Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
All Eyes on Penguins Prospect Ahead of Potential Breakout Season
Samuel Poulin has been a name to watch for years in Pittsburgh, and after a career year in the AHL, it appears he's now ready to put it all together for the Penguins.
The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted forward Sam Poulin out of the QMJHL back in the 2019 NHL Draft, and ever since then, he's been expected to be a huge piece of the future in Pittsburgh.
Whether it be to a lack of development, injuries or both, he has struggled to put it together thus far, tallying just 2 assists in the 13 games he's been given at the NHL level, while playing a total of 128 AHL games in the three years before 2024/25.
This season however, he's finally shown some consistency and production with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, tallying 19 goals and 43 points in 57 games with the team, and at 24-years of age, the late bloom may finally be here.
When asked about his most successful professional season yet, Poulin simply attributed it to consistency off the ice and sticking to his processes, something that isn't easy to do early in your career.
«I try to focus on my process every single day. And afterward, look back at my results and reassess my process relating with that. I think numbers are just after-effects of doing those good things on the ice. But, obviously, I'm really happy about the way I've been playing, especially the last couple of months.
The success has been noticed by NHL Head Coach Mike Sullivan, who is thrilled with the development Poulin has shown this year, and with great size, there's optimism for an NHL leap still.
«Sam's had a great year. He's played extremely well for (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton). He continues to grow and develop his game... Obviously, his size and his strength on the puck is something that we like. He's good on the wall.
The best aspect of his game is in the offensive zone underneath the hashmarks down low. He protects pucks well. He's pretty good at the net front. He has a good stick.
«We're, obviously, thrilled with his overall growth (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton).»
The best aspect of his game is in the offensive zone underneath the hashmarks down low. He protects pucks well. He's pretty good at the net front. He has a good stick.
«We're, obviously, thrilled with his overall growth (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton).»
It's unclear if he's played his way onto the NHL roster as of yet, but if he can perform well in the Calder Cup Playoffs, there's no reason why he can't push for a spot in Pittsburgh in training camp.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 26 | 153 ANSWERS All Eyes on Penguins Prospect Ahead of Potential Breakout Season Will Sam Poulin ever be an impact player in the NHL for Pittsburgh? | ||
| Yes | 57 | 37.3 % |
| No | 96 | 62.7 % |
| List of polls | ||