Pittsburgh Penguins | CollegeHockeyPlayers

23Dec

Chris Conner(14) Portland Pirates

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Diminutive, undrafted 7th year right wing Chris Conner(14) has played NHL games with three different teams through the first six seasons of his pro career. The 5’7″ 180 lbs. forward has skated in 147 games with Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings‘ last season amassing a total of 17 goals and 26 assists.

He has also appeared in 297 AHL games scoring 88 goals and 147 assists in regular season action.

For the 2012/2013 season, the free agent signed a one-year, two-way deal with Phoenix Coyotes and has been reassigned to their affiliate Portland Pirates. Through 23 games with the team, he’s definitely been a leader on and off the ice, is on pace to put up career highs in all categories and has helped the club into solo possession of 1st place in the Atlantic Division through the Christmas break.

With the NHL lockout in effect, the 29-year old could have found himself a bit of a home for at least another campaign and should get continued big league looks from the parent club once they start playing hockey again.

17Dec

Ryan Schnell(38) St. John’s IceCaps

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Undrafted, 4th year left wing Ryan Schnell(38) is one of those players that has seemingly still yet to realize most of the potential he could bring to the table.

He spent his first three seasons in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins‘ system, playing the majority of his games in the ECHL with affiliate Wheeling Nailers. Through 114 contests he’s only managed a meager 5 goals and 10 assists.

On the other hand, the 6’3″ 225 lbs. forward has amassed over 400 penalty minutes, which gives more of an indication what style of a game he plays.

Going into the 2012/2013 the unrestricted free agent, the 23-year old signed a deal pretty quickly to change up his scenery, inking a one-year, two-way AHL deal with St. John’s IceCaps.

He was reassigned after the opening month on the sidelines to Colorado Eagles. Although he may be first in pims for the lower league, he’s on for career points, already scoring a career high 4 goals and 7 points through only 12 games, and he’s a +5 plus/minus.

With the right coaching to help direct his abilities, we see a burgeoning power forward in the making. He was recently recalled to the IceCaps and in a pair of games has zero points and one fighting major to his credit. Old habits are slow to fade.

28Nov

Beau Bennett(13) WBS Penguins

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Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 1st round pick in the 2010 draft (#20 overall), left wing Beau Bennett(13) decided to turn pro after only a couple of years of college hockey, signing a three year entry level deal that keeps him with the organization through 2015.

The 21-year old has on his first two levels shown to be prolific on the scoresheet and in 18 AHL games to start his rookie season, he’s already struck for 4 goals and 9 assists.

At 6’1″ 195 lbs. the forward already has size and works it to gain position for scoring chances.

He might just be the first player ever to be born in Gardena, CA to play in the NHL. We’re projected that obviously.

23Nov

Chris Bourque(17) Providence Bruins

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Fully ensconced in his 8th pro year, left wing Chris Bourque(17) now sports a spoked emblem on the front of his jersey similar to the one his dad wore for 21 seasons.

The first son wears a “P” for Providence on his sweater, whereas his dad proudly wore the “B” for Boston Bruins.

Temporarily with no place to move up the ladder, the AHL veteran forward is right at home playing his games at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, a building he skated many a contests for opposing teams, instead of up the highway at the TD Garden.

The still only 26-year old is off the scoring pace that made him the top point getter in the league last season with 93, but 14 games in he has a pair of goals and 8 assists, which is very respectable.

If things stayed stalled with the NHL talks, he may not be a league leader in 2012/2013 with the talent pool the way it is but he’ll almost certainly for a fourth start year end the campaign as a point per game performer.

06Nov

Keven Veilleux(44) Wheeling Nailers

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Few players have been bitten by the injury bug more than Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft (#51 overall), right wing Keven Vellieux(44).

He’s only skated almost one complete season over the course of a 3-year pro career in 2010/2011 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. But even then, skating in 66 games he missed over a dozen contests.

The 6’5″ 218 lbs. forward did put up some decently impressive numbers potting 12 goals and 24 assists, while going a +17 plus/minus on what was a very good team that year, and added another 4 points in the postseason.

2011/2012 however got scrapped entirely due to a blown out knee in preseason play that required surgery setting him back yet another full campaign, when he was diligently looking to continue to prove himself.

Penguins‘ brass still have hopes for the 23-year old though as they qualified him for another go in 2012/2013.

Still not full recovered from his injury 9 match-ups into the new season, he has been reassigned to ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers for the first time to get his game on. He should light the lamp and pound some fists consistently in the lower league quickly leading him back up to the AHL.

29Oct

Nick Petersen (8)

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Originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2009 draft (#121 overall), right wing Nick Petersen(8) was bought out the final year of his 3-year entry level contract by the team.

He appeared in a career high 52 AHL games with their farm team, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins scoring a best 11 goals and 16 assists, 27 points with a +15 plus/minus.

The kind of lanky 6’2″ 185 lbs. forward started his pro career in the ECHL with Wheeling Nailers, where he lit the lamp with ease clocking in at just shy of a 1.5 points per game player and was reassigned and recalled from on a couple of occasions during his rookie season.

There were some minor rumors floating that he was a difficult player in the system.

He signed a training camp tryout agreement with Houston Aeros to start the third campaign of his pro career and although he failed to make the opening night roster, he was kept on and sent to their affiliate Orlando Solar Bears.

In 6 ECHL games he has 6 goals and 8 assists with a +4 rating and has been quickly called-up to Houston.

Turns out he was a healthy scratch for one game and sent back.

When he gets his chance, you can pretty much bet he’ll produced on the scoresheet.

Nice black eye in the pic, right?

21Oct

Joe Morrow(6) WBS Penguins

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Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 1st round pick in the 2011 draft (#23 overall) rookie defenseman Joe Morrow(6) has all the attributes to become one of the NHL‘s leading scorers for his position. He sees plays develop and moves the puck up to the forwards quickly, but is also a great stick handler with the ability to lead the rush into the offensive zone as well.

The not quite yet 20-year old showed these strengths in his final two season of juniors so it’s easy to see why he was selected so high in the draft.

He starts his pro career with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL as the NHL keeps a lock on its doors. He notched his first ever goal, a slapper from the point, the other night in Springfield.

He’s listed at 6’1″ 198 lbs. but honestly doesn’t seem to have that much size or weight. He appears smaller maybe because of the ease he moves through spaces out there whether they’re large or small.

Just looking at him, you know this is a kid that brings his A game every time.

30Aug

Alex Grant(20) Pittsburgh Penguins

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Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2007 draft (#114 overall) defenseman Alex Grant(20) re-signs his qualifying offer to return for another season in the team’s prospect system.

He had an amazing 2011/2012 setting career highs in games played, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes (61-10-27-37-73) with their AHL affiliate WBS Penguins after a disastrous 2nd year, when he shattered his wrist and suffered whiplash in a rookie tournament leading up to training camp pretty much shelving the entire campaign.

The blue liner has sizable presence standing at 6’3″ 190 lbs. and could definitely add some bulk to his frame, making him tougher to play against.

At 23-years old, he looks to be developing pretty much on schedule. He started his pro career in the ECHL with Wheeling Nailers and has played in 71 games in double A, including 17 on their way to the Kelly Cup Eastern Conference Finals.

24Aug

Cam Paddock(11) Frederikshavn

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9th year grisly veteran center Cam Paddock(11) started last season with Manchester Monarchs after signing a one-year, two-way contract with Los Angeles Kings right before the 2011/2012 season started.

He appeared in 39 AHL games scoring 2 goals and 3 assists and then seemingly disappeared. The 29-year resurfaced, without much of an explanation from the parent club other than they terminated his contract, back in Germany (where he skated in ’10/’11) with Ausburg Panthers for the remainder of the year.

The one-time 5th round pick of Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2002 draft (#137 overall) switches up countries for the new season, joining Frederikshavn White Hawks in the Danish hockey league AL-Bank Ligaen.

The 6’2″ 192 lbs. forward has nasty written all over his game and has played in 16 NHL games, all with St. Louis Blues, registering a goal and a pair of assists to his credit.

It’s likely he’ll ride out his pro career overseas at this point.

13Aug

Jake Muzzin(3) Los Angeles Kings

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3rd year defenseman Jake Muzzin(3) was originally a Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 5th round pick in the 2007 draft (#141 overall) but never signed with them and instead inked a 3-year entry level deal with Los Angeles Kings that saw him on the team’s opening night roster in his rookie season, 2010.

He was ultimately reassigned and recalled a few times that year but managed to skate in 11 games notching a single assist, while averaging some 12-13 minutes of ice per contest.

That has basically been it though as he enters his third season, having accepted the Kings‘ qualifying offer to stick around.

In 116 regular season AHL games with their affiliate Manchester Monarchs he netted 10 goals and assisted on 39 more.

The 6’2″ 216 lbs. 23-year old blue liner put up career bests: goals (7), assists (24), points (31) and penalty minutes (40) in also a high, 71 games.

He’ll probably need an outstanding training camp to get another look in the show. “I get knocked down…”