A fan favorite candidate is back in Pittsburgh!
On Friday, the Penguins announced they re-signed forward Boko Imama to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.
Imama signed a very similar deal last season to come to the Penguins organization. Now on his second contract with the team, Imama’s cap hit is still $775K, but should he play in the AHL, he earned himself a raise from $350K to $450K.
Imama was Pittsburgh’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy this year, for perseverance and dedication to hockey.
He started the year in the American Hockey League with Pittsburgh’s affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, playing in 24 games and registering five points with 47 penalty minutes.
In January, Imama was recalled from the AHL and put into the Penguins’ lineup, adding some grit and sandpaper to the bottom six. He scored one goal and tallied 30 penalty minutes his time with the Penguins.
His 16 games played was a career high in the NHL, beating his three previous seasons with Arizona and Ottawa combined. Believe it or not, he was also a +2, being one of only four Penguins to be above zero in the +/- category.
Imama scored his first goal since the 2021-22 season on March 21st, in a 6-3 win over Columbus. He contributed ten total shots on goal and also recorded seven blocked shots.
Unfortunately, Imama’s season in the NHL was hampered by a few injuries. He missed a few weeks with injury in early March, and eventually had his season end prematurely after undergoing surgery on a bicep injury.
But while he was in the lineup, his physicality was very much prized.
On a team that didn’t have a lot of toughness in their lineup, Imama was a certain change of pace. Though he played sparingly, only averaging 5:40 of ice time a night, Imama threw 45 hits, meaning he landed a hit pretty much every two minutes he played.
He also didn’t back down from a challenge. Imama dropped the gloves multiple times after his promotion to the NHL, fighting two tough customers in Utah’s Liam O’Brien and Columbus’ Mathieu Olivier. Prior to his recall, Imama had also recorded six fights in the AHL.
Personally, I love bringing Imama back.
Yes, the role of the “enforcer” is dying in today’s NHL. Physicality and grit are still prized traits in this league, particularly as teams like Florida routinely make it to Stanley Cup Finals, but it has to be paired with something else.
The top-four NHLers in hits this season all had at least 25 points, and three of the four had at least 18 goals.
Of the top 15 NHL forwards in hits, 12 of them had over 20 points and 11 of them had double-digit goals. Sure, some of that is a byproduct of playing in more games and having more ice time in said games, but offensive production was never Imama’s strong suit.
Here’s the thing, though.
It’s a safe assumption to make that the Penguins won’t be very good next season. After a deadline that saw them act as clear sellers and take full advantage of the seller’s market, the Penguins are in a position to further to sell off assets, get younger, and build for the future.
Reports are already flying about the availability of Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, and others as the Penguins are one of the few teams truly still in seller mode in the NHL this summer.
So if the Penguins aren’t very good next year, Imama is the perfect player to have on your roster. Granting some minutes to a player who doesn’t bring much offensively doesn’t matter if no one else is doing it either.
I am fine if the Penguins decide to go full tank next season. I understand and respect the mind of those who are against it, but Gavin McKenna is an enticing enough prospect to try and secure in next year’s draft
But there’s a big difference between a basement-level team that is a tire fire, and a basement-level team that is still a pain to play against.
If they aren’t planning on being a good hockey team next year, the least the team can do is make sure they are hard to play against. There are two different types of basement teams, one that is a complete tire fire and can be bullied on the ice, and one that makes the other team work for every inch of ice, even if the talent disparity suggests they will eventually get it.
Having a player like Imama around helps make sure the Penguins aren’t complete pushovers. Imama will throw a hit whenever he can, and has shown over his professional career he is always down for a tilt.
Under new head coach Dan Muse, developing younger talent will be the priority for the Penguins. Imama, who will turn 29 in August, doesn’t fit into that category, but as an experienced player he might still have some insight to provide to the younger players on the roster. He also can help protect them as they gain their legs in the NHL.
In a year where winning isn’t expected to be super common, Imama will at least be a fun player to watch. He’s a vibes guy, and the Penguins will certainly need some of those next year. I hope he’s on the NHL club next season.
Fifth Avenue Sports 
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