Penguins AGM Sizes Up Penguins Prospects’ Strengths & Weaknesses

CRANBERRY, Pa. — The Pittsburgh Penguins are building a prospect pool that is worthy of recognition.

After quite a few years of irrelevance and neglect, youth sacrificed at the altar of chasing the next Stanley Cup, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are one of the best teams in the AHL. They are second in the Atlantic Division, just five points behind their rival Hershy Bears and have three games in hand. They are six points back of the league-leading Rochester Americans with four games in hand.

A little winning streak could vault WBS to the top spot in the league. There’s also a sturdy confidence burgeoning within the group. As PHN referenced the wild, penalty-filled games against Hershey last week, we noted that WBS doesn’t like Hershey very much.

“No, they don’t like us,” was the reply.

It was a great twist that showed the growing camaraderie amongst the prospects and the chip on their shoulder as they chase down the traditional powers of the AHL, which have stomped them years running.

As Emil Bemstrom told PHN, it’s a special team. They have everything, and management seems to agree.

“I think (a playoff run) can help expedite where they are in their development. So if you can play meaningful games–that’s the goal of the whole season down in the minors is to get your prospects into meaningful hockey games,” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins GM Jason Spezza Wednesday. “That’s where they grow and where you really have to fall back on kind of the fundamentals that you work on throughout the year. So yeah, it would be important to have a long playoff run. It would be really good for the group. They’re building towards that, and we need to keep going.”

Bemstrom was part of the WBS resurgence, too. The Penguins acquired the 25-year-old winger near the trade deadline last season in exchange for the disappointing young player Alex Nylander. Bemstrom was second in the AHL in scoring before being called up this week.

It was also Bemstrom’s people, notably his father, who pushed the winger to get inside the dots more often. It’s been the magic trick that has potentially reignited his NHL path after not catching on with the Columbus Blue Jackets or the Pittsburgh Penguins last season.

Bemstrom is the shining example of playing well and getting another shot.

Spezza, the Penguins’ assistant general manager, and the WBS Penguins GM fielded questions about the WBS squad and the prospects who are beginning to knock on the Penguins’ door for NHL ice.

The elder prospects are Sam Poulin and Vasily Ponomarev, who were part of the 2019 and 2020 draft classes. Poulin was the Penguins’ 2019 first-round pick (21st overall) who has played in nine NHL games. Ponomarev was the prospect stuck in limbo with the Carolina Hurricanes before the Penguins acquired him in the Jake Guentzel trade.

Vasily Ponomarev

Ponomarev has played four NHL games this season without a point. Spezza brushed aside Ponomarev’s recent undisciplined penalties; the prospect took two major penalties and game misconducts last week.

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Spezza on Ponomarev:  We’re not concerned because you’d rather (the penalties) be taken down there, and he learns from them. So, I think he is trying to push the edge and be a gritty player. And I think they’re good lessons to learn along the way as a player and he’s trying to figure out where the line is and where it isn’t,” said Spezza. “And Pano, if you’ve spent any time (with him) or been around (him), he’s very driven, and he just wants to make the NHL. He’s trying to do whatever is possible, and teaching him where the line is and where it isn’t is part of the maturation of a young player. So, I think he’s a guy that’s similar to Sam (Poulin). You know, he’s a guy that we’re trying to use in different roles and not get him boxed into what he’s going to be. And I think that he’s a guy that will be pushing for ice time here as we go.”

Sam Poulin

Spezza seemed to lower expectations for Poulin’s ceiling but not from his chance to crack the NHL.

“Sam has really bought into what he is, what he needs to be, and how he produces. He’s played on the wing a lot this year. He was primarily a center before. And before he’s kind of becoming a guy that can play all over the lineup, he can play in the top six and the bottom six. You know, both special teams,” said Spezza. “So, we’re really trying to round Sam’s game out and give him confidence so that he has utility when he does get opportunities to come up. At the American League level, obviously, he can score and drive play, but to be an NHL player doing that is difficult. So, we’re trying to help him become more versatile. And I think he’s doing that and buying in and contributing to wins.”

Ville Koivunen

Koivunen is on the charge toward the NHL. He’s been filling the net, including a hat trick and a four-goal game in January. He’s also a feisty player.

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“Ville is a really driven kid. His competitiveness is probably really underrated. So I think that’s allowed him to have sustained success so far. I think there are still ups and downs in his game because he’s a young player and playing a lot of hockey, but his brain is his best quality. I think he’s really smart, (has) great hockey sense, and he’s done a good job using it.”

Rutger McGroarty

Spezza echoed many of the things we reported and our analysis from Wilkes-Barre last week.

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“I think Rut has been a huge success story for us right now in terms of just continually getting better. There’s still a way to go consistency-wise, but he’s been playing well for probably over two months now, and I think it’s the little things in his game that show up. I think he’s the type of guy that as the games get bigger, he’s he will have bigger moments because of his details.

“He already has that naturally and just getting used to the grind of the schedule and the consistency–He struggled offensively to begin, and it might have been the best thing that could have happened to him because he’s probably our first penalty killer over the boards. He’s on late in games and he does so many things that allow us to win hockey games that don’t show up on the scoresheet. Unless you’re watching the games every night, (some of those) things are hard to notice. So, even during the time when he wasn’t scoring, we were happy with how things were going.”

Emil Bemstrom

Bemstrom was very good against the New York Rangers last Friday. As PHN has noted, his game is maturing, and he’s playing inside the dots instead of on the perimeter. It’s been a noticeable change.

Bemstrom was recalled this week.

“It’s great that he’s getting an opportunity here at the NHL level. We know that he can score. We know that he’s as dangerous as anyone on the powerplay. But I think with Bemer, it’s having a B game and really making sure that when you’re here, if you’re not scoring, you’re doing other things that contribute to wins that help the coaches put you on the ice. And I think that’s been the maturation that we’re trying to help him with is making sure that his B game looks close to his A game and there’s not such a big discrepancy. And he’s done a better job of that. So, I’m happy to see him get rewarded.”

Sergei Murashov

Spezza also admitted Murashov was disappointed to be sent back to Wheeling of the ECHL last week despite some strong numbers in the AHL. However, the Penguins’ logjam in net can’t be overcome just yet.

“His ceiling is–the sky’s the limit. I think we have to be patient with the young goalie. I think it’s a tough transition coming from Russia, and he’s cleaned up a lot of areas in his game and, overall, is just a great kid to work with. In terms of the rest of the season, they have a good club down in Wheeling, and I imagine he’s going to spend most of his time down there. If we run into injuries, he’s more than shown he’s capable of coming up and playing in the American League. But Filip Larson has been very good. (Tristan) Jarry, when he’s down there, has played well for us and is building his confidence back up. So it’s a good spot to be in with the depth.”