Defenseman Dmitri Samorukov found a 'lucky ticket' with the Penguins

Dmitri Samorukov wasn’t in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ lineup for a 2-1 road loss to the Hershey Bears on Wednesday. It was the first time this season he missed one of their games.

There was a pretty good reason for his absence.

He signed an NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

“It was exciting, obviously,” Samorukov said following an optional morning skate at PPG Paints Arena Wednesday. “That was the goal. Hockey is fun. You just try to be better every day. Sometimes, you get rewarded and you’ve just got to use your chances.”

Penguins management gave the 24-year-old defenseman a chance July 31 when he signed an American Hockey League contract, and he attended the NHL club’s training camp in September. After appearing in one preseason NHL game with no points and two shots, Samorukov was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sept. 28.

The left-hander opened the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s lineup and became a mainstay, posting five points (one goal, four assists) in 15 games.

His steadiness earned him a one-year, two-way contract for the remainder of the season with a salary cap hit of $775,000.

“He’s been one of the very best defensemen (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) all season long,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s earned the opportunity to sign an NHL contract. He’s a young defenseman that has upside. He has good size, he’s got a long reach, he’s a rangy guy, he’s hard to play against, he plays a solid, defensive, reliable game. He’s good on the penalty kill. He’s a guy that’s been one of their best defensemen and most consistent defensemen (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) all season long. That’s the reason why (president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas) flipped him to an NHL contract.”

One day after signing, Samorukov was a healthy scratch for a 1-0 home loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday. It remains to be seen when his first NHL games with the Penguins will occur. But he has some NHL experience.

A third-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2017 NHL Draft, Samorukov has career NHL games — one with the Oilers in 2021-22 and two with the St. Louis Blues in 2022-23 — on his resume.

A native of Volograd, Russia, Samorukov moved to Canada in 2016 as a teenager and played three seasons at the junior level with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League, helping that team win the league championship in 2019. As a professional, he has played 159 career games at the AHL level.

Even with relatively little service time in the NHL, Samorukov seems to appreciate what he has been able to accomplish.

“It’s a good journey,” said Samorukov, who indicated he learned English through teammates and television. “It’s part of life. Every day is a new day, and you just roll with that. You get opportunity. My son was born here. It was a good lucky ticket. Can’t complain about it.”

What kind of player have the Penguins signed?

“I want to say I’m (a) power-play guy,” Samorukov quipped. “But I’m not. Give (the puck) to forwards, make forwards happy. Clean the defensive zone and do what (the) coach asks me to do. Just play my game, move my feet and make simple, smart decisions.”

His teammates seem to agree with that self-audit.

“He’s been great down there,” said Penguins forward Alex Nylander, who opened the season with Samorukov on the AHL Penguins’ roster. “Working really hard at both ends. Good defensively. A reliable defenseman. He also has some offensive abilities as well. He’s been great. Moving the puck fast. A big strong guy. Really nice to see him get that contract.”

Samorukov (pronounced sa-muh-ROO-kahv) seems happy with the transaction as well.

“I’m a little bit more happy now than I was before,” Samorukov said. “I like everything about it. … I couldn’t be more happy. I think I got the lucky ticket. It’s a good place.”

Notes: The Penguins recalled forward Jansen Harkins from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Thursday morning. He has been shuffled between the NHL and AHL roster repeatedly over the past week.

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