Penguins sign veteran goalie Dustin Tokarski to AHL contract
The Penguins signed one of the top minor league goalies on the free agent market Monday, adding Dustin Tokarski on a one-year AHL deal.
Tokarski, 29, has won the Calder Cup twice in his 10-year pro career, including last season with the Charlotte Checkers. He was dealt to Charlotte at the trade deadline and went 12-0-0 down the stretch with his new team, including a 5-0 mark and .935 save percentage in the playoffs.
Tokarski was coached in Charlotte by Mike Vellucci, who last month was hired as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s new coach.
Tokarski has played 34 career NHL games with Tampa Bay, Montreal and Anaheim. He won the 2012 Calder Cup with the Norfolk Admirals, the 2008 Memorial Cup with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs and the 2009 World Junior Championships with Team Canada.
The addition of Tokarski helps clear up the organizational goaltending picture a bit behind the NHL tandem of Matt Murray and Casey DeSmith.
Prospect Tristan Jarry, who would have to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL in the fall, remains a trade candidate. The Penguins could also keep Jarry as Murray’s backup and trade DeSmith, though that is less likely.
Tokarski would likely pair with 22-year-old Emil Larmi, who is coming off a championship in Finland’s top pro league and a strong performance at Penguins development camp, as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s goaltending tandem. Alex D’Orio, a 20-year-old rookie, would be in line for regular work with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers.
Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.
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