Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects Thread

[Bjindaho]

Assuming Saint John doesn't trade D'Orio before next season, he's going to have a very different D in front of him.

Saint John acquired the rights to Michael Campoli from BLB, then drafted William Villeneuve, Jeremie Poirier, and Charlie Desroches with the 2nd, 8th, and 32nd picks respectively. All 4 will be on the team next year.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Do we get Beau back as compensation?

You laugh, but he is still rocking the 412 gear and posting pictures of himself in the black and gold on Instagram.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Come back Beau

 

[StaalForOne]

If nothing else he would be a good producer for WBS.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

#BBB

Bring Back Beau!

 

[MrBurghundy]

I wonder how Bennett would've fared, development wise, if Sullivan was his coach when he first came up instead of Bylsma.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I wonder how Bennett would've fared, development wise, if Sullivan was his coach when he first came up instead of Bylsma.

Bennett didn't flame out due to Bylsma, he flamed out due to injuries and the Penguins rushing him to the NHL (plus Bennett himself rushing to the pros). Bennett shouldn't have left college as early as he did and the Penguins shouldn't have rushed him into the NHL in 2012-2013 (even though he did do well in the NHL that season).

 

[MrBurghundy]

Bennett didn't flame out due to Bylsma, he flamed out due to injuries and the Penguins rushing him to the NHL (plus Bennett himself rushing to the pros). Bennett shouldn't have left college as early as he did and the Penguins shouldn't have rushed him into the NHL in 2012-2013 (even though he did do well in the NHL that season).

I think injuries are certainly a big part of the story, but he also was jerked around quite a bit by HCDB, and was never really given the chance to play and learn from his mistakes. That's one thing Sullivan regularly does with his young guys, and Bylsma never did.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think injuries are certainly a big part of the story, but he also was jerked around quite a bit by HCDB, and was never really given the chance to play and learn from his mistakes. That's one thing Sullivan regularly does with his young guys, and Bylsma never did.

Bylsma screwed up with Bennett in the opposite way you're thinking. They screwed up his development by rushing him to the NHL at age 21, when he shouldn't have been in the NHL at that point. He shouldn't have even touched NHL ice until 2014-2015, he should have played an extra year at Denver in 2012-2013 (he left after his sophomore year where he only played in 10 games) and he should have played an entire season in the AHL. Instead, he left college after a year where he missed 75% of the season, got rushed to the NHL and started to run into series injury issues from 2013 until he was traded in 2016.

The Penguins hurt him in the opposite way that you think they hurt him. You think they hurt him by taking him in and out of the lineup, where he should have been kept in and put in a top-6 role that fit his strengths. I just don't even think he should have even been on the team, they shouldn't have even had the option of jerking him around. There was no business for him to be playing in the NHL at age 21, he just wasn't physically ready for it. His career was ruined in large part due to that.

 

[Jacob]

I think the injury excuse is a little overused with prospects who bust, like Esposito and Morrow for example, but I think with Bennett it’s applicable. His wrist injuries effected his shot significantly and the missed time definitely hampered his overall development.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I don't think the "Bennett was rushed to the NHL" argument holds much water despite what JR has said. He produced well in his 1st pro season in both the AHL and NHL ('12-'13), and then lost most of '13-'14 to injury but came back and had a pretty good playoff run for the Pens. He came in with a great camp in '14-'15 and scored 5 points in 2 AHL games, so he got called up but then suffered more injuries. And so it went.

Like, what has ZAR proven that Bennett hadn't?

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I think the injury excuse is a little overused with prospects who bust, like Esposito and Morrow for example, but I think with Bennett it’s applicable. His wrist injuries effected his shot significantly and the missed time definitely hampered his overall development.

I think it also wore him down mentally. He may have been somewhat rushed but the injuries were just crazy with him.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I don't think the "Bennett was rushed to the NHL" argument holds much water despite what JR has said. He produced well in his 1st pro season in both the AHL and NHL ('12-'13), and then lost most of '13-'14 to injury but came back and had a pretty good playoff run for the Pens. He came in with a great camp in '14-'15 and scored 5 points in 2 AHL games, so he got called up but then suffered more injuries. And so it went.

Like, what has ZAR proven that Bennett hadn't?

That doesn't matter because he wasn't physically ready for the NHL. His skill was never in question, but he was both rushed to the NHL and rushed to the pros when he should have been focusing more on improving his strength and become physically pro ready. I completely believe that him rushing both to the pros and to the NHL caused his injury issues to become even worse, and I completely believe what Rutherford said about the Penguins messing up with him.

There was really no reason for him to even be playing professional hockey in 2012-2013 and really no reason for him to be playing in the NHL in 2013-2014. The Penguins messed up bad with rushing him to the NHL. It's not like with Pouliot, who was somewhat rushed to the NHL but was just not good enough to be a NHLer.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Bylsma screwed up with Bennett in the opposite way you're thinking. They screwed up his development by rushing him to the NHL at age 21, when he shouldn't have been in the NHL at that point. He shouldn't have even touched NHL ice until 2014-2015, he should have played an extra year at Denver in 2012-2013 (he left after his sophomore year where he only played in 10 games) and he should have played an entire season in the AHL. Instead, he left college after a year where he missed 75% of the season, got rushed to the NHL and started to run into series injury issues from 2013 until he was traded in 2016.

The Penguins hurt him in the opposite way that you think they hurt him. You think they hurt him by taking him in and out of the lineup, where he should have been kept in and put in a top-6 role that fit his strengths. I just don't even think he should have even been on the team, they shouldn't have even had the option of jerking him around. There was no business for him to be playing in the NHL at age 21, he just wasn't physically ready for it. His career was ruined in large part due to that.

The way I remember things is that every single time Bennett did even the slightest thing wrong, he was riding the pine for the majority of a game. He also wasn't placed on scoring lines more often than not, or in other places to succeed. Sullivan regularly does this with his rookies (ie: Simon this season, Guentzel last season, and Sheary the year before), both putting trust in them to play through mistakes as well as putting them in the right spots in the first place.

Bennett's treatment would be the same as us bringing up Sprong and not playing him for long stretches, putting him on shit lines when he did play, and then benching him when he made one single mistake. Players play in this league with smaller statures than Bennett had at that time, and Sullivan seems to be able to find ways to allow for that to happen.

I say all of that not to discount your point entirely that he was rushed, but more that I don't think it's the only major contributing factor.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

That doesn't matter because he wasn't physically ready for the NHL. His skill was never in question, but he was both rushed to the NHL and rushed to the pros when he should have been focusing more on improving his strength and become physically pro ready. I completely believe that him rushing both to the pros and to the NHL caused his injury issues to become even worse, and I completely believe what Rutherford said about the Penguins messing up with him.

There was really no reason for him to even be playing professional hockey in 2012-2013 and really no reason for him to be playing in the NHL in 2013-2014. The Penguins messed up bad with rushing him to the NHL. It's not like with Pouliot, who was somewhat rushed to the NHL but was just not good enough to be a NHLer.

Bennett's strength was fine. He performed and produced well right off the bat, something which only tapered off when his health issues - which had nothing to do with a lack of bulk - mounted. He could have been built like Ovechkin and it wouldn't have prevented getting an injured shoulder on a hit from behind from Oshie, the mumps, Kapanen buggering up his knee by clipping his foot in practice, a broken wrist involving multiple surgeries, etc.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Bennett's strength was fine. He performed and produced well right off the bat, something which only tapered off when his health issues - which had nothing to do with a lack of bulk - mounted. He could have been built like Ovechkin and it wouldn't have prevented getting an injured shoulder on a hit from behind from Oshie, the mumps, Kapanen buggering up his knee by clipping his foot in practice, a broken wrist involving multiple surgeries, etc.

Don't forget about that time he was celebrating a goal...

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Bennett's strength was fine. He performed and produced well right off the bat, something which only tapered off when his health issues - which had nothing to do with a lack of bulk - mounted. He could have been built like Ovechkin and it wouldn't have prevented getting an injured shoulder on a hit from behind from Oshie, the mumps, Kapanen buggering up his knee by clipping his foot in practice, a broken wrist involving multiple surgeries, etc.

Pretty sure that was Sill.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

I think it also wore him down mentally. He may have been somewhat rushed but the injuries were just crazy with him.

Yeah, when you're in your early-mid 20's in the best league in the world collecting an NHL pay check and are thinking about retiring, clearly the injuries that were mounting were taking their toll. Both physically but also mentally.

 

[cygnus47]

I think the injury excuse is a little overused with prospects who bust, like Esposito and Morrow for example, but I think with Bennett it’s applicable. His wrist injuries effected his shot significantly and the missed time definitely hampered his overall development.

Every time he looked ready to make an impact he'd get injured and was out or played subpar through the injury. His shot started to make an impact and he re-injured his wrist, he started to make an impact on the boards and he dislocated his shoulder several times. His strength was his passing around the net and shot but he could no longer play in tight areas. It's almost impossible to make an impact as a perimeter player unless you have a shot like Kessel's - and he still gets shit on regularly for it.

I thought he was super unlucky as well, but I think he probably just doesn't have the ligaments to stand the grind of the NHL, even if he'd avoided the wrist stuff.

 

[Legionnaire11]

Can you guys give me some insight into a couple of Pens players who made their NHL debut last season? Specifically what type of player they are, if they have an NHL future and what role they project as in the long-term. Thanks!

Zach Aston-Reese
Casey Desmith

 

[Peat]

Can you guys give me some insight into a couple of Pens players who made their NHL debut last season? Specifically what type of player they are, if they have an NHL future and what role they project as in the long-term. Thanks!

Zach Aston-Reese
Casey Desmith

Aston-Reese is a grinder pure and simple. Corners, banging, net front and all that. He probably has an NHL future because he's got NHL strength and grit - although I wouldn't sign off on it as a guarantee just yet - but its hard to say where he projects long term. If he hits his ceiling, he could be a Kunitz-Hornqvist hybrid - top 6 minutes, 20 points off the PP, maybe 30 from ES. Floor is hopefully useful bottom sixer who jams in his share of points around the net. I guess he probably ends up somewhere in the middle.

DeSmith... I dunno. Not that big for an NHL goaltender so I'm guessing he won't get much further than career back-up, but he's got a shot at that at least. Also has an issue in that he could lose his back up spot to Jarry this coming season.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Bellerive has one more season in Juniors right?

 

[Jacob]

Yes.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Yes.

Damn. I have no patience. I want my instant gratification, and I want it right now.

 

[BladeRunner66]

Damn. I have no patience. I want my instant gratification, and I want it right now.

Belle Rive means beautiful coast in french so...



Relax.