The Pittsburgh Penguins signed one of their four remaining restricted free agents Friday, agreeing with winger Adam Johnson on a one-year, two-way deal worth $700,000 at the NHL level.
Johnson, 25, signed with the Penguins as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota-Duluth in July 2017. A speedy left wing, he made his NHL debut last season, recording two assists in six games with the Penguins. He was one of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s top scorers with 18 goals and 43 points in 67 AHL games.
“Adam has definitely put the work in,” assistant general manager Bill Guerin said in a release. “He’s a great skater and has worked extremely hard to get to another level of strength and conditioning, which certainly helped him in his second pro season. I think he proved not only to us but also to himself that he can play in the National Hockey League.”
Defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Teddy Blueger are the three restricted free agents the Penguins have yet to re-sign. Pettersson is the most likely of the trio to receive a long-term deal. Aston-Reese has an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 22.
