Pittsburgh Penguins: Top 10 prospects entering 2019
The Pittsburgh Penguins don’t have much depth in their prospect pipeline, but the 2019 draft saw them add some much-needed skill. Here’s a look at their top 10 prospects.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been a model of consistency in the NHL, which is a league filled with parity. They have missed only one postseason in the salary cap era and have made 13 straight. This is a blessing and a curse. On the bright side, it means the Penguins have had a ton of success. But on the other side, their prospect pipeline has been the sacrificial lamb.
It’s hard to find good prospects when you consistently draft low in each round and when you’re constantly trading picks and prospects for players. Despite the odds being stacked against them, the Penguins have been able to find some diamonds in the rough, such as Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel.
Their pipeline desperately needed talent, especially after some of their best prospects either graduated or got traded. The Penguins didn’t have many draft picks in the 2019 draft, but they managed to add two guys who should help.
Before I begin, let me clarify my definition of a prospect. For me, a prospect is anyone who is under 25 years old (as of the start of the season) and has yet to play in 25 NHL games in a single season or 40 in any two consecutive seasons. As an example, Teddy Blueger doesn’t qualify, as he turns 25 in August and he played in 28 games. Neither does Tristan Jarry, as he appeared in 26 games during the 2017-18 season.
I like separating the goalies from the skaters because it’s much harder to evaluate goalies than skaters. So why bother comparing the two? Let’s take a look at the Penguins best young goaltenders.
Goaltenders
1. Emil Larmi
Acquired: Undrafted (signed in June of 2019)
Age: 22 (turns 23 in September)
Stats: 36 games, 1.94 GAA, .909% save percentage; 18 postseason games, 1.72 GAA, .932% save percentage (HPK, Liiga)
Emil Larmi will likely be coming over to North America this season after a very good year in Finland. He helped HPK win the league title and is by far the Penguins most decorated goaltending prospect. Of course, by my definition, there are only two. But I digress.
While he’s only 6 feet tall, which is small for a goaltender, he’s compact in the crease and he’s athletic. Larmi has had success in one of the world’s most competitive professional hockey leagues. The Penguins have had good luck with undrafted goalies before – look no further than Casey DeSmith. Larmi could be their next hidden gem.
2. Alex D’orio
Acquired: Undrafted (signed in 2017)
Age: 20
Stats: 26 games, 4.48 GAA, .883% save percentage (Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL); 23 games, 2.55 GAA, .899% save percentage; 7 playoff games, 2.47 GAA, .910% save percentage (Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL); 1 game, 5.01 GAA, .848% save percentage (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL)
It was hard to evaluate Alex D’orio because the Saint John Sea Dogs were bad in front of him. He did better with Baie-Comeau Drakkar, but again, his save percentage wasn’t that great. D’orio is big and athletic, but he really has to improve his positioning. He also has a tendency to flop around a bit much, making him prone to high shots.
D’orio is very young, tall, and athletic. That’s all he’s got going for him right now, but those are three good traits to have if you’re a goaltender.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the Penguins top 10 prospects.