Pittsburgh Penguins: Prospects to Watch at Development Camp
By Mike Necciai
The Pittsburgh Penguins will open their prospect development tomorrow, July 14 at Consol Energy Center. This year specifically, it’s important to keep an eye on these young players as it’s likely you’ll see some of these names contribute at the NHL level in 2015-16.
More from Penguins News
- Welcome To The Burgh: Lars Eller
- Penguins Waddle Toward The Season
- Farewell Carl Hagelin
- Penguins Line-up Breakdown vs Stanley Cup Champs Vegas
- Ryan Graves Solid Signing For The Pittsburgh Penguins
All of these guys won’t play full-time roles in the NHL of course. But, with injuries occurring throughout the season there’s a good chance we’ll catch a glimpse through call-ups, at least for short periods of time. For some, they’re projected to be full time starters that will be relied on heavily.
Scott Wilson and Tyler Biggs will attend camp but will not participate in on-ice activities due to injury. Wilson played fairly well in his short stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, and could very well occupy a fourth line spot when October rolls around. Biggs, recently acquired in the Phil Kessel exchange, is a former first round pick known for his size and physicality. Though he hasn’t worked out for the Maple Leafs, he was a highly touted power forward coming into the league and has tremendous upside.
Players attending and participating in on-ice workouts.
Derrick Pouliot – I’d think this is a given as someone to watch, but Pouliot will indeed attend and participate at development camp. It’s a foregone conclusion that Pouliot will be in the top-six next season, but I’m curious to see just how dominant he looks among this group. Pouliot is the only sure thing to make the NHL roster out of camp, so you’d expect him to look like a man amongst boys. Though, this may be more of a conditioning stint after missing so much time with injury late last season. It’s a good way of getting on the ice and putting his body to the test.
Conor Sheary – Sheary is one of the more interesting names for me this summer. Coming off a season in which he recorded 45 points (20g, 25a) in 58 games, Sheary signed a two-way NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Many have mentioned him in the same breath as Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning, mainly due to their size and speed similarities. It’s obviously very early to make those comparisons but look for Sheary to come into camp hungry and eager to prove himself. He has the chance to make a case for NHL time next season.
Oskar Sundqvist – Sundqvist is a big-bodied, rangy, skilled center that has played the last few seasons with Skelleftea AIK in Sweden. He’s known for his consistency, physical play, and offensive upside but is still maturing as a center at the professional level. Last fall, Sundqvist forced the Pens to make a tough decision in loaning him back to Skelleftea after he was very impressive in training camp. At this point, Sunqvist is slotted to be the fourth line center for the Pittsburgh Penguins beginning the 2015-16 season, unless Jim Rutherford signs someone that beats him out.
Matt Murray – The goaltending situation in Pittsburgh simply isn’t discussed enough. While the Pittsburgh Penguins clearly lack prospect depth at other positions, Murray and Tristan Jarry are two very solid goaltending prospects. Murray is coming off a season for the ages in the AHL with a 25-10-3 record, 1.58 GAA, .941 SV%, and 12 shutouts. Watch him closely, as it seems that Jeff Zatkoff will likely the Marc-Andre Fleury‘s backup in 2015, but Murray has the chance to impress the Pens enough to take that spot.
Daniel Sprong – The Pittsburgh Penguins selected Sprong 46th overall in this season’s NHL Entry Draft, and many were surprised that he fell to them. He’s a dynamic scorer and fits this organization very well. While Sprong doesn’t look ready for an NHL roster spot right away, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a camp similar to Sundqvist that makes the Pens wonder if he deserves a shot. If he stands out, he just might earn a nine game tryout when the regular season comes around. Sprong is known for his shot, but he has a knack for finding soft spots in the offensive zone, and as you’ll see in the video below, he scores a lot of goals from around the net.
Development camp will end on Saturday with a controlled scrimmage. If you’re interested in watching the future of this organization I highly recommend attending. It’s free to the public at Consol Energy Center. The controlled scrimmage always provides a great chance to see how much the NHL-ready players stand out from the competition.
Next: Kessel is Frustrating to Play With?