The Pittsburgh Penguins currently find themselves in the middle of a push for a playoff spot almost halfway through the regular season. But looking to the future, plenty of young players in their farm system should excite Penguins fans. They have already seen a handful of these players make their way to the NHL this season, including defenseman Owen Pickering, goaltender Joel Blomqvist, and forwards Sam Poulin and Vasily Ponomarev. Pickering is the only player who has stuck with the NHL roster, thus graduating from the “prospect” stage for my rankings. But where do the rest of the youngsters in the Penguins system rank?
Honorable Mentions
- F Cruz Lucius: Lucius dropping out of the top 15 from the preseason rankings is 100% because he has just returned to the ice after an injury had held him out until Jan. 10. He has put up two points in two games for Arizona State after transferring to play with the Sun Devils. He will be a player who can easily find himself back in the top 15 if he matches expectations.
- D Isaac Belliveau: After a strong first professional season in the ECHL for the Wheeling Nailers, Isaac Belliveau jumped to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to play in the American Hockey League (AHL). To this point, he has not been able to fully translate last season’s success, tallying only six points in 20 games with the Penguins AHL affiliate.
- D Joona Väisänen: A seventh-round pick by the team at the 2024 Draft, Joona Väisänen made his way to college hockey this season after a strong season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Dubuque Fighting Saints. He has been strong for Western Michigan University this season and has added nine points from the backend of the ice. His playmaking and smooth puck handling have been on display so far, and he could be a player to watch if his development continues on a strong trajectory.
15. F Sam Poulin – Wilkes/Barrie Scranton Penguins (AHL)
2024-25 stats: AHL: 26 games played, six goals, nine assists, 15 points
NHL: Six games played, zero points
After a few seasons of battling injuries, Sam Poulin seemed to find himself in a good spot health-wise last season and to start this season for the most part. After being ranked in the top 10 at the beginning of the season, he finds himself on the edge of falling out of the rankings. He earned a brief call-up earlier in the season but failed to make an impact in the time he did get with the big club. He has looked…
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