The rise and fall of Radim Zohorna (part 2)

Radim Zohorna — Photo via GETTY

Radim Zohorna was easily the Penguins’ best bottom-six forward through the first month of this season. Several months later, however, the big fella now finds himself down in the minors with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

His career arc with the Penguins serves as a valuable lesson about players on the fringe.

I didn’t think much of it when Kyle Dubas signed Zohorna during the offseason. He was coming off a 2022-23 campaign in which he played just 10 NHL games (eight with the Flames, two with the Maple Leafs) and had a lone goal to show for the entirety of his production.

At the time, it seemed as though Zohorna was destined to spend the majority of this season in the AHL — perhaps making a cameo or two in the NHL due to injuries.

The preseason rolled around and I was immediately reminded of how much fun it is (OK, can be) to watch him play. That quickly evolved into, “Holy crap, this dude’s forcing his way onto the NHL roster.” He was playing that well during exhibition action.

Jansen Harkins ultimately beat out Zohorna for the final forward spot on the NHL roster to start the season, but Zohorna didn’t have to wait long to get a crack. He seized the opportunity and, as mentioned, became a legitimate force in the bottom six.

Zohorna’s forechecking ability and willingness to lug the puck through the neutral zone with possession were fueling outstanding results for the Penguins when he was on the ice at 5-on-5.

Here’s a look at those on-ice results through his first 13 games of the season (Oct. 21 - Nov. 21):

By goals, expected goals, shots and shot attempts, Zohorna’s on-ice differential (per-hour basis) ranked fourth among all Penguins skaters. That was a massive boost to a third line that was previously getting caved in each game.