Penguins Have Plenty of Options for Reinforcements
The Pittsburgh Penguins have forward depth in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and need to utilize it.
If you looked at just the score sheets of the Pittsburgh Penguins' first four games, you would think the team only plays two lines. It would be a fair assumption. All six forwards on the Penguins' top lines have collected at least one point through four games, but the remaining six forwards to play in all four games have a combined one point: an assist by Lars Eller.
The performance is not only underwhelming, it's unacceptable. While the team's top talents can carry the team to a point, coaching and management need to correct their bottom of the lineup issues before it is too late. In the interim, Kyle Dubas brought in a variety of veteran forwards to supplement the team's forward depth and it's time to utilize those players.
Once Jansen Harkins clears waivers, or gets claimed, the Penguins have options for a replacement.
1. Radim Zohorna
Despite having undeniable offensive talent, Radim Zohorna has bounced around a few organizations over the past two seasons. He's able to flash brilliance and a few games of offensive output, but inconsistency has plagued Zohorna's game and relegated him to fringe NHL'er.
This season looked like it could finally be the year he played more than his previous career high of 17 games at the NHL level. His preseason and training camp in Pittsburgh stood out and he was one of the final cuts before the regular season began. With his rare combination of size and a scoring touch, the third line specifically could benefit from Zohorna's playmaking and scoring abilities.
2. Sam Poulin
Poulin has battled through true adversity in his young career, but the potential remains high. His training camp performance displayed how much he has improved, especially on the defensive end. While he needs more time developing himself as a top-end, minutes eating forward in the AHL, his youthful skill could be the perfect complement to Drew O'Connor and Lars Eller on the Penguins' third line.
If the Pens want to make a splashy choice and add a true skill player to the bottom six, they should give Poulin an extended look with the NHL club.
3. Colin White
After he earned a one-year contract with the organization, White was also one of the final cuts from the NHL roster this preseason. The former first round pick has both a 14 and 10 goal season to his name, and is only 26-years-old. He just played in 21 postseason contests with the Florida Panthers, and while he only contributed two points, he was a valuable forechecker and penalty killer.
White is the least offensive of the three options on this list, but he can certainly bring that non-stop energy that the Penguins look for in a fourth liner.
The one conclusion you can draw from the Penguins' first four games is that their bottom six still isn't championship caliber. Some of the players feel like an improvement from last season, but they still lack the production to support the first two lines.
Management invested in a gaggle of depth forwards this offseason knowing most of them wouldn't fit, so they shouldn't waste any time pivoting to the next option to see what works. These three players from Wilkes-Barre are far from game breaking forwards, it can't be worse than what they're getting now, right?
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.
- Subscribe to Inside the Penguins on YouTube
- Follow Inside the Penguins on Twitter: @InsidePenguins