Another year. Another draft in the books for the NHL. The headlines will talk about Kris Letang’s new contract and shipping Tyler Kennedy to San Jose, but the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome six new additions to the club.
Round 2 (44th Overall) Tristan Jarry/G: The 6’1 183 netminder was acquired after the team traded up six spots with Columbus, giving away the 50th and 89th selections. Jarry spent two years with the Edmonton Oil Kings, playing sparingly in 2011 before splitting time the past year. He came into his own in 2012, posting a 1.61 GAA and .936 save percentage to go with six shutouts. The Canadian was named Player of the Game for Team Cherry in the 2013 CHL Top Prospects Game. NHL Central Scouting’s Al Jensen had this to say in describing Jarry.
“He’s not a cookie-cutter goalie and doesn’t just drop in the butterfly; he’ll stand up and read the play and possesses good rebound control.”
Drafting goaltenders can yield unpredictable results and it’s obviously way too far to project what kind of impact he’ll have with the Penguins but it’s a nod to the future between the pipes from Ray Shero and company.
Round 3 (77th Overall) Jake Guentzel/C: Home-grown out of Omaha, Guentzel played with Sioux City last season. It was an impressive campaign, racking up 73 points in 60 games. He found the back of the net 29 times. In 50 games in high school at Hill-Murray School, Guentzel scored 36 goals. The obvious deficiency to him is his lack of size, standing 5’9 152 pounds. But it can’t be denied he has been a playmaker whenever he touches the puck.
Round 4 (119th Overall) Ryan Segalla/D: Segalla, also American-born from Boston, lit the lamp 10 times in only 28 games this past year, adding eight assists. He’s got a build that he can bulk up in, tipping the scales at 194 pounds on a 6’2 frame. At only 18, he’ll surely grow into it. The defenseman also picked up 28 penalty minutes at Salisbury Prep high school.
Round 6 (164th Overall) Dane Birks/D: The stat sheet may be fairly light, just five goals and 15 assists in 52 games for the Merritt Centennials (British Columbia) but Birks was apart of a team that went 31-17-3 and allowed less than 2.7 goals per game this past season. He had committed to Michigan Tech in 2012. Like Segalla, he possesses good size at 6’3 190 and still just 17 years old.
Round 6 (179th Overall) Blaine Byron/C: From 2008-2011, Byron averaged 16 goals. 2012 was a slight down year by comparison with only 12 goals in 56 games split between three teams, including a short stint with Canada’s East Under 19 squad. On the plus side, he put up 40 assists. Previously a Maine commit, Byron stands in at 5’11 163.
Round 7 (209th Overall) Troy Joseph/C: Rounding out the last of the Penguins’ selections, Joseph had an impressive 2012 campaign with St. Michaels. The Whitby, Ontario native recorded 37 points in 42 games. A stark improvement over what he did for the team in 2011 (24 points in 41 games). Having just turned 19 and possessing a bigger frame (6’0 179), there could be some sleeper potential with Joseph.
