Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects Thread

[Randy Butternubs]

Literally quoting @stardog here and thank you for all that info:

"

If anyone is interested in watching actual hockey games with actual players on a team including our very own Jan Drozg, the newish Alps hockey league posts free full game videos on their website at:
HOKEJTV.SI

Also here's a link to his recent 2g 1a game:
HOKEJTV.SI | Vse o hokeju v Sloveniji in prenosi tekem v živo.

Obviously not the best competition and quality but if high scoring is your thing then you should enjoy this. Also gets your hockey fix until the Pens are back. There are several other league links for watching our prospects overseas at onhockey.tv (make sure you have a great ad blocker installed yo) including the above mentioned GET (Norway), KHL, SHL, Slovakian leagues and even juniors.

If you wanted to watch the Liiga, do a search for C-More and they have a subscription thingy but I believe it's locked to geography so you need a VPN.

Speaking of Liiga, Puusti's HPK played Björkqvist's KooKoo (love it) the other night. One thing that I look at when I try to evaluate a prospects growth is the ice time as it's a direct tell for how much a coach trusts him in all situations and such. Both Puusti and Kasper are doing well in this regard. The game went to OT with KooKoo getting the win via shootout and both guys amongst the team leaders in ice time.

Puusti played 18:38 and had assists on both goals for HPK. He primarily plays on the 2nd line though often jumps up to the top line as he did when he assisted on the games only 5 on 5 goal from former 1st round pick of the Jets, Kristian Vesalainen (who I want the Penguins to trade for btw).

Our boy Kasper played a whopping 21:38; 2nd amongst forwards and skates on KooKoo's top line. He was held pointless with 3 shots, a minus -1 and lost his only faceoff. For the season though he is averaging 18:35 TOI while Puusti is averaging a minute less at 17:35.

An interesting note is that Puusti is 2nd in the league for ppg. average with a 1.38 ppg behind only teammate Vesalainen's 1.40. However when applying context, Vesalainen plays a full 3 minutes more per game than Puusti so he is really becoming a very intriguing prospect.

Though it's obvious that I am kinda biased towards Puusti and I am probably alone in considering him our top prospect.... though admittedly, I have been bitten by being enamored with a Penguins smallish Finn prospect with a high ppg average coming from seemingly nowhere before so there's that.

"

Click to read more...

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Stardog's post to give the appropriate likes to:

Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects Thread

 

[ColePens]

Thank you @stardog and all the vets who have made this thread one of the most respected threads of HFPens history.

 

[Lust for Life]

Still no news of Jesper Lindgren, but more players have been called back. I assume he won't play many more games - for now.

He is fantastic with the puck and it shows, as he's second in points on the team (0+9 in 14 games) and second on the team in terms of being on the ice for goals for. The downside is that his defensive play is, even on this level, extremely sub-par. He's been on the ice for the most goals against on his team (by quite a lot), and he's been a key factor in a lot of them. The defensive coach in WBS will have his work cut out for him, or maybe the smaller rinks will help him.

For the guys that wanted him to push for a spot on the NHL team, I really wouldn't count on it based on his play this far.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Are we putting WJC news in here, even if it doesn’t relate to Pen?

 

[Andy99]

 

[Empoleon8771]

Poulin seems like as much of a sure thing prospect the Penguins have that I can remember. He seemingly has no flaws as a player. A big winger with talent who has a strong defensive game and has at least fine skating? I'm not seeing any sort of red flags with him, unless he stars piling up injuries like Maatta did.

They're obviously not comparable because they play 2 different positions, but I think you can describe Poulin as a jack of all trade player with no obvious weaknesses and I think that described Maatta pretty well at 19, too. He didn't pan out as many expected of him at age 19, but he still carved out a very solid career.

 

[Gurglesons]

Poulin seems like as much of a sure thing prospect the Penguins have that I can remember. He seemingly has no flaws as a player. A big winger with talent who has a strong defensive game and has at least fine skating? I'm not seeing any sort of red flags with him, unless he stars piling up injuries like Maatta did.

They're obviously not comparable because they play 2 different positions, but I think you can describe Poulin as a jack of all trade player with no obvious weaknesses and I think that described Maatta pretty well at 19, too. He didn't pan out as many expected of him at age 19, but he still carved out a very solid career.

I thought his PPG and -1 was a sure sign he wasn’t ready after 4 games?

 

[Empoleon8771]

I thought his PPG and -1 was a sure sign he wasn’t ready after 4 games?

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I thought his PPG and -1 was a sure sign he wasn’t ready after 4 games?

-5. Get it right.

 

[Gurglesons]

Just ribbing you @Empoleon8771

I’m curious if the Nailers are going to play given the news out of the ECHL today.

 

[SomeDude]

Just ribbing you @Empoleon8771

I’m curious if the Nailers are going to play given the news out of the ECHL today.

I was wondering that too. They just sent out a picture of the ice being finished and a few more signings, so it seems like it. Would suck to be the guy spraying a hose for hours to get a call 3 days later to come squeegee it back up.

 

[Rakell67]

Poulin seems like as much of a sure thing prospect the Penguins have that I can remember. He seemingly has no flaws as a player. A big winger with talent who has a strong defensive game and has at least fine skating? I'm not seeing any sort of red flags with him, unless he stars piling up injuries like Maatta did.

They're obviously not comparable because they play 2 different positions, but I think you can describe Poulin as a jack of all trade player with no obvious weaknesses and I think that described Maatta pretty well at 19, too. He didn't pan out as many expected of him at age 19, but he still carved out a very solid career.

Is it safe to say Poulin’s style compares to a Hossa lite?

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

Sorta reminds me of the deke Geno pulled on Brodeur

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Yeah I think it’s fair if people want to question his upside but Poulin definitely seems to be a projectable NHL player.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Is it safe to say Poulin’s style compares to a Hossa lite?

I don't think it's fair to compare any prospect not named Alex Lafreniere to Hossa, just because Hossa was that good. I just don't like putting that kind of comparison next to Poulin, even with the lite part included, because Poulin doesn't have that kind of upside.

I think Poulin can fall anywhere between "Tanner Pearson in Pittsburgh" (vanilla 3rd line winger who produces around 30 points a year) and "peak Saad" (2-way top line complementary winger) and it wouldn't surprise me, but I'd be really surprised if he fell outside of that range.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I don't think it's fair to compare any prospect not named Alex Lafreniere to Hossa, just because Hossa was that good. I just don't like putting that kind of comparison next to Poulin, even with the lite part included, because Poulin doesn't have that kind of upside.

I think Poulin can fall anywhere between "Tanner Pearson in Pittsburgh" (kinda vanilla 3rd line winger who produces around 30 points a year) and "peak Saad" (2-way top line complementary winger) and it wouldn't surprise me, but I'd be really surprised if he fell outside of that range.

Yeah, I think he plays like a less tall, less fast Saad somewhat imo. Might just be they way they look skating tho.

I can see some ZAR possibility as a boring bottom 6er that doesn’t find his offensive game whenever tried in the top 6, maybe with a more heavy game... but that’s still an NHL player that is a net plus on the ice.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I like Poulin's tenacity and the way he protects the puck, but I hope he can develop enough speed in his skating to be able to gain some separation from defenders.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah, I think he plays like a less tall, less fast Saad somewhat imo. Might just be they way they look skating tho.

I can see some ZAR possibility as a boring bottom 6er that doesn’t find his offensive game whenever tried in the top 6, maybe with a more heavy game... but that’s still an NHL player that is a net plus on the ice.

Yeah, this is what I was thinking of as his low end upside, but I couldn't think of a player who really fit that description that I was comfortable with saying. I think Pearson was the closest guy I could think of that has played for the Penguins in recent years.

I can see that ZAR path for Poulin, but I don't like ZAR specifically for that comparison if that makes sense. ZAR's a unique/weird player because he's so good defensively but so bad at everything else. I actually think Sundqvist is a good guess for Poulin's low end upside.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I think Poulin’s top speed is fine. Looks like an absolute freight train when he’s moving at 100% of his speed. Very fast for the Q, and I think that it will be above average in the NHL.

He doesn’t necessarily lack agility for the weight he carries either imo. Just doesn’t have any explosion.

If he can work on adding quickness to his first step, just so he can turn and win races to pucks in the league, I think that would really help him to be a stud.

 

[Andy99]

I think Poulin’s top speed is fine. Looks like an absolute freight train when he’s moving at 100% of his speed. Very fast for the Q, and I think that it will be above average in the NHL.

He doesn’t necessarily lack agility for the weight he carries either imo. Just doesn’t have any explosion.

If he can work on adding quickness to his first step, just so he can turn and win races to pucks in the league, I think that would really help him to be a stud.

That and his release isn’t good enough to be a top 6 player. I see him topping out as a third line player unless he can improve first step and his release on net

 

[66-30-33]

I think Poulin’s top speed is fine. Looks like an absolute freight train when he’s moving at 100% of his speed. Very fast for the Q, and I think that it will be above average in the NHL.

He doesn’t necessarily lack agility for the weight he carries either imo. Just doesn’t have any explosion.

If he can work on adding quickness to his first step, just so he can turn and win races to pucks in the league, I think that would really help him to be a stud.

Only to be traded to NYR for JJ for that "veteran presence" on the blueline.

 

[Gurglesons]

Lundell continues to tear it up. At least we went way out of our reach if we kept our 1st, but dude would’ve been a great add for our core’s back nine. Horvat 2.0 IMO.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Lundell continues to tear it up. At least we went way out of our reach if we kept our 1st, but dude would’ve been a great add for our core’s back nine. Horvat 2.0 IMO.

I think I met Bo's family in Erie when London came to play the Otters. They were sitting in front of me all wearing Horvat jerseys. And the most memorable thing that happened that night was the kids' quire absolutely butchering the national anthems. It was hilarious and lasted forever.

 

[TySmith4Norris]

If comparisons are being thrown out, see Poulin as more of a JT Miller (mostly size/position/style) than Hossa

But a lot of that might be personal preference