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

[Tom Hanks]

When you retire? Mate you forget when he showed up to the Blues training camp over weight?

Buff at a July 2012 wedding although he still put up 28 points (43 games) in the shortened 2012/13 season

 

[farscape1]

For what? For the long term viability of this team it's best the dinosaurs leave 1st, or are on their very last legs. If you're trying to hold out hope Yager can help sneak us into the post season you're expecting too much too soon. Yagers impact will likely not start to be felt to any large degree until '26.

or by age 26 as long as Sully is here, maybe older.

 

[Ryder71]

So you will actively root against the Pens this season?

OK, lol

This team as currently constructed is awful. If you want a perpetual cycle of mediocrity gripping this team for years to come you root for them to do what they have the previous two seasons. Which is go nowhere fast.

Me, I wanna see them be so bad it'll scare little children. Drafting well and accumulating picks and developing prospects is all that matters for the foreseeable future.

or by age 26 as long as Sully is here, maybe older.

If you're that traumatized by Sully then don't follow this team, he'll be here for a while.

Honestly, by the time we'll be good again he'll have moved on. OR he'll finally have adapted to the talent he's given.

 

[Zbynek]

Once Sullivan makes those elite adjustments to his game he can be our career #7.

Sullivan elite adjustments to d-man's game: Putting them on PK2 for 24 seconds twice a game.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

170+ pts across 3 seasons isn't some fluke.

Neither is 1.03 p/g over the last 6 seasons - 10th among all wingers.

 

[The Old Master]

So you will actively root against the Pens this season?

no, but when they lose, i will get over it quickly.

 

[Maninthebox87]

sully will play him a whole 2.00 min. in each of those games on the forth line.

Sully will tell him his best chance at making the NHL is becoming a blue collar bottom sixer.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I liked the thread when it was prospect talk.

 

[eXile3]

"I expect those two younger kids, (Brayden) Yager and Pickering, to push," Dubas said. "Have a huge summer, assert yourself. We've shown here in this last stretch, if you're a young player and you're willing to push through the summer, you got a massive opportunity. You can have a shot here with us. That's what we need, desperately."

Not sure if this quote has been shared. I don’t believe it all but here’s hoping. I do think they both need another year.

 

[Sideline]

"I expect those two younger kids, (Brayden) Yager and Pickering, to push," Dubas said. "Have a huge summer, assert yourself. We've shown here in this last stretch, if you're a young player and you're willing to push through the summer, you got a massive opportunity. You can have a shot here with us. That's what we need, desperately."

Not sure if this quote has been shared. I don’t believe it all but here’s hoping. I do think they both need another year.

I think Yager needs to be absolutely lights out in camp to see anything more than a few games in the NHL this year. There are too many younger guys already fighting for the bottom of the roster spots between Ponomarev, Poulin, Puustinen, Gruden, and maybe even Broz. Yager needs to look like a legitimate option next to Sid or Geno to set himself apart from the younger guys that are further along.

On the other hand, I think a good first half for Pickering in the AHL is enough to get him on the big club roster sometime around the trade deadline. I'm assuming the Penguins are selling again and one or both of Petterson and Grizz are sent out the door.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Alright, I've updated my spreadsheet. There are 32 (or 33 if you include Hallander... 34 if you want to include St. Ivany) Penguins prospects as defined by my rules. Starting at the bottom of the list:

[table deleted]

I will post more rankings and info throughout the month.

edit:

I had a goof on Lucius's rating. Updated ratings for 32 to 21:

32​	frasca j
31​	kangas k
30​	laatsch d
29​	devlin l
28​	yoder c
27​	ansons r
26​	harding f
25​	pietila c
24​	vaisanen j
23​	foster c
22​	lucius c
21​	belliveau i

 

[SEALBound]

I think Yager needs to be absolutely lights out in camp to see anything more than a few games in the NHL this year. There are too many younger guys already fighting for the bottom of the roster spots between Ponomarev, Poulin, Puustinen, Gruden, and maybe even Broz. Yager needs to look like a legitimate option next to Sid or Geno to set himself apart from the younger guys that are further along.

On the other hand, I think a good first half for Pickering in the AHL is enough to get him on the big club roster sometime around the trade deadline. I'm assuming the Penguins are selling again and one or both of Petterson and Grizz are sent out the door.

Unless he botches camp, he SHOULD get a couple of games to start the year especially if he can't go to the AHL. If he can, I can see them being a bit more selective. He just needs to catch that proverbial lightning in a bottle with whoever he ends up playing with. Not unlike Maatta, Sprong, Marino, etc or anyone else that's stuck out of camp. Just have a good couple of games and make the coaching staff comfortable with keeping you.

At this point, we owe it ourselves to rotate through a couple of these guys to see what we have. Injuries will happen too so I think there's plenty of time throughout the season to see. That said, if Yager can go to the AHL, I might actually be intrigued by WBS's performance. A top line of Broz-Yager-Koivunen might be interesting to watch.

 

[Jacob]

I know we haven’t had a good prospect in a while but I don’t see why it’s such a must to give Yager 9 games. It doesn’t accelerate a player’s development or anything.

If he’s not lights-out and we don’t have any gaping holes in the top 6 I’d just send him back.

 

[SomeDude]

I know we haven’t had a good prospect in a while but I don’t see why it’s such a must to give Yager 9 games. It doesn’t accelerate a player’s development or anything.

If he’s not lights-out and we don’t have any gaping holes in the top 6 I’d just send him back.

Because if a prospect doesn't play in the NHL within 15 calendar months of being drafted, they're obviously bust.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I know we haven’t had a good prospect in a while but I don’t see why it’s such a must to give Yager 9 games. It doesn’t accelerate a player’s development or anything.

If he’s not lights-out and we don’t have any gaping holes in the top 6 I’d just send him back.

Im a big believer in sending CHLers back as early as possible once you know they’re not making the team.

 

[eXile3]

I think Yager needs to be absolutely lights out in camp to see anything more than a few games in the NHL this year. There are too many younger guys already fighting for the bottom of the roster spots between Ponomarev, Poulin, Puustinen, Gruden, and maybe even Broz. Yager needs to look like a legitimate option next to Sid or Geno to set himself apart from the younger guys that are further along.

On the other hand, I think a good first half for Pickering in the AHL is enough to get him on the big club roster sometime around the trade deadline. I'm assuming the Penguins are selling again and one or both of Petterson and Grizz are sent out the door.

I don’t disagree. Playing in the NHL at 18, 19, even 20 is really exceptionally. The last thing you want to do is shake the players confidence and put him in a hard situation.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I know we haven’t had a good prospect in a while but I don’t see why it’s such a must to give Yager 9 games. It doesn’t accelerate a player’s development or anything.

If he’s not lights-out and we don’t have any gaping holes in the top 6 I’d just send him back.

People are bored and hopeless

 

[Coastal Kev]

Alright, I've updated my spreadsheet. There are 32 (or 33 if you include Hallander... 34 if you want to include St. Ivany) Penguins prospects as defined by my rules. Starting at the bottom of the list:

32​	frasca j
31​	kangas k
30​	laatsch d
29​	devlin l
28​	yoder c
27​	ansons r
26​	harding f
25​	pietila c
24​	vaisanen j
23​	foster c
22​	belliveau i
21​	tankov k

I will post more rankings and info throughout the month.

I think Tankov has as much upside potential of any fwd prospect that I have seen outside of Yager.

 

[Gurglesons]

I know we haven’t had a good prospect in a while but I don’t see why it’s such a must to give Yager 9 games. It doesn’t accelerate a player’s development or anything.

If he’s not lights-out and we don’t have any gaping holes in the top 6 I’d just send him back.

Because people have no idea how to develop prospects.

 

[Pancakes]

So this is purely stat watching and I haven't watched clips of his game or actual games from him at all. So take this all with a grain of salt.

But looking at Pickering's production, it looks like he really hasn't developed all that much at all, which is concerning. Putting up basically the same offensive numbers two years in a row doesn't bode super well for me for a guy that's going to take the next step and become a good pro. He should have been dominating as a 6 ft 4 19 year old in junior hockey, and it doesn't really look like he did.

Anyone actually follow his game closer than this and can give me some assurances that he's actually developing? As it is I'm not very excited about him.

 

[Tom Hanks]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1810005063949054295

 

[Al Smith]

Development roster includes a kid from Winkler in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League who is a commit to North Dakota next year. In my ignorance I didn't know there was a Manitoba Junior Hockey League. I assume he's an underdog, so I'm hoping he lights it up.

Dalton Andrew of Winkler Flyers impresses with hard work, skill and will to improve

Dalton Andrew was hardly a can’t-miss prospect when he began his junior career three seasons ago with the Winkler Flyers. The gangly forward from Brandon earned a roster spot for his 18-year-old seaso...

www.winnipegfreepress.com

 

[Andy99]

I don’t disagree. Playing in the NHL at 18, 19, even 20 is really exceptionally. The last thing you want to do is shake the players confidence and put him in a hard situation.

It’s not exceptional. Seth Jarvis, drafted 13th, went from juniors the year after he was drafted to playing full time for Carolina and in the same year Dawson Mercer, drafted 18Th, did the same for NJ…happening more often lately

 

[Ulf5]

So this is purely stat watching and I haven't watched clips of his game or actual games from him at all. So take this all with a grain of salt.

But looking at Pickering's production, it looks like he really hasn't developed all that much at all, which is concerning. Putting up basically the same offensive numbers two years in a row doesn't bode super well for me for a guy that's going to take the next step and become a good pro. He should have been dominating as a 6 ft 4 19 year old in junior hockey, and it doesn't really look like he did.

Anyone actually follow his game closer than this and can give me some assurances that he's actually developing? As it is I'm not very excited about him.

I wouldn't worry too much about his stats too much at this point. In a lil over 4 years he went from 5' 7" 175 pounds to 6' 5" 200 pounds. With some drastic changes almost yearly. Has to be a battle just adjusting to his own body let alone the competition.

 

[Tom Hanks]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1810030661505524167