During his end of season press conference today, Penguins President of Hockey Operations (and de facto general manager) Kyle Dubas sat at the podium and fielded questions for roughly a half an hour. 

Though there were lots of things he said that warrant further conversation and evaluation, today I want to examine when he was asked about potential young players who could push for NHL jobs next season. 

When asked which prospects the Penguins currently have who could genuinely come into training camp and push for roles on the team, Dubas listed several players who they want to see assert themselves in the summer and fall:

Sam Poulin, Jack St. Ivany, Joel Blomqvist, Owen Pickering, Brayden Yager, Vasili Ponomarev

Some of these players have limited NHL experience, others have none at all. But regardless of that, I thought today I’d do a bit of a deeper dive into all six of these players named by Dubas, and evaluate how likely it is that we see them in the NHL next season. 

A link to Dubas’ full press conference can be found here. 

Sam Poulin

Sam Poulin should be given every opportunity to have a full time NHL roster spot next season, and based on what Dubas said in his presser, it sounds like he will. 

Dubas noted that the team was hoping to give Poulin a stretch of games at the end of the season, but that Poulin, like several other players on the team around this time, fell badly ill, and once he had recovered, the team had started to go on a run, and that chance had evaporated. 

Poulin ended up playing just 3 NHL games last season, held pointless in all contests. Next year, however, seems to be his real chance. 

“I expect Sam to push and make the roster next year as a full time guy,” Dubas said. 

I agree, and I think he will be a full time NHLer next year. A rare first round pick by the Penguins in 2019, Poulin was really finding his stride in the American Hockey League last season with the WBS Penguins. 

There, he recorded 30 points in 39 games, and was continuing to grow his game at 23 years old.  Poulin probably slots into the bottom six for Pittsburgh, possibly as a third line center? Depending on what the team does down the middle, it’s also possible they shift him to wing, but either way, I do fully expect to see Poulin in the NHL next year, very likely as a member of the opening night roster. 

Jack St. Ivany

In my mind, Jack St. Ivany did more than enough down the stretch last season to warrant a spot on the team next season. He played 14 games down the stretch for the Penguins after being forced into the lineup due to injuries and illnesses. 

He played extremely admirably, and became more and more trusted to be on the ice in critical scenarios for the team. He made some very good plays defensively, but more often was not noticeable, which as I wrote yesterday, is exactly what you want from a young third pairing defenseman in his position. 

St. Ivany, along with Valtteri Puustinen and Radim Zohorna, were sent back down to the AHL after Pittsburgh’s season ended, so they could rejoin the WBS Penguins for a playoff run. Dubas said he told St. Ivany that a strong playoff run with WBS could really set him up well for an NHL gig next season. 

To me, provided the Penguins add a ton of depth to their blue line, he should be the sixth defenseman for the team next season. And I do think the 24-year old will be around plenty next season. 

Joel Blomqvist

This is a tricky one, because something has to give before Joel Blomqvist can rise to the NHL. From the impression I and many others got from the press conference today, it feels like as of right now, the plan is to let Alex Nedeljkovic walk, and go with a Tristan Jarry–Joel Blomqvist tandem for next season. 

Whether that is the right decision or not is a whole different conversation, but there’s not much more Blomqvist has to prove before the inevitable next step in the NHL arrives. 

Blomqvist recorded a .921 save percentage and a 2.14 goals against average in 44 AHL games this season. He was named to the AHL All Star Game and All Rookie Team this season, and his numbers were among the top of the minor league all season long. 

The former second round pick by Pittsburgh in 2020 has done more than enough to deserve a look at the NHL, and if he was able to stick around, he would be a considerably cheaper option than either Jarry or Nedeljkovic. Blomqvist has two more years left on an entry level contract, making his $886K cap hit at the NHL level incredibly appealing. 

Dubas did note that Blomqvist’s performance in the playoffs will be another guiding factor in determining how ready he is for a potential NHL role. It will be his first postseason action in North America. 

While it’s unclear officially what the plan is for Blomqvist, Dubas definitely made it clear that he hopes to see Blomqvist push for a job in training camp next season. I think he will, but I can’t predict whether he will make the team until I see what they do with the two guys ahead of him. Nothing against Blomqvist and his play. 

Owen Pickering

As Dubas noted, Owen Pickering’s Swift Current Broncos of the WHL are currently down 3-1 to Brayden Yager’s Moose Jaw Warriors in the playoffs, making it likely that Pickering’s junior season is coming to an end, barring a comeback. 

If/when that happens, Pickering would be slated to join the WBS Penguins to help out with a playoff run, as he did last year. In 59 regular WHL games with Swift Current this season, Pickering found a way to contribute significantly from the blue line, while also being sound defensively. Pickering tallied 46 points and was a +18 on the year. 

The team’s 2022 first rounder will likely turn pro next season, and training camp will help decide whether the NHL or AHL is better for him at that time. Pickering projects to be a fine defenseman, but by the time training camp arrives next season, he will have had so few professional games under his belt. 

Pickering played 8 AHL games last season (and was a -9), and that number won’t increase by many when he joins them in the playoffs. I personally just can’t see the Penguins starting him in the NHL next season with such little pro experience. 

I think he will start next season in the AHL with WBS, but that’s not a permanent role for him. If he excels in the AHL, I could see the Penguins calling him up midway through the season, and then who knows what happens from there. But as for an opening night spot, I just can’t see it. 

Brayden Yager

Similar to Owen Pickering, Brayden Yager is a pretty recent first round pick by the Penguins. He was Kyle Dubas’ first ever draft selection at the helm in Pittsburgh, and all signs (so far) point to it being a pretty good pick by the team. 

Yager has dominated the highlight reels for the Moose Jaw Warriors, racking up 95 points in 57 games, for 1.66 points per game. In the playoffs, that trend has continued, with 13 points in 8 games (1.62 points per game). 

Yager, however, has no professional experience prior. And even if the team wanted to put him in the AHL last season, they couldn’t. The AHL has an age requirement of at least 20 years old, with players having to turn 20 years of age by December 31st to be eligible to play in the league. 

I bring this up for Yager because, if Dubas does think that Yager can push for a job, but cannot latch onto an NHL spot, trying to get him pro experience will be tough. Yager’s birthday, January 3rd, 2005, falls after the cutoff for AHL time. Though Seattle last year was able to get an exemption for Shane Wright, who was in the same situation as Yager, it’s not a guarantee. 

As for the NHL however, I really doubt that Yager pushes enough for an NHL job to start next season. It’s certainly not for a lack of talent, rather age and experience. If Dubas and the Penguins can get Yager into the AHL, then I do think it’s possible that we would see Yager later in the season. 

He will make the NHL soon enough, but I believe any thoughts it would be this fall is a little too optimistic. 

Vasili Ponomarev

Dubas gave the impression that Vasili Ponomarev, had he not gotten hurt after coming over via trade, would have seen NHL games down the stretch.

“It’s unfortunate, because he came over and he was playing well, and he just got a really bad injury,” he said. “It’s gonna take very precise care to come back from his bad high ankle sprain.”

Dubas also noted that Ponomarev had been playing very well even before coming over, and that he had NHL experience, which will help him in a push for the NHL next season. One of the prospects acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade, Ponomarev played 2 NHL games for the Carolina Hurricanes prior to the deal, scoring a goal in his debut game. 

He registered 29 points in 39 AHL games for the Chicago Wolves, and got into 4 games (with 1 point) with the WBS Penguins before suffering injury. 

Ponomarev was the most NHL-ready prospect the Penguins received in the deal, and I think his game will help suit what the Penguins are looking for in their bottom six. Most projections for him have him panning out to about a third line center, which the Penguins can use very well. 

If either he or Sam Poulin impress in training camp, that could allow the Penguins to bump Lars Eller down to a fourth line center role as well, which I think better suits him for 2024-25. Eller was great last season, but as he gets older, I think he can add more value to this team by providing some offensive spark to the fourth line, as well as being a good defensive center. 

Ponomarev is a bit of a wild card. I think he should make the NHL team, but if he doesn’t, I doubt he’ll be in the AHL for long.

(Featured photo by Michelle Crechiolo/Penguins)