The Penguins wrapped up the 2022 Entry Draft by adding four more prospects to their organizational pipeline. At least a couple sound intriguing and may have long-term NHL potential.
In the fourth round, GM Ron Hextall selected Russian goalie Sergei Murashov with the 118th pick overall. A curious move considering goaltender is the one position where the Pens have decent organizational depth, not mention the iffy status of Russian athletes coming to North America given current international tensions.
However, Hextall’s right-hand man Chris Pryor affirmed it was simply a case of sticking to the time-honored philosophy of drafting the best player available, regardless of need or position.
Murashov, 18, appeared in 41 games in 2021-22 with Loko-76 Yaroslavl of the top Russian junior league. The right-handed catching netminder posted a 2.49 goals against average and impressive .927 save percentage. His strengths include athleticism and a steadiness between the pipes.
Guess which other Russian goalie was a 118th overall pick? Yup, Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin.
Just sayin…
In the fifth round, the black and gold selected Zam Plante (pictured above), a 17-year-old center from Hermantown High School in Minnesota with big-league bloodlines. The son of former NHLer Derek Plante, Zam (short for Zamboni?) tallied an eye-catching 24 goals and 64 points in only 22 games during his senior year. He also produced well during a stint with the Chicago Steel of the USHL (10 goals in 31 games).
At 5’9” and 161 pounds, size clearly isn’t his calling card. Skill, cleverness and a fiercely competitive nature are. A potential sleeper.
Dare I say Michel Briere-esque?
Thanks to a Hextall trade, the Pens had two selections in the sixth round. Liam Gorman (our sixth-round pick in 2018) was dealt to Chicago for the 167th pick, which GMRH parlayed into 6’3” 194-pound Sudbury defenseman Nolan Collins.
A coveted right-hand shot, the 18-year-old rearguard tallied 18 points in 68 games with the Wolves. According to reports, he’s smart, can skate and defend and showed a willingness to mix it up, a quality in woefully short supply among our peaceable black-and-gold defenders. The Wolves brain trust seemed particularly high on him.
Perhaps another diamond in the rough.
With the 182nd pick the Pens nabbed Luke Devlin, a sizeable forward (6’3” 183) who, like Collins and top pick Owen Pickering, skates well for a big kid. The Tennessee native was a point-per-game scorer for St. Andrews College, a high school (?) team in Aurora, Ontario.
Yes, I’m confused, too.
Hextall concluded the draft by swapping our seventh-round pick to Florida for a seventh-rounder next year.
Upon reflection, I get the impression these were anything but throw-away picks. It appears Hextall and his staff rolled up their sleeves and invested a lot of time and energy into making the very most of our selections. I also get a sense of just how much they value building through the draft and developing young talent.
Hopefully, they unearthed a hidden gem or two and we’ll reap some dividends down the road.
