The Penguins on Monday offered qualifying offers to two of their six pending restricted free agents before the 5 p.m. deadline.
The Penguins qualified forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Radim Zohorna, and retain negotiating rights with those players. They did not make qualifying offers to forwards Sam Miletic and Mark Jankowski, defenseman Jesper Lindgren, or goaltender Emil Larmi. They will be unrestricted free agents if unsigned before free agency opens on Wednesday.
Both Aston-Reese and Zohorna have arbitration rights. The arbitration period begins Aug. 11 and runs through Aug. 26.
Aston-Reese, who turns 27 next month, was a key member of the Penguins' fourth line with Brandon Tanev and Teddy Blueger the last two seasons. He set career a career high in goals (nine) and recorded 15 points in 45 games, and for the second year in a row was the No. 1 forward in the NHL in scoring chance prevention numbers. The last time Aston-Reese was a free agent was in 2019, and he elected to go to salary arbitration, although he and the Penguins settled on a deal just before the hearing was set to begin.
Zohorna, 25, made his North American debut last season after playing professionally in the Czech Republic. He produced at nearly a point-per-game pace in Wilkes-Barre with three goals and eight assists in 12 games, playing center. He made his NHL debut in Pittsburgh and played eight games as a winger, scoring two goals and two assists, before spending the remainder of the year on Pittsburgh's taxi squad.
Jankowski, 26, played 45 games last season and disappointed in a limited fourth-line role, recording four goals and seven assists. Ron Hextall all but assured Dave Molinari two weeks ago that Jankowski would not be re-signed. If he would have been qualified, he would have had arbitration rights.
Miletic, 24, had a great first two seasons in the Penguins' organization, scoring 35 points in 49 games as a rookie in 2018-19 and 32 points in 62 games the following season. He missed the end of Pittsburgh's training camp, all of Wilkes-Barre's training camp and the start of the AHL season last year after contracting mono, something that head coach J.D. Forrest told me affected his strength. Miletic never rebounded, and only scored two goals and three assists in 21 games to finish the season, at times being a healthy scratch.
Lindgren, 24, was the right-handed defense prospect acquired from the Maple Leafs in the Kapanen trade, and had been playing in the AHL with the Marlies prior to the trade. He had a good start to the year with MODO Hockey in the second-tier Swedish league with one goal and 17 assists in 25 games, but never got to play for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He crashed into the boards after a one-on-one battle in Wilkes-Barre's first preseason game and injured his shoulder, requiring surgery that ended his season.
Larmi, 24, announced his intention to return to Finland back in May and signed a two-year deal with the Pelicans of the top Finnish league. He started last season in Wilkes-Barre and played three games in the first week before being recalled to Pittsburgh's taxi squad. He stayed in Pittsburgh for a month, then struggled in his return to Wilkes-Barre, getting pulled twice. He finished the year on Pittsburgh's taxi squad. He would have had arbitration rights if qualified.