First, I’d like to say how nice it was to watch a live hockey game again. It was the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects, so of course it wasn’t an action-packed NHL regular season or playoff game, but it was fun. And, it was hockey.
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It was obviously disappointing that we didn’t get a chance to see Oskar Sundqvist. With the fourth line wide open for the Pittsburgh Penguins it would have been nice to see how he has progressed since last summer. The general consensus is that he’ll center the bottom unit next season, but with his hamstring injury and lack of participation we’ll have to wait until training camp to see him on the ice.
Yesterday’s scrimmage was a bit of an eye-opener when analyzing the young prospects that took part. I was a bit surprised at how chippy the game got, but I guess I shouldn’t be considering that these guys are fighting for jobs. I actually thought things were going to go as far as fists flying a few times.
Who Impressed, and Who Disappointed the Pittsburgh Penguins Scouts?
Let’s start with a familiar name from the Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup runs in the 90’s. Ty Loney, the son of former Penguin Troy Loney, was quite impressive as he recorded a hat trick in Saturday’s scrimmage. Loney, currently on an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins showed hands and a scoring touch that few knew he had. Two of his three goals came off very nice moves, and the other was a deflection from a few feet in front of the crease. He leaves a lot to be desired in the speed department, but he looks like he could be a formidable bottom-six player in the NHL over the next few seasons.
Dominik Simon was the talk of camp, and he deserved it. The fifth-round pick was very impressive and showed his offensive ability with two goals in the scrimmage, but it was his hands in tight spaces and vision that impressed me. Of course, this was a prospect game, but he stood out from the crowd which is great to see from a 20-year old in a position that the Pittsburgh Penguins can surely use some added depth and skill. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him sneak into a fourth-line role when October rolls around.
Anthony Angello was a guy that I honestly didn’t expect to write about anytime soon, but he really showed up in a big way. He didn’t light up the scoreboard, but he uses his ranginess very well, and is positionally sound for his age. At 6-foot 4-inches and roughly 200 pounds he is a name to watch over the next two or three seasons. He plays the type of hockey that you like to see out of a power forward with his size.
Two disappointments for me were Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust. Rust was basically invisible and didn’t make anywhere near the impact you’d want to see out of someone that’s on the bubble of earning an NHL spot. Sheary, while not necessarily invisible, showed an inability to use his speed and shiftiness to overcome his size disadvantage. I wouldn’t recommend counting him out already, and he did play a pretty solid game positionally. But, he lost a lot of 50/50 battles and didn’t really show me the burst that can provide him the separation he needs to be effective at the NHL level with his small frame.
Honorable Mentions
Daniel Sprong gave me exactly what I expected from him. He’s a stronger skater than I had anticipated, but he needs a lot of polishing before taking on an NHL role. One surprising element of his game, at least for me since he specifically stated that it was his focus, is that he had very little interest in playing two-way hockey. I’m not knocking him for it, as the Pens knew what they were getting with him and he’s known for his offensive abilities and lack of defensive effort. However, if you say you’re going to work on a specific part of your game, you should probably at least show an interest in improving it.
Derrick Pouliot looked out of place, and I mean that in a good way. His timing and decision making were three steps ahead of everyone else, and he was often one of the first to enter the offensive zone on the rush but still managed to find his way back and in position for the opposition’s counter attack. It’s clear to me that he was most likely there for conditioning reasons and to test his body after missing extended time down the stretch last season. He’s ready for a bigger role. And, the fact that he’s training with Gary Roberts this summer won’t hurt matters either.
We’re officially done with on-ice activities until training camp starts in September. While the next few months will be vacation for many in this business, we’ll keep the conversation going here. Follow me on Twitter at @Michael29Angelo and keep it here for your Pittsburgh Penguins fix throughout the offseason.
Next: Top 5 Draft Misses for the Pens Over the Last Decade