Penguins assign 6 to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Six members of the Pittsburgh Penguins cleared waivers Friday were assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL).
That group includes:
Forwards — Danton Heinen, Joona Koppanen, Valtteri Puustinen
Defensemen — Sebastian Aho, Phil Kemp
Goaltender — Filip Larsson
Heinen is the most notable member of the sextet as he is entering the final year of a contract carrying an average annual value of $2.25 million. With his assignment to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, $1.15 million of his salary cap hit will come off the books for the NHL club per league rules.
Heinen, 30, appeared in 28 games for the Penguins last season and posted 11 points (three goals, eight assists).
A veteran of nine seasons in the NHL, Heinen has not skated at the AHL level since he was a member of the Providence Bruins in 2017-18.
Puustinen, 26, played in 13 NHL contests last season and scored three points (two goals, one assist). He is entering the final year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000.
Koppanen, 27, re-signed with the club this past offseason, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000. Last season, he skated in 11 NHL games and scored one goal (the first of his career).
Aho, 29, spent virtually the entire campaign with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, appearing in 27 games and posting 14 assists. He is entering the final year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000.
Larsson, 27, played exclusively for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season. Appearing in a team-leading 26 games, he posted a 12-9-3 record, a 2.84 goals against average, a .910 save percentage and a team-best five shutouts.
The goaltender is entering the final year of a two-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000.
Kemp, 26, is a newcomer to the Penguins, having signed a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000 this past offseason.
Last season, Kemp played exclusively at the AHL level with the Bakersfield Condors, appearing in 56 games and posting 12 points (seven goals, five assists).
Following these transactions, the Penguins now have 41 players on their roster, including players currently sidelined by injuries.
The NHL’s deadline to submit an active roster compliant with the league’s 23-man limit is 5 p.m. Monday.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.