Penguins Down on the Farm – January 2022

January is nearing its end and I have had a couple of slow days. The slow days have given me a chance to look through our Pittsburgh Penguins farm teams and prospects, to see who may down on the farm and could possibly help the team in the event of injuries down the stretch run or playoffs or waiting in the wings for next season.

Down in WBS

If you haven’t had a chance to look, our Wilkes Barre – Scranton (WBS) Penguins have been getting hot of late. Part of the resurgence of WBS has been the trade of Sam Lafferty for Alexander Nylander. I wasn’t a fan of the trade. Lafferty represented something our NHL version of Penguins are desperately in need of, real grit, not punching bag grit. Yes, there are a lot of Penguins that take a pounding every night, but there are precious few of Mike Sullivan’s Smurf city Penguins hitting opponents. It shouldn’t come as to big of a surprise that Penguins get injured from Sullivan’s punching bag strategy. He would rather whine at officials rather than have his team earn respect.

I feel bad for Teddy Blueger and all the others who will get maimed by Sullivan’s allergy to size and sand.

However, that rant is for some other time. Back to Nylander and the resurgence of the WBS Penguins. Looking at Nylander’s stat line he has put up, nearly, the same numbers in WBS as he did plying his trade with the Rockford Icehogs, but in almost half the time. More importantly, Nylander seems to be playing better defense. His +/- has remained even compared too the -10 hole he dug before donning the Black and Gold.

Nylander’s addition seem to spark several other of our boys down on the farm. One of the players I have been watching, Valterri Puustenin has also gone on a tear of late. He has pushed his team leading Goals (G), Assists (A), Points (Pts), and Power Play Goal (PPG) totals (13, 14, 27, and 4 respectively). If anyone recalls, I pointed out that this kid’s preseason With-or-Without you (WoW) numbers show he drove the offense on his lines, buoying up Dominik Simon’s numbers, giving our, playing favorites over talent, Coach.

Speaking of the Human Pylon, anyone else tired of seeing him taking bad penalties or giving away the puck at critical times? I would sure rather see Puustenin in there than Simon, anyone else than Simon.

I shouldn’t speak so ill of the Pens ersatz Winger, the real culprit here is the Coach who keeps putting Simon out on the ice.

Nathan Légaré and Sam Poulin also have been picking up their game as well. Poulin’s offense has been a tad better, apparently due to Power Play (PP) time on ice (TOI). Légaré has also started picking up his offense, particularly his G. However, more importantly Légaré has improved his +/- inching closer to even.

Poulin also checks in at third on WBS’ Penalty Minute (PIM) leaders’ Board with 33, only behind Jonathan Gruden (35) and Jordy Bellerive (54). I still have my fingers crossed for Bellerive (I know it is a long shot, but I can’t help it).

Filip Hållander also is starting to show signs of improving. He certainly doesn’t appear to be a good swap for the way Jared McCann is playing for the Seattle Krakken (I agree with you Rick B but we can’t do anything about that now). Maybe Hållander will eventually live up to what the Scouts said of him, a good bottom 6 asset as he gets used to North America.

Jan Drozg has also been acquitting himself rather nicely of late in WBS. His name is starting to show up regularly on the score sheet but more importantly, on team that has struggled defensively all season, he is +1. He struggled getting out of the ECHL for a bit, but he seems to be making the step up to the AHL.

Let’s not overlook the play of Alex D’Orio in WBS’ hot streak. I was really down on him for a long time now – pretty much since right after he earned his contract at the prospect’s tournament several years back. He did impress not only me but then Pens management as well. However, he has struggled since then, finishing out his Junior career with a whimper and then struggling for several season in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers, but over the last month he has taken advantage of an injury to Filip Lindberg and Louis Domingue having to be called up due to Casey DeSmith horrible play at the NHL level. He even earned himself a Shut Out (SO), this past month.

At the ECHL Level

Down in Wheeling, Josh Maniscalco is starting to show signs of living up to the hope we had that he would be a find like John Marino. Unfortunately, last season neither Marino, nor Maniscalco lived up to the hopes we had for them. This season not only has Marino started to pick up his game but Maniscalco  has 27 Pts in 32 Games Played (GP) for the Wheeling, and is a +12 with 40 PIM.

Down in the Juniors

Most of our deep prospects have cooled off. Lukáš Švejkovský started off really strong and he still appears to be the best offensive prospect deep in the Junior ranks. He recently was traded from The Medicine Hat Tigers to the Seattle Thunderbirds. Raivis Ansons and Kirill Tankov (one of Caleb’s favorites) still intrigue me.

On defense, Clayton Philips still appears to me to be the best prospect in the system. I honestly don’t think Pierre-Olivier Joseph will make it in the NHL. Right now, He moves well, but is too light to stand up to the heavier players of the NHL. Unfortunately, at his age now, I am not sure he will be able to put on enough weight to handle the NHL while keeping his current mobility. He may be a good throw in to move out dead wood and maybe get a decent prospect or draft pick in return.

In Goal, I am still high on our recent draft picks Joel Blomqvist and Calle Clang, but they are still several years away. They need better consistency. When they are challenged by playing against higher levels of talent in the upper leagues, they seem to rise to the occasion but when facing weaker players in lower leagues they don’t seem to play as well.

The Skaters

The Goalies

Odds and Sods

According to Jeff Marek of Hockey Night in Canada, the Penguins are one of 6 teams chasing over-aged Junior Goalie Mack Guzda. Guzda is a 6’-5”, 215 lbs, 21-year-old Goalie playing for the Barrie Colts. With the inconsistent play of DeSmith and the struggles of D’Orio had at the beginning of the season, combined with the Lindberg injury and the youthful ages of Blomqvist and Clang, I am glad to see this development. You can’t have too much Goalie Depth.

As an overaged Junior the Pens can sign him during the season. I am keeping my fingers crossed.