The Pittsburgh Penguins cut 17 players from their training camp roster Sunday.

But one transaction they made with a player who remains on the roster was arguably their most curious.

Forward Radim Zohorna, entering his third season with the organization, was one of five players placed on waivers.

The 26-year-old who can play center as well as wing appeared in 17 NHL games last season and scored six points (two goals, four assists) while logging an average of 10 minutes, 20 seconds of ice time per contest. Zohorna, one of the biggest players in the organization at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, also played in 39 American Hockey League games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season and scored 21 points (12 goals, nine assists).

Should Zohorna clear waivers by 2 p.m. Monday, he would be free to be assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. As it is, on Sunday evening, the Penguins announced Zohorna as part of their projected lineup for Monday’s preseason road game against the Detroit Red Wings.

A native of Czechia, Zohorna is entering the final year of a two-year contract that carries a salary cap hit of $750,000. Undrafted, Zohorna joined the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent signing in April 2020 and has spent most of his time with the organization at the AHL level.

Entering training camp, Zohorna was seen as a viable candidate to claim a spot among the team’s bottom-six forwards. Last week, Zohorna drew strong reviews from management.

“(Zohorna) has played really well for us,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Tuesday. “He’s made some plays throughout the course of the (intrasquad scrimmages) and the (preseason games). His fitness level has been the best it’s been since he’s been a Penguin.

“That’s allowing him the opportunity to play his game, just his ability to sustain his energy level and his effort level throughout the course of a long shift or just shift to shift or period to period. That’s something that we tried to challenge (Zohorna) with in the offseason and certainly, he’s put the work in. We can see it on the ice.”

Also placed on waivers were veteran forwards Drake Caggiula, Alex Nylander, defenseman Xavier Ouellet and goaltender Dustin Tokarski. Should all four clear, they will report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Caggiula, Nylander and Tokarski are all signed to one-year, two-way contracts, while Ouellet is signed to a two-year, two-way contract.

That quartet among a group of 15 players who were assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s training camp Sunday.

Forwards: Corey Andonovski, Raivis Ansons, Caggiula, Jamie Devane, Filip Hallander, Nathan Legare, Nylander, Drew O’Connor, Kyle Olson, Valtteri Puustinen

Defensemen: Ouellet, Jack St. Ivany, Colin Swoyer

Goaltenders: Filip Lindberg, Dustin Tokarski

Out of that group, the 24-year-old O’Connor was viewed as possessing the worthiest credentials to claim an NHL spot to open the season as a bottom-six forward. Entering his third professional season, appeared in 22 NHL games last season and scored five points (two goals, three assists) while clocking an average of 10:17 of ice time per game.

But given his limited service time as a professional, O’Connor is still exempt from waivers and can be freely assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Such a transaction could aid the Penguins in becoming compliant with the salary cap before the regular season opens.

Andonovski, Ansons, Hallander, Lindberg Legare, Puustinen, St. Ivany and Swoyer all are on entry-level contracts and do not require waivers. Devane and Olson are signed to AHL contracts.

Defensemen Owen Pickering (Swift Current Broncos, Western Hockey League) and Nolan Collins (Sudbury Wolves, Ontario Hockey League) were assigned to their junior teams.

In July’s draft, Pickering was the Penguins’ first-round pick (No. 21 overall) while Collins (No. 167 overall) was a sixth-round selection.

Each player was limited in some capacity during training camp as well as the preceding rookie camp due to undisclosed injuries.

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