harkins, a waivers claim, a chance on the third line next to Eller and O’Connor.
After four unremarkable contests by Harkins, he went on waivers — also going unclaimed — and was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Oct. 20 while Zohorna was recalled the same day.
“I just want to stay here and be here all the time,” Zohorna said. “Play the same way like I played in (training) camp.”
At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Zohorna is the biggest player on the NHL roster, edging out 6-5, 220-pound defenseman Ryan Graves. While Zohorna is hardly one to use his bulk in a bellicose fashion that might intimidate the opposition, he knows how to use his size effectively when it comes to possessing the puck.
“He moves well for a guy with his size,” Eller said. “He has good hands, he has good IQ. He’s good at protection. He’s using his assets to shield the puck and keep pucks alive. A long reach. So, he’s hard to get in on around the body. He’s good at using his assets well.
“We have something good to build on for the future.”
Zohorna’s past has largely been more promise than results. The Penguins plucked him out of his native Czechia as an undrafted — and largely unknown — free agent signing in April 2020.
After a few cups of coffee at the NHL level during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns, Zohorna was waived then lost to the Calgary Flames in October 2022 and wound up splitting the 2022-23 season between the Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs organizations.
In July, he rejoined the Penguins, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract.
To the naked eye, the 27-year-old Zohorna seems like a much more capable NHLer than during his brief interludes earlier in his career.
“I changed my — a little bit — conditioning this summer,” Zohorna said. “I had more conditioning than the last two summers. That’s a big (part) of the transformation.”
Notes: Penguins rookie defenseman John Ludvig made his NHL debut Tuesday against the Dallas Stars, opening the contest on the third pairing with Ryan Shea, who made his NHL debut in St. Louis on Saturday. … Veteran defensemen P.O Joseph and Chad Ruhwedel, who opened the season as the third pairing, were healthy scratches.