Pittsburgh Penguins: ranking the top-ten prospects in their system

Rookie tournaments and training camps around the National Hockey League are set to get underway in about two weeks from now. That means it's time to take a look at the top-ten prospects on each of the 32 teams.

Multiple different sources use different criteria for their rankings as to what players classify as a prospect. For my lists over the next couple of weeks, I will be using the following two requirements:

- A player is considered a prospect if: he has played less than 25 NHL games in one campaign.

- Less than 50 NHL games total in their career.

Next team up is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Let's take a look at the ten best prospects in their system, starting with number ten and counting down to number one.

10. Ryan McCleary (D) - Drafted: 2021 (7/194).

2021-22 stats: Portland (WHL) - 63 GP - 6 G - 24 A - 30 PTS.

9. Tristan Broz (C) - Drafted: 2021 (2/58).

2021-22 stats: University of Minnesota (NCAA) - 36 GP - 6 G - 5 A - 11 PTS.

8. Isaac Belliveau (D) - Drafted: 2021 (5/154).

2021-22 stats: Gatineau (QMJHL) - 67 GP - 10 G - 28 A - 38 PTS.

7. Nathan Legare (RW) - Drafted: 2019 (3/74).

2021-22 stats: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) - 57 GP - 7 G - 9 A - 16 PTS.

6. Raivis Ansons (LW) - Drafted: 2020 (5/149).

2021-22 stats: Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) - 19 GP - 6 G - 18 A - 24 PTS/Saint John (QMJHL) - 37 GP - 12 G - 24 A - 36 PTS.

5. Valtteri Puustinen (RW) - Drafted: 2019 (7/203).

2021-22 stats: Pittsburgh (NHL) - 1 GP - 0 G - 1 A - 1 PT/Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) - 73 GP - 20 G - 22 A - 42 PTS.

4. Filip Hallander (C) - Drafted: 2018 (2/58).

2021-22 stats: Pittsburgh (NHL) - 1 GP - 0 G - 0 A - 0 PTS/Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) - 61 GP - 14 G - 14 A - 28 PTS.

3. Joel Blomqvist (G) - Drafted: 2020 (2/52).

2021-22 stats: Karpat (Liiga) - 20 GP - 6 W - 3 L - 5 OTL, 1.32 GAA, .940 save percentage, 5 SO/Kokkola (Mestis) - 4 GP - 0 W - 3 L - 1 OTL, 2.26 GAA, .880 save percentage/Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) - 1 GP - 0 W - 1 L, 0 OTL, 2.05 GAA, .926 save percentage.

2. Owen Pickering (D) - Drafted: 2022 (1/21).

2021-22 stats: Swift Current (WHL) - 62 GP - 9 G - 24 A - 33 PTS.

1. Samuel Poulin (RW) - Drafted: 2019 (1/21).

2021-22 stats: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) - 72 GP - 16 G - 21 A - 37 PTS.

Stay tuned to Markerzone.com for the rest of the prospect rankings over the next week. Check out the Ottawa's and Philadelphia's prospect rankings from Thursday in the links below!

Ottawa's prospect rankings
Philadelphia's prospect rankings

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