The Pittsburgh Penguins signed rookie forward Sam Poulin to a two-year, two-way contract extension that carries an NHL salary cap hit of $775,000 on Monday.
Poulin, 23, was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this upcoming offseason. He is in the final year of a three-year entry-level contract that carries a salary cap hit of $863,333.
A first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in 2019, Poulin spent most of the 2023-24 season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Hobbled by occasional injuries, Poulin played 41 AHL games this season and scored 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists).
Recalled to the NHL roster on three occasions in the late stages of the season, the left-handed Poulin (6-foot-2, 213 pounds) played in three NHL games. Primarily deployed as a fourth-line center, Poulin did not record a point while averaging 7 minutes, 47 seconds of ice time.
With Poulin signed, the Penguins have 19 players who are scheduled to become unrestricted or restricted free agents July 1.
Unrestricted
Forwards – Jeff Carter, Jansen Harkins, Vinnie Hinostroza, Valtteri Puustinen, Radim Zohorna
Defensemen – Taylor Fedun, Xavier Ouellet, Jack Rathbone, Dmitri Samorukov, Ryan Shea
Goaltender – Alex Nedeljkovic, Ludovic Waeber
Restricted
Forwards – Corey Andonovski, Emil Bemstrom, Maxim Cajkovic, Jonathan Gruden, Dillon Hamaliuk
Defensemen – P.O Joseph, Jack St. Ivany
Note: Carter has announced he has retired.
