Our last post on "The Kids Are Alright" focused on the forwards in the Penguins system. Today, we examine the defensemen in there system. Ray Shero has collected a very good core of young defensemen over the last 5 years of the draft. Many of whom, are ready to make the next step at the NHL level. Note: Olli Maatta will not appear on this list.
Derrick Pouliot
This season he played for the Winterhawks again, but I am willing to bet this is the last year of that. In 79 games (both regular and post season) for Portland this year, he scored 102 points (22G-80A) and was a plus-48. That is roughly a 1.3 points per game average. Those are phenomenal statistics and remember, he is a defenseman! He was set to join the Wilkes-Barre Penguins for the remainder of the playoff run, but suffered a shoulder injury in the WHL finals that will keep him off the ice.
If there is one defenseman in our system that can make the same jump that Olli Maatta did this season, it is Derrick Pouliot. Unfortunately, the previously mentioned shoulder injury was more serious than expected and he had surgery today to repair it. He will miss 4-6 months, making it unlikely he is ready for October. Quite frankly, I think it would be asking him a lot to step in to the NHL without a training camp and exhibition games beforehand. I think he may still make his NHL debut next year, but this surgery will push that back until after the New Year I would wager.
Simon Despres
Despres has played 85 games in Pittsburgh over the last 3 years. He has put up 16 points (3G-13A) and has been a plus-18 in those games. Not the offense that was expected when he was drafted, but he was supposed to be very good defensively. He has been so-so in my eyes. He makes some good plays, but he is sometimes sloppy with the puck and commits far too many penalties for my liking. It's the penalty situation that has often led to him being scratched in his time in Pittsburgh and this year, lost out to Robert Bortuzzo as the extra defenseman in training camp.
Despres is a restricted free agent this summer and it is difficult to predict what the Pens will do with him. If, for whatever insane reason, Dan Bylsma is still coaching this team, I dont think Despres is back. But if there is a new coach, I think that he may come back and be given the chance he needs to prove whether he is capable or he is a bust. A trade before the draft may also be in the cards, and could lead to the Pens getting some pieces the desperately need on their wings.
Brian Dumoulin
This season, the 6-4, 219 pound defensemen split his time between WBS and a brief stint in Pittsburgh during December. In 53 games at WBS, he scored 21 points (5G-16A) and was a plus-2. He also successfully ran the point on the Baby Pens power play. In the playoffs this year, he has been at another level. He has scored better than a point per game (2G-9A) in 10 games. Dumoulin also made his NHL debut this year. Playing 6 games when Orpik, Martin, Letang and Scuderi were all out. He posted one assist in his brief time up.
Dumoulin is ready to move up to the big time. He looked pretty good in his 6 game stint and deserves the chance. If the Pens don't bring back Orpik and Niskanen and Pouliot on the shelf, expect Dumoulin to be one of the prospects to get a look to fill one of those spots.
Scott Harrington
This season was his first in professional hockey. He played 76 games for the Baby Pens, scoring 24 points (5G-19A) and was a plus-9. A good offensive season, but he has been incredibly solid defensively; which has continued into the AHL playoffs.
Of the defenseman on their way up, Harrington will get a shot of making the team next year. I would expect him to be behind Pouliot, Dumoulin and Samuelsson, but he will one day make an impact at the next level. He has the defensive game to be successful, and he is steadily improving his offensive production. Watch for Harrington going forward.
Philip Samuelsson
Like Dumoulin, Sameulsson made big strides in Wilkes-Barre this year and made his NHL debut when the Pens Top 4 went down. In 64 games in Wilkes-Barre, he scored 22 points (3G-19A) and posted a plus-17. He was a force on the defensive end and earned a call-up in December where he got in 5 NHL games.
Samuelsson will certainly compete for one of the available spots on the Pens blue line next season. Lemieux specifically named Samuelsson in his interview with Dejan Kovacevic last week. He will be a restricted free agent on July 1st, but I think the Pens would be smart to resign him. He is a stay at home defenseman and could be a good fit alongside Rob Scuderi on the 3rd pair. And with Derrick Pouliot going down for 4-6 months after the shoulder surgery, I think Samuelsson is the "most" NHL ready of the Pens defensemaAnything he adds offensively is a bonus, but remember that he is a defensive defenseman at heart.
Conclusions
Photos courtesy of the Pittsburgh Penguins.