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Sam Poulin calls out Penguins organization after being traded to Edmonton
The Penguins traded Sam Poulin to the Oilers this morning, and on his way out, he took some parting shots at the team, calling them out for a few reasons.
Samuel Poulin was about to get on the ice for practice with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday morning when he received word he had been traded to the Edmonton Oilers.
It came as a surprise to him, given he's been with the Penguins organization since being drafted in 2019.
Poulin broke into the NHL with Pittsburgh and lived a roller-coaster life with highs and lows, some involving mental health struggles he spoke about at the end of last season.
The trade involving goalie Tristan Jarry going to Edmonton included getting Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a second-round pick, and marked an end to Poulin's association with the guys he's been playing with for so long.
What Sam Poulin has managed to do in his NHL career up until this point
Poulin had been working on the ice with a more prominent role in mind. In five years with a mere 15 NHL appearances and just two assists, he still maintained relevance due to his display in the AHL.
Currently, he has managed to accumulate a total of 20 points with 22 appearances and topped the list with nine goals with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Why Sam Poulin is incredibly frustrated with the Penguins organization
A short voyage to the NHL and then a return to the AHL at the end of November frustrated Poulin, and he didn't hold back in his comments today.
"I was kind of stuck. Especially this year, I felt like I was playing great hockey and doing what I had to do to deserve to be called up. Unfortunately, it didn't always happen. I'm not the one making those decisions. I don't know what their plan was."
"There were times when I wondered what more I needed to do to get called up and play more games with the Penguins," Poulin explained. "I controlled what I could control. I used that frustration to motivate myself even more and improve every day."
"One thing I know is that with the way I was playing, I deserved to be in the NHL. It's going to be great to have another chance and prove that I deserve to play in the big league."
"There were times when I wondered what more I needed to do to get called up and play more games with the Penguins," Poulin explained. "I controlled what I could control. I used that frustration to motivate myself even more and improve every day."
"One thing I know is that with the way I was playing, I deserved to be in the NHL. It's going to be great to have another chance and prove that I deserve to play in the big league."
A new situation might emerge with Edmonton. Although the team's offense is led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton still requires some secondary scoring.
Poulin's size, speed, and current goal-scoring abilities make it very likely that he will be included among the prominent scorers soon.
And if he maintains this level of recent form and mental attitude, the Blainville, Quebec, native would finally be able to carve out an opening that he has been seeking.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 12 | 577 ANSWERS Sam Poulin calls out Penguins organization after being traded to Edmonton Do you believe Sam Poulin should have had more playing time in the NHL with the Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 347 | 60.1 % |
| No | 230 | 39.9 % |
| List of polls | ||