Penguins Call-Up Replacement for the Struggling Jeff Carter
The Pittsburgh Penguins' fourth line has been struggling all year. Led by Jeff Carter, they failed to register a goal and have allowed a few since the season started.
The Pens recalled two players from the AHL to help their bottom-six depth.
Penguins Recall Two Players from the AHL
On Thursday morning, the Penguins announced that they've called up Radim Zohorna and Vinnie Hinostroza from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. They've also returned Corey Andonovski to the AHL.
Earlier this season, Zohorna played on the third line with Lars Eller and Drew O'Connor. In two games, he scored a goal.
As for Hinostroza, he'll be the team's 13th forward. He has played 360 NHL games and gives head coach Mike Sullivan a few options for the fourth line.
They might not be game-changing players, but they can certainly help relieve some of the star players' workload.
Salary Cap Forces GMs to be Creative
The current salary cap truly casts a shadow over the sport. Teams can't do much at the moment and recalling a player or two becomes a real puzzle.
In Pittsburgh, it started when they placed goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic on LTIR. On Wednesday, they called up Andonovski, but returned him on Thursday, because he makes $150,000 more than Zohorna, and that put the Pens in a precarious financial position.
Also, to fill in for Nedeljkovic, they recalled Magnus Hellberg. The salary differential between the two goalies was enough to call up their 13th forward, Hinostroza.
All this could be avoided if the salary cap was just a bit higher. Fortunately for teams, Bettman plans to raise it after the current season.
As seen on Pittsburgh Hockey Now - Penguins News: Team Recalls Hinostroza, Zohorna; Will Carter Sit?
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Penguins will bench Jeff Carter at their next game? | ||
| Yes | 136 | 68 % |
| No | 64 | 32 % |
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