Feb 25, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Derrick Pouliot (51) skates with the puck as Washington Capitals defenseman
Cameron Schilling(45) chases in the third period at Verizon Center. The Penguins won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Derrick Pouliot
As I mentioned on the last slide, Pouliot is expected to be a second pairing defenseman in 2015-16 by many fans and analysts. Is he up to the task?
He showed glimpses of greatness last season, and then also showed his youth with poor decision-making and costly turnovers. He also needs to be more sound in his own end and more physical on the puck. But, those are the types of mistakes you expect from a young offensive defenseman.
He has the talent to explode this season with an increased role, especially on the Pittsburgh Penguins power play. He reminds me a lot of Sergei Gonchar on that unit and can really bolster a group that struggled mightily down the stretch of 2014-15. If Pouliot can stay healthy and work through his growing pains, look for him to grow into a very impressive NHL defenseman by season’s end.
Next: Brian Dumoulin