The Penguins re-signed forward Sam Lafferty to a two-year, one-way contract, Jim Rutherford announced on Thursday.
The deal carries an average annual value of $750,000. That's just $50,000 over the 2020-21 league-minimum salary of $700,000, and matches the league-minimum salary for the 2021-22 season.
A one-way contract ensures that a player is paid the same amount of money at the NHL level and the AHL level, but does not dictate where a player must play. Lafferty is still exempt from requiring waivers from one more season as a product of his signing age and professional experience.
Lafferty made his NHL debut in October of this past season. He played in 50 games, scoring six goals and seven assists. He played in Game 3 of the Penguins' qualifying-round series against the Canadiens, filling in for the scratched Jared McCann.
"We have been very pleased with Sam's development," said Rutherford in a team release. "His size and speed are big advantages in today's game, and we like what he brings to our lineup."
The signing leaves the Penguins with a projected $3.97 million in cap space, assuming Lafferty is on the NHL roster. Anthony Angello remains the lone restricted free agent from the NHL roster. Sam Miletic is the lone restricted free agent from Wilkes-Barre's roster. Pontus Aberg, acquired in the Kapanen trade, is a restricted free agent after being given a qualifying offer this week, but is committed to playing in the KHL for the full season.
Dominik Simon was not qualified as a restricted free agent and will become an unrestricted free agent on Friday, but Rutherford did not rule out re-signing him, telling Dave Molinari that he was not qualified to avoid a possible salary arbitration case.
