Dominik Kahun had no idea that Chicago was looking -- or even willing -- to trade him this summer.
Not until the Blackhawks contacted him Saturday night to inform him that he would be joining the Penguins, who gave up defenseman Olli Maatta to acquire him.
"I was a little surprised because, obviously, I was new in the league and I've never been through something like this," he said on a conference call Monday. "But the GM from Pittsburgh called me right away and the next day, some more people from Pittsburgh called me. So far, (from) what I've heard, everything is perfect. I'm very excited."
Kahun is a versatile, skilled forward who skates well and can play all three positions up front, although he is a center by trade and worked primarily on the right side when Chicago deployed him on a wing last season, his first in the NHL.
"I was used to playing center all my life before I came to Chicago, but then I moved a little bit between playing right, playing left. I had to get used to playing the wing. It really didn't matter for me where I was going to play. All that mattered was, I wanted to make the team and play wherever I can and wherever the coach needed me.
"I would say that I prefer the right wing, because I played most of the season (there). Right wing is probably my better spot if I play on the wing, but it really doesn't matter for me if I play right, left or center," said the left-shooting forward. "I think I can do a good job everywhere. I'm confident of that."
Although Jim Rutherford mentioned Kahun's ability as a penalty-killer when the trade was announced, Kahun said he has limited experience playing in short-handed situations. Not that he'd mind adding it to his repertoire.
"I never played much penalty-killing, but sometimes when the coach needed me to do it, when there were some guys missing or something, they put me on the ice to play it," he said. "I never was really used to it, but when the coaches put me there, I was ready to do it. I have no problem with playing PK."
On other matters, Kahun:
• Had a brief conversation with Mike Sullivan Sunday, with most of the conversation about the Penguins' approach to games. "He just talked about how they want to play, what Pittsburgh's style is," Kahun said. "It's a fast and skilled game they want to play, and I think I can be a good fit for that.
• Offered a brief self-scouting report. "I'm a good player with the puck. My skill is pretty good and I think I'm also a good skater, a fast skater."
• Said that adjusting to the smaller North American ice surface after learning the game in Europe wasn't particularly difficult. "It was a little weird to play on the small ice, but I think I got used to it pretty quick."
• Noted that sharing a locker room with high-profile players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin shouldn't be an issue for him, since he had stars such as Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane as teammates with the Blackhawks. "They were role models for me," he said. "It's going to be the same in Pittsburgh, obviously. ... The first thing I thought was Sidney Crosby and Malkin and all those superstars. I'm really excited to join (that team)."
• Is spending the offseason in Munich, where he was playing video games with his brother when he learned of the trade. He said he will train in Germany and his native Czech Republic this summer.
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