Penguins Bringing Legare to Training Camp

Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Nathan Legare impressed Penguins scouts and coaches enough in his first training camp to earn his three-year entry-level contract before departing for Baie-Comeau of the QMJHL and the 2019-20 season.

The Penguins prospect winger with a wicked wrist shot and stocky frame will get another training camp to impress. On Wednesday afternoon, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to PHN the Penguins invited Legare to the abbreviated Penguins 2020-21 training camp, which will begin on Jan. 3 at PPG Paints Arena.

The Penguins will begin their season on Jan. 13 in Philadelphia. The full schedule is here. 

The goal-scoring winger popped 35 goals last season with Baie-Comeau and 45 goals two seasons ago. This season, he scored eight goals in 14 games before the QMJHL shut down due to the pandemic.

Legare, 19, was the Penguins third-round pick (74th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford reacquired a third-round pick to select Legare. The 6-foot 208-pound right-winger impressed with his wrist shot but acknowledged his skating had to improve to play in the NHL.

Nathan Legare was the captain of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar but has been traded to Val d’Or Foreurs. Legare has not yet played for Val-d’Or Foreurs. The QMJHL scheduled the resumption of play for Jan. 22.

Legare’s friend and fellow Penguins draftee Sam Poulin both figure to be in training camp. Poulin was the Penguins’ 2019 first-round pick (21st overall) and plays for the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix. The league also shut down Poulin’s season.

Team Canada invited Poulin to the World Juniors training camp, but Poulin did not make the final squad.

The Pittsburgh Penguins also invited Poulin to the shortened training camp in July before the NHL Qualifying Round. However, Poulin was one of nine players who were quarantined after secondary exposure to the coronavirus. He showed well in the scrimmages but did not have enough time to make the team or the Black Aces travel squad.