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As the NHL prepares for a new season scheduled to start in mid-January, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 48 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.
Sam Poulin
Position: Right winger
Shoots: Left
Age: 19
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 208 pounds
2019-20 QMJHL statistics: 46 games, 77 points (32 goals, 45 assists)
2020-21 QMJHL statistics: Five games, six points (three goals, three assists)
Contract: Three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $925,000. Should Poulin return to his junior team, his contract can slide, or begin, in 2021-22.
Acquired: First-round draft pick (No. 21 overall), June 21, 2019
Last season: Jim Rutherford is a popular man amongst his peers.
Especially with those trying to build for the future.
Ever since Rutherford took over as the Penguins’ general manager, he’s dealt away seven of the eight draft picks he’s had at his disposal, including his would-be first-rounder for 2021.
In the name of winning in the immediate sense, the Penguins have largely drained their pool of future assets, even before Rutherford’s arrival in 2014.
So when Rutherford actually keeps a first-round pick, he clearly likes that player.
Such is the case with Sam Poulin.
As the trade deadline approached in February, Rutherford had plenty of potential suitors inquire about the availability of Poulin but their overtures were never seriously considered.
Mindful of how depleted his prospect ranks were while also impressed with Poulin’s development as captain of the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in last season, Rutherford kept Poulin in the fold.
As far as what he accomplished on the ice during 2019-20, Poulin finished 14th in the QMJHL’s scoring race despite an early-season knee injury.
This season: Poulin hasn’t been nearly as prolific in 2020-21. And for good reason. He’s barely been on the ice.
While most leagues in North America have yet to open play, the QMJHL tried to power through all the challenges of competing during a pandemic. The result has been a pockmarked season that has been disrupted repeatedly by stoppages.
No QMJHL team has been stymied quite as badly as Sherbrooke which has played the fewest games in the league this season. The Phoenix has not played since Nov. 7.
As it is, Poulin is Sherbrooke’s second-leading scorer this season.
Capable of playing either wing, Poulin was invited to Canada’s evaluation camp for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championship tournament but was among the last round of cuts from that roster in mid-December.
The future: Poulin is currently participating in the Penguins’ training camp at PPG Paints Arena. Largely relegated to a group of players vying to be candidates for the taxi squad of reserve players, it would be a stretch to say Poulin has stood out from the rest of the pack through all of two practices.
Rutherford has suggested repeatedly that Poulin – who reported to camp eight pounds lighter than his listed weight in 2019-20 – has a legit chance to make the NHL roster or the taxi squad. And given his talent, there’s little reason to think that notion is invalid.
But at the same time, it’s difficult to envision what his role would be at the NHL in 2020-21.
Granted, this season will be played under extraordinary circumstances during a pandemic and a number of established players could be in or out of the lineup due to medical concerns. So the chance for a prospect such as Poulin as well as fellow forwards Nathan Legare and Drew O’Connor to earn some legit playing time is legitimate.
At the same time, in the course of a condensed 56-game regular season, there isn’t an abundance of time to allow a prospect to develop his game.
With the QMJHL scheduled to resume play on Jan. 22, Poulin could return to Sherbrooke and continue to be a dominant power forward at that level.
While his future in the immediate sense is a question mark, Poulin remains the Penguins’ top prospect, even if by default.
Follow the Penguins all season long.
Seth Rorabaugh is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Seth by email at srorabaugh@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: Penguins/NHL | Sports
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