Penguins Get NHL-Potential with 5th Rounder Raivis Ansons | PHN+

The more video we watched, and the more we talked to people close to the player, the better 2020 Pittsburgh Penguins fifth-round pick Raivis Ansons seemed. The Penguins traded down from the 139th pick to the 149th pick and snagged the Latvian born Ansons, who is also a teammate of Penguins prospect Nathan Legare with Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the QMJHL.

Last season, Ansons and Legare connected on a couple of power play goals, and it became easy to see what the Pengiuns saw in Ansons.

By the end of Wednesday evening and Day 2 of the 2020 NHL Draft (which felt more like Week 2), PHN came to believe the Penguins found a potential diamond in the rough. Perhaps diamond is too steep of praise, but the Penguins found a player who could make it to the NHL.

PHN spoke to one of Ansons former coaches, who believes the Penguins new prospect has the necessary skills.

“Size. Power. Sense. Skates hard. Has pro tools,” one of his coaches told PHN. “Consistency needs to take a step,” the coach said.