Prospects get their shot
3-day tournament helps map future one way or other
LONDON, Ontario — Jason Botterill has a pretty good eye for talent and has proven it repeatedly since joining the Penguins’ front office in 2007.
His evaluation skills weren’t severely tested the first time he attended a prospects tournament, though. At least not when he was assessing the Penguins’ defense corps, since the group for that competition in Kitchener, Ontario, was headlined by Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski.
“It was evident there that they had a very, very bright future,” said Botterill, now the team’s associate general manager.
Most young players don’t have such obvious pro potential, which is why prospects tournaments like the one the Penguins will participate in at Budweiser Gardens this weekend are so valuable for young players and those who evaluate them.
Players can jump-start their pro careers at such events; draftees can climb the organizational depth chart, while free agents can prove that they have legitimate promise.
While most free agents get nothing more than a handshake to show for their effort, it’s possible to make a positive impression that eventually translates to a pro contract.
Jean-Sebastien Dea, one of the top forwards with the Penguins’ minor league team in Wilkes-Barre last season, followed that route a few years ago.
The Penguins will play their tournament opener at 3:35 p.m. today against Montreal. They will face Ottawa’s prospects Saturday, then Toronto’s Sunday. Barring late changes, nine of the 24 players on the tournament roster will be free-agents tryouts. Odds are that few, if any, will own a pro deal by the end of the weekend, but all would like to earn at least a longer look in training camp that begins next week.
Because the Penguins have six players participating in the World Cup tournament, there will be a few extra spots open on the camp roster.
Six of the nine free agents are forwards; the other three play defense, where prospects might have the best chance of forging a long-term relationship with the organization. A few years ago, the Penguins’ talent pipeline was clogged with promising young defensemen, but that surplus has disappeared.
So, while management was happy to lure highly regarded free agents Ethan Prow and Lukas Bengtsson a few months ago — “I’m really excited to see how they perform in this tournament,” Botterill said —the organizational depth chart on defense still can be fleshed out a bit.
That’s good news for tryout candidates Brandon Crawley, Dawson Davidson and Gabriel Sylvestre.
“We’ll certainly be looking at them closely to see if they’re players we want to sign,” Botterill said.
Defense will be the area of greatest concern and uncertainty. The goaltending tandem of Tristan Jarry and Sean Maguire should be solid, and their forwards include several veterans of pro hockey, like Oskar Sundqvist, Dominik Simon and Josh Archibald. Most tournament participants, however, have little, if any, pro experience, another reason Botterill believes such events such are worthwhile.
“When you bring an 18or 19-year-old kid into the main camp, they’re a little nervous and sometimes a little overwhelmed,” he said. “Seeing them in this setting gives you a better feel for where they’re really at.”