Can the Kids Help the Penguins?

In a recent article, I stated that I’m none too enthused about our Penguins chances this season. To recap ad nauseam, in my opinion we didn’t do so hot during the off-season at the big-league level. We bled off three good players in Cody Ceci, Jared McCann and Brandon Tanev and a solid depth piece in Frederick Gaudreau.

For the record, that’s four of the Pens’ top nine plus-minus players from a year ago. Their replacements? According to homework done by my esteemed partner, Other Rick, Brock McGinn and Danton Heinen had bad WOWY (with or without you) stats. And Dominik Simon hasn’t tallied so much as a second assist in his last 19 NHL games.

Hardly inspiring.

Factor in the dual absences of our erstwhile Two-Headed Monster, Sidney Crosby (short time) and Evgeni Malkin (long time) to open the season? The likelihood of our favorite hockey team getting off to a strong start is roughly the same as finding a buffalo head nickel in your change at the Giant Eagle checkout line.

Is there hope help could come from other sources? Specifically, the kids?

When the Pens got crushed with their usual Biblical plague of injuries last season, a steady stream of 25-and-unders, including Anthony Angello, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Sam Lafferty and Radim Zohorna stepped forward to plug gaps, with varying degrees of effectiveness.

Is it possible we could get a similar boost from within the organization this season?

Perhaps. According to reports, Nathan Legare dazzled at the recent rookie camp, skating circles around other prospects such as Sam Poulin and Filip Hallander. Blessed with a lightning release and blistering shot, the feisty right wing skates with a drive and intensity that may eventually make black-and-gold fans forget heart-and-soul types Tanev and Patric Hornqvist.

The fang-less Pens could certainly use a spirited player of Legare’s ilk, to say nothing of his supreme finishing skills. Whether there’s room on a starboard side that presently features Bryan Rust and Kasperi Kapanen at the top of the heap is another question. You certainly don’t want a player with Legare’s obvious pedigree buried on the fourth line skating six minutes a night. He needs a chance to develop and showcase his wares, the occasional rookie mistake be darned.

Cue coach Mike Sullivan. Initially kid friendly…he promoted Rust, Conor Sheary and Tom Kuhnhackl and gave them defined roles when he first arrived…Sully seems to have grown increasingly kid averse unless they’re fairly bomb proof (think Jake Guentzel and John Marino). A reluctance that could, in part, be due to the increased pressure a win-now mindset brings.

However, with the amount of depth and talent stripped from the lineup over the off-season? He may not have a choice but to turn to the kids.

While Legare appears to be the crown jewel in a shallow prospect pool, could other youngsters have an impact? Although hardly a kid, Zohorna…an intriguing blend of size, skill, surprising speed and hockey smarts…could be a factor. I, for one, am hoping he gets a legit shot at middle-six duty…especially with the Pens short-handed to start the season.

Among the forwards, that appears to be the cut-off.

Poulin, who can play either wing and a little center, is big and has a nice all-around skill set. However, unlike his junior linemate, Legare, he’s yet to really assert himself or impress at any of the Penguins camps. Likewise, Hallander…reputed to be a strong net-front presence…may not skate well enough to make the grade. Valterri Puustinen will likely require seasoning at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to adjust to the North American game.

For now, they’ll likely trail players like Angello, Lafferty and second-year pro Drew O’Connor, who fizzled last season following a big build-up, on the depth chart. Guys who’ve already gotten their feet wet in the NHL.

Barring a slew of injuries, the ebullient Joseph is the only defensive prospect likely to see a significant amount of ice time with the big boys, although right-shot Will Reilly could slip in for a handful of games. In goal, Filip Lindberg figures to be a fixture…with the Baby Pens.