Dubas is doing deals
Chinakhov tops group receiving new contracts
The Penguins’ relationship with newly acquired winger Nick Robertson might be off to a rocky start, since Robertson filed for salary arbitration Sunday.
Three players who were in the organization before Robertson, who was acquired from Toronto last week, have agreed to stick around for a while, though.
So did one who played in the American Hockey League last season.
The Penguins have signed winger Egor Chinakhov and goalies Arturs Silovs and Joel Blomqvist to new deal.
They also agreed to a contract with free-agent center David Gustafsson, a former Winnipeg prospect.
Chinakhov’s deal covers three years and carries a salary-cap hit of $6.25 million.
Silov’s agreement is for one year and has a $2.8 million cap hit, while Blomqvist’s two-year contract has an annual value of $875,000 if/when he is in the NHL.
Gustafsson, 26, is 6-foot-2, 196 pounds and was the Jets’ second-round draft choice in 2018.
His contract runs for one season and has a $850,000 cap hit if/when he is in the NHL.
He has six goals and 14 assists in 149 career NHL appearances.
Robertson is one of 15 NHL players to file for arbitration before the 5 p.m. deadline, and no date for his hearing has been set.
The sides are allowed to continue negotiating until the hearing, and most teams and players like to reach an agreement before getting there, since hearing can become quite contentious, with the player’s camp arguing why his salary demands should be met and the club countering with arguments to make the case that the player doesn’t deserve any more than it is offering.
Robertson and Ville Koivunen are the lone remaining free agents the Penguins are expected to sign. They have about $17 million in cap space available for the coming season.