With the Pittsburgh Penguins finding themselves with a farm system that ranks in the bottom third of the NHL, many would believe that they do not have any prospects to keep an eye on. But that is far from the truth, as they have two prospects in the THW top 100. With that being said, what prospects in the Penguins’ system should fans be familiarizing themselves with at the mid-way point of the 2023-24 season?
Brayden Yager
After finishing as the number 11 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting before the 2023 Draft, the Penguins took the now 19-year-old Brayden Yager with the 14th overall pick in the first round. After having a solid season with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL) last season, he has built off of that success and has been almost a point-and-a-half a-game player this season with 53 points in 34 games played as of Jan. 28.
He has displayed the strong two-way game that he had been touted for heading into the draft while showcasing his playmaking ability as he has put up 32 assists so far. His all-around game helps him stick out as one of the WHL’s most exciting players but will likely need at least another year before he potentially makes his way to the Penguins lineup. Being the highest draft pick that they have had since 2012 when they selected Derrick Pouliot at eighth overall, there are high hopes for Yager to be the next playmaker that could take the reins with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both nearing the end of their careers.
Joel Blomqvist
Since the Penguins lost Marc-Andre Fleury to the expansion draft in 2017 to the Vegas Golden Knights, they have put full faith in Tristan Jarry. But who is going to be his long-term backup or possible competition in the crease in the future? Fans may not have to look any further than Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 2020 second-round pick Joel Blomqvist.
After being the third-ranked European goalie heading into the 2020 Draft behind Yaroslav Askarov and Jan Bednar, Blomqvist has taken his play to the next level this season for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In his first full season playing professional hockey in North America, he has looked rock solid for the “Baby Pens” and ranks in the top three in the American Hockey League (AHL) in wins (13), goals-against average (2.13) and save percentage (.922). His strong start to the season has earned him All-Star honors in the AHL.
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The aforementioned Jarry will likely be the team’s go-to in the net for the foreseeable future, but with Alex Nedeljkovic being a free agent at the end of the season after signing a one-year deal this past offseason, there could be a chance that Blomqvist could make the jump to the NHL next season and be Jarry’s full-time backup.
Samuel Poulin
A prospect who had a chance to be on the NHL roster this season, had it not been for an injury that kept him out from Oct. 29 to Dec. 16, Samuel Poulin is a player that Penguins fans should get to know pretty well shortly. The 2019 first-round pick has found himself a home with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since the 2021-22 season and has progressively worked himself into a player who has quite the potential to get a call-up.
Poulin is another prospect that the Penguins have who is seen as an all-around two-way player, but unlike Yager, he can play all three forward positions thanks to his strong defensive play and also has a strong playmaking ability himself. He has shown a knack for getting himself involved in the offensive zone, having recorded a shot on goal in all 23 games this season. When healthy, he showed this playmaking ability last season while recording 21 assists to go along with 16 goals in 72 games.
If he can return to form for the remainder of the season, Poulin could find himself back in a Penguins jersey for good next season, after making his NHL debut last season, playing in three games. He may not light the scoresheet on fire with his numbers, but having a player who is versatile enough to slide between the three forward positions and be able to play both ends of the ice at a high level will go a long way for the Penguins.
Owen Pickering
Another high first-round pick by the Penguins, Owen Pickering was selected by the organization at number 21 in the 2022 Draft and is yet another playmaking prospect (surprise, surprise) that the Penguins possess. He is another player who might not jump off the screen with his numbers (28 points in 36 games played with Swift Current in the WHL), but he has been very impactful on the power play with 11 of his 28 points coming on the man advantage. This is thanks in part to the fact that Pickering shows a strong willingness to jump into the rush quite a bit from his defenseman position.
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What has stuck out the most from the 19-year-old has been his defensive play. He is a very deceptive player in his zone and can throw off opponents when he goes to make plays on the puck. While being a taller-framed player at 6-foot-5, he has not been able to put on a whole lot of weight to fill that frame. Being able to do this will help further the development of what the Penguins hope can be one of their top-four defensemen in the near future.
Others to Keep An Eye On
While the above-mentioned prospects are the “headliners”, the Penguins also have a couple of others to keep an eye on with 2023 sixth-round pick Cooper Foster, who is playing for the Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and 2022 fifth-round pick Zam Plante, who is with the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Both players are two under-the-radar prospects for Penguins fans to keep an eye on for the rest of the 2023-24 season.
