Penguins A to Z: Dmitri Samorukov might punch another ticket elsewhere

With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season coming to an end without any postseason action, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 52 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from fourth-line center Noel Acciari to reserve winger Radim Zohorna.

This series is scheduled to be published every day leading into the second day of the NHL Draft on June 29.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Cap Friendly.)

Dmitri Samorukov

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Age: 25

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 188 pounds

2023-24 AHL statistics: 64 games, 15 points (five goals, 10 assists)

2023-24 AHL postseason statistics: One game, zero points (zero goals, zero assists)

Contract: Signed to a one-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000. Pending unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.

Acquired: Unrestricted free agent signing, Nov. 21, 2023

This season: For someone who didn’t get an NHL contract until a few days before American Thanksgiving, Dmitri Samorukov had a pretty peculiar way of explaining his station with the Penguins.

He used something of a lottery term in detailing his situation.

“I couldn’t be more happy,” Samorukov said Nov. 22. “I think I got the lucky ticket. It’s a good place.”

A third-round pick (No. 84 overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, Samorukov’s professional journey has required a handful of plane tickets considering he has spent time with the Oilers and St. Louis Blues, primarily with each club’s American Hockey League affiliate.

On July 31, 2023, he signed an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins then attended the Pittsburgh Penguins’ training camp beginning in September. After appearing in one preseason game with no points, Samorukov was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s training camp on Sept. 28.

Opening the season on the left side of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s second defensive pairing, Samorukov quickly showed his versatility by bouncing to the right side by the third game. In total, he played in that team’s first 15 contests and posted five points (one goal, four assists) in that span, including an empty net goal in the season opener, a 4-2 road win against the Charlotte Checkers on Oct. 13.

After signing his NHL contract on Nov. 21, Samorukov remained on the Pittsburgh roster for approximately three weeks and was a healthy scratch for nine games over that span.

Clearing waivers on Dec. 12, he was re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton that same day and remained in Northeast Pennsylvania for the remainder of the season.

Dressing in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s final 49 games of the regular season, Samorukov posted 10 points (four goals, six assists) while being deployed on both sides of all three pairings.

Samy rifles this one home to put us on the board! pic.twitter.com/cKu6EbHn4H

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) December 31, 2023

In the postseason, Samorukov dressed for one of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s two games and did not find the scoresheet.

The future: Samorukov had a perfectly fine and adequate AHL season. And that’s about it.

Seven years removed from being a relatively high draft pick, he has all of three NHL games on his resume, none since April of 2023 as a member of the Blues.

Despite such limited experience in the NHL, he has a wonderful attitude about his station and is a model professional. That’s the type of player many NHL executives would like to have around to set an example for their legitimate prospects on the AHL roster.

On the ice, Samorukov is pretty reliable in that he plays a safe, dependable game and has the versatility to work on both sides. He won’t make or break many games but he will largely keep things level with whatever ice time he commands.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s blue line will be in flux next season as veterans Xavier Ouellet and Ty Smith have already left while rising prospects or newcomers such as Isaac Belliveau, Filip Kral, Owen Pickering and Emil Pieniniemi — all left-handers — are bound to command ice time.

Presuming he wants to return, Samorukov would be an ideal veteran to have around to provide guidance, especially given his ability to flip to the right side. But if his career keeps tracking as it has to this point, he might punch another ticket elsewhere.

Follow the Penguins all season long.