Penguins Turning to Young Forwards
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in position to test a few of their young forwards.
The oldest team in the NHL currently resides in Pittsburgh. A fact Pittsburgh Penguins President and GM Kyle Dubas is keenly aware of and looking to change in the near future.
Dubas is tasked with reviving the Penguins lineup in a way that puts them in contention for the playoffs and hopefully more next season. It isn't a simple assignment.
One thing that would help is the emergence of a few in-house prospects making the jump to the NHL and carving out a spot for themselves next season. That's what the rest of this season is about.
The Penguins aren't eliminated from the postseason yet, but the odds continue to shrink. With 22 games left, a few Penguins youngsters should get more opportunities to impress Penguins brass before departing for the offseason.
Drew O'Connor is the valedictorian of this group. He graduated from prospect status to become a full-time NHLer this season. His 21 points (9G-12A) in 60 games is a new career-high, and the Penguins coaches have shown enough trust in him to play him in the top six over the past two months.
O'Connor began the game against Columbus as the Penguins third line center, his natural position, before leaving in the second period with a concussion. Expect the 25-year-old to get more center reps upon returning from injury as the Penguins evaluate whether he can carry his own line next season.
Other names include Valtteri Puustinen, Jonathan Gruden, and Sam Poulin. Puustinen has seen extended NHL ice time for the first time in his career and is beginning to look more confident in the Penguins' top six.
Dubas will likely need to fill two holes atop the lineup this summer, and Puustinen emerging as an option could allow the Penguins to spend money elsewhere to bolster their depth.
Speaking of depth, Gruden has enjoyed his best stretch of NHL appearances this past week. He is undoubtedly fighting to be considered for a fourth-line role out of camp next season and will likely get a chance to remain with the NHL club if the Penguins are busy before Friday's trade deadline.
Poulin is one of the Penguins' biggest questions. He's been terrific when he's played this season at the AHL level, but untimely injuries have been a roadblock when opportunities for a call-up have come around.
Poulin emerging as NHL-ready would relieve some of Dubas's pressure to find outside help for the bottom six. I expect him to get a chance to prove that following the trade deadline.
The Penguins don't have many prospects stashed away, but a few of their older ones will get an opportunity to prove their worth to close out the 2023-24 season.
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