Penguins Development Process Part 2: What’s Going on with Nathan Légaré?

I was reading an account of the Baby Penguins’ recent 8-2 thrashing of the Bridgeport Islanders and couldn’t help but notice that forward Nathan Légaré scored two goals.

On the first, he hurtled past Isles defenseman Paul LaDue with a sudden burst of speed and smoked the goalie. On the second, he barreled into the low slot amid three defenders to bang home a loose puck. Given his shot and feisty, aggressive style of play, exactly the type of goals you think he’d score.

Of all the Pens’ prospects currently toiling down on the farm, Légaré might be the most perplexing. A prolific scorer in the Quebec League with Baie-Comeau and later Val d’Or, the 22-year-old Montreal native has mostly struggled during his two seasons in the pros. Struggles that came on the heels of a dynamic finish to his junior career when he netted 14 goals in 15 games during the 2021 President’s Cup playoffs.

Légaré endured a disappointing ‘21-22 campaign when he tallied only seven goals and 16 points in 57 games for the Baby Pens and was a frequent healthy scratch. Admitting that he wasn’t ready for the rigors of the pro game, he professed to being more mentally prepared entering this season. However, following a strong training camp and preseason he’s seen only a marginal uptick in his output…a pedestrian eight goals and 19 points in 66 games.

While it’s not like Légaré was a top-ten pick or anything, he did display plenty of promise in junior. Enough that then-GM Jim Rutherford traded up to select him in the third round of the 2019 draft with the 74^th overall pick.

Given his lightning quick release, bomb of a shot and nose for the net, to say nothing of his spirited nature, it appeared the Pens might have unearthed a Jake Guentzel-type gem. Perhaps even an heir apparent to net-front demon Patric Hornqvist.

Expectations were heightened when Légaré, then 18, struck for a pair of blitzkrieg goals 23 seconds apart during an exhibition game against Columbus on September 18, 2019.

“Nathan had a great game tonight,” said Mike Sullivan afterward. “His ability to shoot the puck has been obvious and really jumped out at all of us. He can finish. He can really shoot it. And he likes to shoot it. Tonight was a great example of it. He’s had a great camp so far.”

So what went wrong? Why isn’t the young gun living up to his potential?

Wish I knew.

Could skating be an issue? Reported to have a sluggish first step in junior, it was at least part of the reason Légaré lasted until the third round of the draft. However, he worked hard over the summer of ’21 to make his stride more efficient.

Attitude? Can’t imagine that. During a prospects game last fall, he single-handedly drove the Bruins to distraction with his abrasive play, goading the Bs prospects into at least four penalties and scoring a clutch goal. He seemed to revel at being in the center of the storm.

“I was finishing my checks, going to the net and then sometimes getting under their skin,” Légaré said after the game. “Sometimes when you finish pretty hard checks, sometimes the guys on the other side are getting pissed off or stuff like that.”

Okay. How about the way he’s being used?

Hmmm. Could be on to something there. While I don’t profess to be that knowledgeable about the Baby Pens’ lineup decisions, I do know coach J.D. Forrest consistently deploys Légaré in a bottom-six role.

Perhaps he’s there on merit. But it seems an odd place to play a kid with his shot and offensive instincts. To draw an analogy, I doubt that Guentzel spent much time skating on the third line in Wilkes-Barre.

Too, the Pens have a history of trying to turn players with offensive pedigree into “all-arounders.” Our top pick (eighth overall) in 2012, defenseman Derrick Pouliot was an offensive stud coming out of junior. I remember being very impressed with his vision and puckhandling skills early on. The defensive side of his game wasn’t nearly as developed, and the Pens went to great lengths to make him a better defender. To the extent that it seemed to permanently diminish his offensive skills.

Similarly, talented sniper Daniel Sprong was used on the fourth line, a total waste of a player with his pedigree. At the time it seemed Sprong was being punished by Sullivan for Rutherford’s insistence that he “would make the team.” A couple months later the Amsterdam native was ingloriously shipped to Anaheim.

We let Phil (Kessel) be Phil. But we couldn’t let Daniel be Daniel. (FYI: Seattle’s reaping the benefits of doing so.)

Sullivan and his staff tried mightily to push defenseman John Marino into a more offensive role last season, which visibly took him out of his comfort zone and made him less effective defensively.

Marino’s doing just fine in New Jersey (plus-19), letting the offense come as a result of his solid defensive game.

Perhaps none of this applies to Légaré. Maybe he’s exactly what he’s showing himself to be. Nathan wouldn’t be the first junior scoring star, especially from the Quebec League, to fall short of the mark in the pros.

Then again?

Win and We’re In

The Islanders and Panthers both faltered last night, opening the door for the Pens to make the playoffs. Incredibly, the Isles lost in regulation to the injury-depleted Capitals, 5-2, while the Panthers fell in overtime to the Maple Leafs, 2-1.

Now we just need to do our part. Win out against the bottom-feeding Blackhawks and Blue Jackets and we’re in.

Front-runners in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes, the woebegone Hawks are in the midst of a ghastly 1-11 free fall. The Jackets haven’t been much better (1-7 in their past eight games).

So why don’t I feel more confident?

Because these are our lead-blowing, play-down-to-their-competition Penguies, that’s why.

Oh well. Win, lose or draw, it sure does make for an exciting finish to the season.

GO PENS!!!