Prospect Info: Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects Thread: 2023-2024 Edition

[steelcityassault]

NCAA UFAs getting snatched up every which way. Wake up Dubas.

He's trying to deactivate grandma's Android

 

[Victor Z]

He's trying to deactivate grandma's Android

Nah, all the kewl, hip grandmas use iPhones now.

 

[SEALBound]

That sucks. He seems ready for the next step but the NHL seems a little too big of a jump.

These rules are stupid but I know that’s been pointed out many times before.

I have no idea why Canada doesn't develop a their own AHL equivalent league if the worry is truly their junior levels getting scavenged by the NHL. US has the USHL, NCAA, ECHL, AHL, NHL...plenty of hockey options for the 17-20 yos. Canada, it's juniors then...? If you can't make the NHL you're options are rather limited.

 

[Jacob]

I think a lot of players wouldn't benefit from the jump to the AHL until 20 anyway but there should be a reasonable path towards making exceptions.

Yager isn't going to be harmed by going back to the WHL though. He's not even his team's leading scorer, and I think even Savoie has a higher PPG. My only concern is that Moose Jaw will likely be significantly worse next year and he might be kind of on an island next season, my preference would be he gets dealt to a better team.

But I guess being a good player on a bad team can have its own benefits. That's a certain kind of adversity. I'm mostly thinking of it from a player value standpoint, his point totals might take a hit.

 

[Turin]

Koivunens playoffs start tonight

 

[Jacob]

Koivunens playoffs start tonight

Murashov vs. Ilyin in the 2nd round of the MHL playoffs too. Murashov won game 1 with a shut out.

 

[SEALBound]

I think a lot of players wouldn't benefit from the jump to the AHL until 20 anyway but there should be a reasonable path towards making exceptions.

Yager isn't going to be harmed by going back to the WHL though. He's not even his team's leading scorer, and I think even Savoie has a higher PPG. My only concern is that Moose Jaw will likely be significantly worse next year and he might be kind of on an island next season, my preference would be he gets dealt to a better team.

But I guess being a good player on a bad team can have its own benefits. That's a certain kind of adversity. I'm mostly thinking of it from a player value standpoint, his point totals might take a hit.

There's certainly a question of "what is in his best interest for development?" I imagine if it's back to the WHL, he's given a list of things to work on by the Penguins development staff.

As I said in another post - if they want to "get younger" you do that by "getting younger and playing younger players". That's guys like Pono, Koivunen, Yager, and Poulin - in addition to the likes of Puustinen and DOC. ...so play them. Move guys off this roster that are not impact players and see what you have.

Yager-Sid-Rust
Bunting-Geno-Rakell
DOC-Pono-Puustinen
Poulin-Eller-Koivunen

 

[Factorial]

Nah, all the kewl, hip grandmas use iPhones now.

Can confirm. My 87 year old mother uses one.

 

[siikabb]

Own goal and an empty netter for Koivunen in his first play-off game of the season.

 

[Turin]

Own goal and an empty netter for Koivunen in his first play-off game of the season.

Becoming a Penguin and immediately scoring on yourself is pretty on brand.

 

[Ryder71]

There's certainly a question of "what is in his best interest for development?" I imagine if it's back to the WHL, he's given a list of things to work on by the Penguins development staff.

As I said in another post - if they want to "get younger" you do that by "getting younger and playing younger players". That's guys like Pono, Koivunen, Yager, and Poulin - in addition to the likes of Puustinen and DOC. ...so play them. Move guys off this roster that are not impact players and see what you have.

Yager-Sid-Rust
Bunting-Geno-Rakell
DOC-Pono-Puustinen
Poulin-Eller-Koivunen

You don't put a skilled guy like Koivunen on the 4th line. Also, Yager and Koivunen will likely need one more year of seasoning IMO. I wouldn't be in a huge hurry to get them up here earlier than they're ready. But I agree with your premise.

 

[SEALBound]

You don't put a skilled guy like Koivunen on the 4th line. Also, Yager and Koivunen will likely need one more year of seasoning IMO. I wouldn't be in a huge hurry to get them up here earlier than they're ready. But I agree with your premise.

I will agree with Koivunen. Honestly, I think Puljujarvi in that spot is probably the better option.

Yager though, I have no idea. I mean, he's played 4 WHL seasons and can't go to the AHL. So I'm not entirely sure what an extra year of seasoning in the WHL does for him. Unless he shows up to camp and is REALLY not ready, I give him his games in the NHL (what is it - 8?) and go from there.

 

[Ryder71]

I will agree with Koivunen. Honestly, I think Puljujarvi in that spot is probably the better option.

Yager though, I have no idea. I mean, he's played 4 WHL seasons and can't go to the AHL. So I'm not entirely sure what an extra year of seasoning in the WHL does for him. Unless he shows up to camp and is REALLY not ready, I give him his games in the NHL (what is it - 8?) and go from there.

I'd rather take it slow with Yager and Koivunen and truthfully, there's too much disfunction with the parent club I wouldn't want to confuse them. But the other guys, sure play them.

 

[SEALBound]

I'd rather take it slow with Yager and Koivunen and truthfully, there's too much disfunction with the parent club I wouldn't want to confuse them. But the other guys, sure play them.

I'm with you there. They obviously have to play at a level that forces Sullivan and Dubas's hand. A couple of extra comments (not disagreeing mind you):

1. I don't want there to be a pre-meditated decision to return them to their junior clubs because they look at the roster and say "Well, geez, there's no room for them regardless of play, because we have Nieto, Acciari, Harkins, etc!" My preference would be if they truly do perform, you start waiving or trading other non-impact players (which we have several of)

2. I wouldn't hate using them the way Anaheim is using Carlsson. To start they used the idea of "load management" to ease him into the NHL. He didn't play every game. So if you have the space where you can have an extra guy or two on the roster to rotate in and out, that could be a good way to use Yager if they don't think going back to the WHL for a 5th season is beneficial.

 

[MrBurghundy]

I'm with you there. They obviously have to play at a level that forces Sullivan and Dubas's hand. A couple of extra comments (not disagreeing mind you):

1. I don't want there to be a pre-meditated decision to return them to their junior clubs because they look at the roster and say "Well, geez, there's no room for them regardless of play, because we have Nieto, Acciari, Harkins, etc!" My preference would be if they truly do perform, you start waiving or trading other non-impact players (which we have several of)

2. I wouldn't hate using them the way Anaheim is using Carlsson. To start they used the idea of "load management" to ease him into the NHL. He didn't play every game. So if you have the space where you can have an extra guy or two on the roster to rotate in and out, that could be a good way to use Yager if they don't think going back to the WHL for a 5th season is beneficial.

It's too bad I've yet to see this management group execute anything like this to date.

 

[SEALBound]

It's too bad I've yet to see this management group execute anything like this to date.

Yeah, load management isn't something that is used in hockey much, if at all but it's been brought up more this year than in years past.

 

[Renton26]

Ohio State's team Captain and nice stats for a defenseman.

 

[Jacob]

His assists weren’t half bad either:

 

[td_ice]

We may not have the best prospects in the NHL but our system would be hard to beat for best name selections. Be that first or last names.

Jagger Joshua
Zam Plante
Cooper Foster
Kirill Tankov
Cruz Lucius
Chase Yoder
the newly added, Scooter Brickey.

 

[Andy99]

We may not have the best prospects in the NHL but our system would be hard to beat for best name selections. Be that first or last names.

Jagger Firkus
Zam Plante
Cooper Foster
Kirill Tankov
Cruz Lucius
Chase Yoder
the newly added, Scooter Brickey.

We don’t have Jagger Firkus unfortunately….would love him…we do have Jagger Joshua however

 

[td_ice]

We don’t have Jagger Firkus unfortunately….would love him…we do have Jagger Joshua however

Gotcha, thanks for the correction.I knew we had "a" Jagger.

 

[Kasperi kapanen]

His shot is something holy shit those mechanics are crazy.

 

[lokomotiv15]

His shot is something holy shit those mechanics are crazy.

For sure; He's great at keeping his chest and shoulders high and loading it off that outside edge to use every bit of his weight. The more he fills out, the quicker and heavier that shot/release will improve exponentially loading it like that.

If he can create and find space to get that shot off in the big leagues, he could be really dangerous for a while.

 

[chethejet]

Yager is a number 2 center and that is fine. As he matures and gains size and strength Pens have a solution there. Now Pens either in trade or FA go get a number 1 center the next few years and with draft, prospects back from the trades of Karlsson, Rust, maybe someone else, Pens restock the system which is the real goal here. Scooter is 24 but is RD RS and 6-4 215. That tells me Dubas knows the system is bereft of RD especially. Finish top 10 draft one of bigger RD's who will be there.

 

[SEALBound]

Yager is a number 2 center and that is fine. As he matures and gains size and strength Pens have a solution there. Now Pens either in trade or FA go get a number 1 center the next few years and with draft, prospects back from the trades of Karlsson, Rust, maybe someone else, Pens restock the system which is the real goal here. Scooter is 24 but is RD RS and 6-4 215. That tells me Dubas knows the system is bereft of RD especially. Finish top 10 draft one of bigger RD's who will be there.

Just spitballing here, but Yager's shot is tremendous. Dude is truly becoming a shoot-first goal scorer. I wonder if in a rookie season, you could put him at the wing to start and then eventually move him to center once he has his footing in the NHL. This would be similar to what they did with Jordan Staal. In 06-07, he spent the majority of the year on Malkin's LW and he potted the 29 goals (career high). Helps to have an elite playmaking center but I wonder if you could put Yager with Sid or Geno to act as the trigger man, much in the same mold as Jake. Adding a playmaking wing and a shooting wing to someone like Sid would be really interesting to see.