PROSPECTS REPORT # 3-1
The ol’ college try is more than an expression for the Penguins player development arm
It’s not that the Penguins have a bias for college players when they’re evaluating prospects to draft.
Their philosophy, expressed succinctly by assistant general manager Bill Guerin, is to take “the best players. It doesn’t matter where you’re from.”
Still, there are some benefits to selecting college players, most notably that NHL teams retain their rights for four years, twice as long as those of a junior player.
That extra time gives the prospect more of a chance to develop, and the organization more time to assess his potential.
“We [draft] the best player, but the advantage for a player who’s in college is time,” Guerin said. “If you’re a junior player, we have to make a decision on signing that player quicker.
“The college route, with time, is beneficial to us and the player. Some kids are ready to come out of junior and begin a pro career right away. Others can probably use another couple of years at a development level before they make that big jump.”
Coincidentally or otherwise, two of the Penguins’ three best prospects are honing their games in college hockey.
This is the final installment in our annual look at the top 10 prospects in the Penguins system. Players in their first season of North American pro hockey and those still competing in college, junior or Europe were eligible for inclusion:
3 Nikita Pavlychev Age: 21. How acquired: Seventhround draft choice, 2015. Position: Center.
Height: 6 feet 7.
Weight: 225 pounds. Team: Penn State (Big Ten Conference).
Stats: 10 goals, 10 assists in 18 games. Guerin’s assessment:
“He’s really come a long way. He truly works at his game. He loves it, and wants to be a player. He’s got a lot of drive. For such a big guy, he’s a very good skater. [Nittany Lions coach] Guy Gadowsky has done an amazing job with him. He gets better every single year. He gains more responsibility every single year and he’s producing a ton. His size and his drive make him a very good prospect for us.” 2
Calen Addison Age: 18. How acquired: Secondround draft choice, 2018. Position: Defense.
Height: 5 feet 10. Weight: 180 pounds. Team: Lethbridge (Western Hockey League). Stats: Seven goals, 36 assists in 34 games. Guerin’s assessment:
“He’s kind of that new defenseman that everybody wants. He’s not the biggest guy, but he skates real well, he has good mobility and he moves the puck. He’s a power-play guy. He had a very good training camp with us. Like all young, undersized defensemen, defending is going to be the biggest adjustment when he turns pro, going against bigger, stronger guys in the NHL. But he has good hockey sense, and he really competes hard.”
1 Kasper Björkqvist Age: 21.
How acquired: Secondround draft choice, 2016. Position: Right wing.
Height: 6 feet 1.
Weight: 207 pounds. Team: Providence College (Hockey East).
Stats: Nine goals, nine assists in 18 games. Guerin’s assessment:
“He’s a very well-rounded player. I think he’s going to be one of these guys who’s able to go up and down your lineup. He’s going to be able to play on your power play, play on your penalty kill. He’s a big, strong kid. He’s always top of his class in fitness testing at development camp, things like that. He has a unique, infectious personality, as well. There are a lot of leadership qualities with him, too. If anything, there are times when we would like him to think a little more offensively. He has that capability, but he’s so responsible [defensively] that sometimes he impacts his offensive game, just to make sure things on the defensive side are good.”