Pittsburgh Penguins cut eight players including 2019 first round pick: head coach Mike Sullivan comments
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that eight players have been assigned to Wilkes-Barre Scranton of the AHL, including first-round pick Samuel Poulin.
With opening night coming quickly, the Pittsburgh Penguins have made what are likely their final roster cuts of the season, assigning eight players; Emil Bemstrom, Nate Clurman, Taylor Gauthier, Jonathan Gruden, Joona Koppanen, Filip Kral, Filip Larsson, and Sam Poulin, to the AHL.
Among this group there are several key names. Emil Bemstrom was acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins via trade last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Alexander Nylander (now on an AHL deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs).
Filip Kral is one of the players GM Kyle Dubas made sure to sign due to their relationship with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it appears he has not done enough to crack the roster.
Most of all, Samuel Poulin not making the cut is disappointing. The 21st overall pick in 2019, Poulin has not been able to solidify an NHL role yet, despite a strong showing in the AHL last year. The big-bodied 227 pound forward has all of the tools and intelligence to make it work in the NHL, but has just not put it all together. Head coach Mike Sullivan said the following about Poulin's case after being placed on waivers:
"Sam has made a lot of strides in his time with the Penguins. The biggest thing is just understanding what his own personal identity is as a player and how he's going to carve a niche in making an NHL roster and becoming an NHL player. Every young player, when they turn pro, they go through this identity process where some players have to adapt.
"So, if you're playing in college hockey or you're playing junior hockey and you're a point-per-game (player) or you're the go-to guy on the power play, that might not be the case when you get to the next level. So, if that's not the case, then what is your competitive advantage? What is it that you're bringing to the table that is going to help a team win? What's your contribution to that identity?
"Those are some of the conversations we've had with Sam. Just continuing to work on his overall two-way game, his play away from the puck, his play within structure, knowing positional play and things of that nature and the details around that are really important. Because if you're not scoring 40 goals and 100 points, then you need to be a guy that's reliable and trustworthy and predictable for your teammates.
That's something that I think is an area of opportunity for growth for Sam.
"He's very capable and he is obviously a talented player. It's more just trying to understand how his own personal game needs to adapt or evolve so he has a skillset that is complimentary to the group and gives him the opportunity to carve a roster spot. It's not so much scoring his way onto this roster. It's being a reliable player and the details around that, it's a lot of the thankless jobs that maybe go unnoticed. That's the foundation of how players, in my experience, enter the league. That gives him the ability to act on his talent and his instincts ... and his game can evolve.
"Sam is going through that process like most young players go through that process. I don't think he's any different in that regard. We're every bit as encouraged by Sam's game as we've always been. Once again, players evolve at different rates. Some guys take a little bit longer to find their game than others. Sam is going through that process. He's a talented guy. We think so highly of him and we believe that he's a guy that could potentially help this team moving forward."
"So, if you're playing in college hockey or you're playing junior hockey and you're a point-per-game (player) or you're the go-to guy on the power play, that might not be the case when you get to the next level. So, if that's not the case, then what is your competitive advantage? What is it that you're bringing to the table that is going to help a team win? What's your contribution to that identity?
"Those are some of the conversations we've had with Sam. Just continuing to work on his overall two-way game, his play away from the puck, his play within structure, knowing positional play and things of that nature and the details around that are really important. Because if you're not scoring 40 goals and 100 points, then you need to be a guy that's reliable and trustworthy and predictable for your teammates.
That's something that I think is an area of opportunity for growth for Sam.
"He's very capable and he is obviously a talented player. It's more just trying to understand how his own personal game needs to adapt or evolve so he has a skillset that is complimentary to the group and gives him the opportunity to carve a roster spot. It's not so much scoring his way onto this roster. It's being a reliable player and the details around that, it's a lot of the thankless jobs that maybe go unnoticed. That's the foundation of how players, in my experience, enter the league. That gives him the ability to act on his talent and his instincts ... and his game can evolve.
"Sam is going through that process like most young players go through that process. I don't think he's any different in that regard. We're every bit as encouraged by Sam's game as we've always been. Once again, players evolve at different rates. Some guys take a little bit longer to find their game than others. Sam is going through that process. He's a talented guy. We think so highly of him and we believe that he's a guy that could potentially help this team moving forward."
One notable player who didn't get sent down is Rutger McGroarty, the Penguins' top prospect who was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for 14th overall pick Brayden Yager this summer. It appears that the former NCAA star has made the Penguins roster.
Top 10 latest hockey stories
