The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled eight players from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this morning, deepening their roster for the remainder of their playoff run.
The Pittsburgh Penguins called up eight players this morning from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, adding depth and backup options to their roster for the rest of the postseason. These “black aces,” as call-ups in this kind of situation are known, will probably not see much action (if any) but are part of a mutually-beneficial tradeoff.
Defensemen Steven Oleksy and Tim Erixon, forwards Dominik Simon, Jean-Sebastien Dea, Josh Archibald, Kael Mouillierat and Daniel Sprong, and goaltender Tristan Jarry have all moved up to the big club following the end of WBS’s season. The “Baby Pens” lost a heartbreaker in game seven to their rivals, the Hershey Bears.
Oleksy, Erixon, and Mouillierat have all seen a decent amount of NHL action over the years, while Sprong impressed earlier this season. The other players have rocked the AHL, helping Wilkes-Barre to a strong standing.
But never fear, Pens fans – these recalls do not mean the end of the world, or that our whole roster is gravely injured, or that we’ve given up. In fact, it’s the opposite! Many teams who make the postseason and expect to have long runs will call up players in their system as soon as they’re able. It just took the Pens this long to do so because their affiliate was so good.
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It’s incredibly unlikely that most of these “black aces” will see game action, but their recall is a boon to both the Pittsburgh team and to the players individually. There will be more options at practice and even in games if necessary, while the younger players can get experience that will help them down the road. Even practicing and traveling with the team in this high-pressure postseason can give them a glimpse into the NHL playoffs and more experience when it’s their time to actually be on an NHL roster.
If anyone gets a chance to play, I expect it will be Daniel Sprong. After being sent back to his junior team early on, he tore up the QMJHL with his speed and scoring sense. When his junior team’s season ended, he moved to the WBS Pens, where he put up a significant amount of points in the playoffs.
If Patric Hornqvist is hurt and needs to miss a game, it will undoubtedly hinder the Penguins a bit. However, Sprong would be an acceptable substitution, maybe moving in on the fourth line while Chris Kunitz and Conor Sheary flank Sidney Crosby up top. He certainly fits the system and hasn’t had a chance to play under Mike Sullivan yet, so the kid has a lot of potential.
The only other player who I really see getting a chance at any action is Steven Oleksy. Oleksy is a big, physical player, something that seems to be needed in this series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. On the other hand, the Pens’ defense is really clicking right now, so the coaching staff will understandably be hesitant to switch that up.
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Again, just because these players have been called up does not mean they’ll play or that the Pittsburgh club is imploding. Seeing so many guys get moved up is great, because it shows how promising this organization is from the top down and how strong its future is.