The Pittsburgh Penguins have waived goaltender Jeff Zatkoff and assigned forward Bobby Farnham and defenseman Brian Dumoulin to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.
Zatkoff filled in as the team’s backup goaltender last season after Tomas Vokoun was lost to a season-long injury. The 27-year old had a .912 save percentage in 20 games last season, but the new team management felt that an upgrade was needed this offseason. If Zatkoff clears waivers, he will return to Wilkes-Barre, where he won a share of the AHL’s Hap Holmes Award for the fewest goals against in 2012-13.
Zatkoff had been in a training camp battle with Thomas Greiss, who will now assume the role of Marc-Andre Fleury’s backup. Greiss, 28, came over from Phoenix as a free agent in the offseason.
Dumoulin will also start his season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, even with injuries to defensemen Robert Bortuzzo and Olli Maatta. Dumoulin, acquired from Carolina in the Jordan Staal trade, will be a leader on the blueline for the AHL Penguins. His demotion stems more from the crowded situation at the top of the Pens’ prospect chart on defense that his play in the preseason.
It looks like 2011 second round draft pick Scott Harrington has made the team. Harrington stands at 6’1”, weighs 203 pounds, and is a solid defensive defenseman. He was also able to chip in offensively as a rookie in Wilkes-Barre last season, with 24 points in 76 games.
Farnham had been in the running for a fourth-line spot on the team. After the Penguins cut tryout Daniel Carcillo Thursday, it appeared as if Farnham had an inside track on one of the final roster spots. But after beginning camp with two agitators, the team will go into the season without one. Farnham, 25, will play his third pro season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
A pair of rookies, Swedish center Oskar Sundqvist and Finnish winger Kasperi Kapanen, remain with the team and have a good chance of starting the season with the big club. Injuries to Beau Bennett and Evgeni Malkin have given the young Europeans an opportunity, and both have made the most of it. Each player scored a goal in the preseason.
The Penguins roster now stands at 28, and with Bortuzzo and Beau Bennett going on the injured reserve, at least three more cuts will need to be made. Salary cap concerns may mean the Penguins may not carry a full 23-man roster at the beginning of the season.
Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Penguins
