Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Which Penguins prospects are standing out at the prospect tournament?

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Penguins prospects are 2-0 in this year's prospect tournament and have a chance to win the championship on Tuesday, and Pat and I are going to discuss who has stood out so far coming up right after this. You're Locked-on Penguins, your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello and welcome to the Monday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Hunter Hodes. You can follow me on Twitter at Hunt. or Hodes, joined by my co-host, Patrick Damp, you can follow him on most social media platforms at Send him for Wet.

Starting point is 00:00:42 You can also follow the show's Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. And you can find us on Instagram at Lockdown, underscore Penguins. And of course, thank you all so much for making this, your first listen slash watch of the day. We are free and available on all platforms. Today is not only a victory Monday for the Steelers who beat the Falcons on Sunday, but it is a victory Monday for the Penguins prospects, beating the Red Wing. prospects four to three on Sunday, a really fun game to watch. The Penguins prospects are now 2 and O in this year's prospect tournament,

Starting point is 00:01:12 and they have a chance to win the championship title. I guess we can say it in quotation marks Tuesday morning, 10.30 a.m. Eastern against the Dallas Stars prospects, that'll be the third and final game of this year's prospect tournament. And Pat, before we get into that, though, I got to wish you a happy 36 birthday. You are officially an old man now that you're 36. I'm just going to call you. Unk now.

Starting point is 00:01:35 You're old man. Just call me Unk. Or as I said it this morning to someone, the real sickos who follow the Penguins as closely as we do, it's the Brian Rust year. If you remember, Brian Russ debuted where number 36, not the 17 that we know him for these days. But yeah, thanks, man. Appreciate it.

Starting point is 00:01:54 And let's talk about how the Penguins prospects are lighting up the tournament in Detroit. Yeah. This has been a lot of fun. to watch my Saturday was fantastic. I got to watch Virginia Tech Blast Old Dominion. I got to watch Arsenal beat Sunderland. And all at the same time, I got to watch the Penguins Prospects, beat the Blue Jackets Prospects, excuse me, two to one in a shootout. Really fun game to watch without the Penguins Prospects badly outplayed to the Blue Jackets Prospects, but the Blue Jackets Net Miner was fantastic in net through 65 minutes. We go to a shootout. And Pierce Bowie,

Starting point is 00:02:29 unbelievable release there to get a goal. And also, defenseman Thomas Galvis, Well, to move there to also get a shootout goal, the Penguins win there. And then on Sunday, the Penguins win four to three. Thomas Galvis with the goal of the tournament, just the way that he was able to enter the zone with control, going around one player, going around another player, and then finds himself one-on-one with the Red Wings goaltender and goes backhand bar down for that goal. Honestly, Pat, let's start there with Tommy Galvis. He has been the best player at this tournament. I don't think it's very close.

Starting point is 00:03:04 he is making a lot of these players look really foolish on the ice. And honestly, I'm not too surprised because he plays pro hockey and he is better than a lot of these players. But it's still really good to see him dominating in this setting and getting more and more people excited. Because we were excited about this pick when it was made. We turned on the tape. You saw a very unique skating ability right away, someone who could push the pace of play, generate offense at will. his mobility, especially walking the blue line, very strong, and all of that has been on display so far at this year's prospect tournament. He's been unbelievable. He really has, and it kind of flew under

Starting point is 00:03:45 our radars last week because we're still getting out of our off-season hibernation mode, where we're not refreshing everything and looking at every little bit of piece of content that we can. but we did miss that Galvis told Taylor Haas of D.K. Pittsburgh sports that the reason he's here is because he wants to try to make the team and he believes he can make the team. Now, listeners of this show have heard me say it that I think he is one of my underrated players going into camp because he is an overager. He is playing pro hockey in Chequia. so he does have a bit of a head start on a lot of the rookies and the prospects that are going to be in the system this year.

Starting point is 00:04:34 But the way for him to do that, the way for him to make this a reality is he is already making the correct first steps. He is a player that in this tournament needs to dominate. And through two games, he has unquestionably been the penguin's best player. Yeah. and maybe the best player at the tournament in general. So for him, again, I'm still skeptical that they're going to keep him, even if it is to put him in Wilkes-Pair, because they would probably rather him go play pro hockey again in Chekia.

Starting point is 00:05:10 But if he keeps this up, if he continues to play really well and has another big game tomorrow morning in the tournament, and then he goes and shows out at camp, this could be a case of the penguins in the front office, needing to be flexible and think, you know what? We wanted him to go back to Czechia. We wanted him to go there and play pro hockey, but it looks like he's on a faster track than we thought.

Starting point is 00:05:36 And usually when it comes to guys who play European pro hockey, save for the KHL, that's a whole other piece. But guys who play in Europe, it's a lot easier to get them over to North America than it is, say, rush up. So if he continues to show up and show out, he's making a strong case early. We still have to go through camp in the preseason, but through two games at the prospect tournament, Galvis looks like he's making a statement that he wants to stay in North America this year.

Starting point is 00:06:10 Yeah, that's the thing because you and I have talked a lot about how the plan for him has been to go back to check yet. Amanda Kessel has talked about it. Tom Cospolis has talked about it. West Clark has talked about it. Literally everyone inside the Penguins organization has talked about it during the all season that they want him to go back to Czechia for one more year. But you mentioned Taylor Haas's report in the Friday Insider for D.K. Pittsburgh Sports

Starting point is 00:06:32 that he is here to try and make an impression and try to make the team. So he's going to do that. I am with you. I am still skeptical that this happens just because he has a lot of players that he has to beat out on that left side. And I still think the main solution is going to be him going back to Chequia for one more season playing there and then coming back over to North America full time at the end of the season so that he can get games in with Wilkesbury and you play in the playoffs and then maybe next season we can have an even longer discussion but hey maybe he does go into camp

Starting point is 00:07:08 lights it up dominates and plays so well that they have to keep him again I am skeptical that happens but it's at least a small possibility that we have to discuss a little bit but I still think at the end of the day, he's probably going to go back to Chequia. However, it is nice seeing him play this well in this tournament and getting fans, as I said, really excited. A few other players who I also have liked their game so far, Pat, no surprise, Peters Bowie, he's been all over the ice as well, showcasing his release. He's been getting into the prime scoring areas quite a bit in those first two games.

Starting point is 00:07:44 Braden Edwards, someone who has multiple goals so far in these games, had that really nice one-timer on Sunday, a nice feed from Atleague Calvert as well, who I also think is a pretty underrated prospect in the system. Edwards played most of his time with the Wheeling Nailers this past season, 14 goals, 33 points, and 55 games, four goals and 12 points in 17 playoff games. He's going to get an opportunity to probably play with the AHAL's Wilkesbury Scranton Penguins this year, but someone who you should at least have your eye on a little bit in terms of someone on the, you know, up and coming, but again, not going to be a regular,

Starting point is 00:08:20 regular contributor at the NHL, but someone who I think is having a pretty decent tournament who could play some pretty decent minutes of Wilkesbury this year. Also, Carter Sanderson, we've talked about how he had a really nice summer, especially at the World Junior Summer Showcase. He was lighting it up there. He's already played really well so far. He uses some really nice physicality to his game, especially along the boards, and he had a really nice goal on Sunday. looking off the player on the two-on-one, fires the puck, short side. Nice assist by Marcus Rock there, by the way.

Starting point is 00:08:51 But really nice goal by Carter's Anderson there, too. And then the game winner was so funny, Pat. I don't know if you saw it. Own goal by the Red Wings, they credited it to Jordan Sharon, even though he did not touch the puck at all, but just a really funny way to win. But all no, those are like some of my big standout so far. We'll talk about players who I want to see more from

Starting point is 00:09:12 in the final game in the second segment. But those are some of my biggest standouts, I think, so far. Yeah, the thing with Edwards that I wanted to briefly touch on is I do like a lot of what I've seen from him in this tournament. So far, you kind of went through everything that he has done, including the one-timer, which was just absolutely gorgeous. But this is also, in a way, something that the organization is going to need to do over the next few years is find some of these problems.

Starting point is 00:09:42 Now, I have no idea if Edwards will develop into a legitimate NHL option or even an NHL player. But these are the kind of bets that you want to make in a guy who he's probably going to play a year or two in the ECHL, a year or two in the AHL, and continues to get better with each step and eventually could hopefully become an NHL option. And no way am I comparing the two because Edwards still has a long ways to go. but it could be a situation like a Brian Rust where he gets drafted late. You don't think much about him. He works his way up through the system. And next thing, you know, he becomes a mainstay on your NHL roster. Again, long time between that potentially happening.

Starting point is 00:10:29 But those are the kind of players and the kind of bets that the organization needs to take. And then for Sanderson, I mean, again, long road to hoe here before we get into anything crazy. But there does look like there is a good. bit of chemistry between Sanderson and the Ruck twins. Yeah. The thing that that's who he was looking off of. Sorry. And Liam on his left on the two on one.

Starting point is 00:10:53 So sorry about that. And the thing that in this isn't to say that the Ruck twins need to get preferential and special treatment everywhere they go. But you know that they are in fact a package deal. And if you can find somebody to slot in with them, whether it's back in junior, whether it's ECHL, AHL, wherever, and they have that level of comfortability and it opens up their game, that is going to be one of the bigger challenges for their development and integration into the Penguin's system. And Sanderson just seems to fit like a glove with those two.

Starting point is 00:11:30 So that's a really nice little development coming out of this camp, or this tournament, I should say. You know, maybe it's kind of like a preview for them at the University of North Dakota because, Pat, they're all expected to be there in the 27-28 season. This season for Carter Sanderson, he's going to spend one year in the W.HL playing for the Calgary Hitman, and he's heading to North Dakota. And as we all know, the Ruck Twins, they're also heading to the University of North Dakota after this upcoming season. So maybe we'll get to see them play together in North Dakota as well.

Starting point is 00:11:59 But that's going to do it for our first segment. Coming up in the second segment, Pat and I are going to discuss a couple of players who we feel like we want to see a bit more out of going into Tuesday's championship. game against the Dallas Stars, and that's coming up right after this. But before we get to that, we have to tell you all about today's first sponsor, which is Kalshi. The buck is about to drop on a new NHL season, who makes the playoffs, who wins their division, and who has what it takes to win the Stanley Cup on Kalshi, America's number one prediction

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Starting point is 00:13:09 what's next. 18 plus only restrictions and eligibility requires requirements, excuse me, apply. Event contract trading involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors. CalShe products are not available in all jurisdictions. Prices, values, and available markets may differ from those mentions. For more information, see calshy.com slash regulatory. All right, we're back here on the Monday edition of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Hunter Hodes, joined by my co-host, Patrick Damp and Pat. I do want to see a bit more out of like Mikhail O'Lean came over at the end of the season, played really well over Wilkesbury down the stretch and especially in the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:13:51 He's just looked a little bit of a step slow in these two games. Again, not fully judging him because it is a two-game sample in a three-game prospect tournament. I just want to see a little bit more out of him in general. I just think I wanted to see him dominate this type of tournament considering the way he played down the stretch, and I just think he's been a little too quiet so far. I also felt on Sunday Harrison Brunich, I thought he started the game pretty well, but then as the game went on, didn't play as well. I want to see him dominate Tuesday's game if he's in the lineup because he didn't play on Saturday.

Starting point is 00:14:25 But if he's in the lineup on Tuesday, I want to see him play a bit better because I know he's capable of way more than that. For sure. And the thing that I'm not worried about it per se, because again, it's a short tournament. it's a really weird tournament because you know that there's going to be some players who turn into full-time NHLers, some players who never make the league, some players who might not even be pro hockey players in a year or two. That's the kind of tournament that you're in. So it's really hard to gauge.

Starting point is 00:15:00 But to your point, the thing that we're not, again, not worries me, but the thing that I am looking at with those two is pretty much exactly what you said. I expected more. It doesn't mean they're playing poorly. It doesn't mean that we suddenly need to be concerned about their development or where they go from here or anything like that. It's just with as good as someone like Galvis has been, he's kind of stepping into the rule that I wanted Brunich to have. I wanted Brunich to go in there and just impose his will on the tournament because he has NHL experience. he's got a hl experience he's been really good over the last year at every level he's played at

Starting point is 00:15:46 even though he did fade a bit at the end of his nine game trial with the penguins right he went back to junior and dominated he went down and played for the baby penguins on their playoff run and he was unquestionably their best defenseman so i i want to tell myself that right now he's kind of got his eyes on a bigger prize, then, okay, if I go up to Detroit for six days and look like the greatest player on earth, what is that really going to get me with training camp looming? Same thing, I think, for Ily in a little bit, but his status in the organization is a little bit more in flux. I do think Brunick is the kind of player where going into camp, they probably have his name written in pencil that he could make the team, but in no world are they

Starting point is 00:16:38 guaranteeing him a spot with Ilyan he's got a lot to he's got a big big task in front of them and similarly similarly to what I was saying about Galvis if he wants to start taking that next step first step is to dominate this tournament and he's been fine I thought he's been playing okay but I just needed more from him so it's kind of a tale of two prospects where Brunick not dominating and playing just okay in this tournament, I don't think the front office and coaching staff is suddenly hitting the panic button that he's taking a step back. They probably realize he's got his eyes on a bigger prize. For Ilyan, they're probably like, this isn't a good start and camp is looming. I mean, also I think with I'llian, like he's not really expected to make the team. Like he's going

Starting point is 00:17:28 to start the season in Wilkesbury like 99.99.99%. And maybe he makes his initial debut a bit later on in the season. But you know, he's not as close to making the team as solid like Harrison Brunick is, even though, again, the right side is pretty crowded, but I saw that Harrison Brunick is more advanced of a prospect than McHale Ilihan is right now. So I'm with you on the Brunich situation. I just wanted to see him play a little bit better, but he's also played so well in his last two camps and pre-season that, you know, I'm not super worried about it. I'm sure he's going to have a really good camp in preseason, and then they'll make

Starting point is 00:18:02 their decision on him, you know, when it comes to it, like we're getting about two weeks away now from the start of the season with mckell leon yeah i just wanted to see him really you know go for the throat here and i will i will say i will say in both well maybe not both it definitely in ilians case i didn't have an expectation of him going in and dominating i didn't expect him to go in and light the entire tournament on fire i kind of did for brunick but i can again i can understand him going i've proven i'm a top prospect i don't do it again ilion i did want to see him at least more involved and to your point i don't think again i or maybe to kind of mill our two points together i should say

Starting point is 00:18:49 i don't think they're panicking on him either but i do think there is a bit of a well wanted you to do better at this tournament doesn't mean we're upset doesn't mean you're falling down the rankings or anything but they probably are looking at it like okay this probably solidifies he's going to be in Wokes Fair this year. Yeah, and that's not really a surprise. Like, yeah, he played well down the stretch well in the playoffs, but he still needs some more seasoning. So that is totally fine.

Starting point is 00:19:16 Again, we're not down on any of these players. We are still big fans of McKell, Leon and Harrison Brunick and others as well. We're just also not fully overreacting to a very small prospect tournament. And John, like this guy's not falling or anything like that here. But, you know, I'm excited to see what they do on Tuesday if both of them are in the lineup as well as everyone else. And speaking of that, we're going to discuss Tuesday's game a little bit more in depth in our final segment and discuss how Bill Zonan has played in this tournament coming up right after this. The easiest dinner isn't always the one that comes through a drive-thru.

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Starting point is 00:20:56 Let's discuss Bill's on in for a second because I know you were really texting me about him on Saturday and I was agreeing with you. I thought he was playing really well. He just plays such a strong pro-style game, really good defensively. He skates well. He sees the ice well. He was good in all three zones, especially in that game on Saturday.

Starting point is 00:21:15 This is a player who you and I have talked a lot about throughout the off season where we don't think he's going to make the team. He's most likely starting this season in Wilkesbury. But I definitely can see him coming up to make his NHL debut at some point during the year, especially if A, he's playing really well down there and earns it, or B, the Penguins have a lot of injuries, which we all know how it is with the Penguins injury curse. But I thought he especially had a really good game on Saturday. And I want to see if that continues now on Tuesday when they played their final game against the stars.

Starting point is 00:21:44 The biggest thing I've noticed about Zonan in this tournament is basically exactly what you said. It is a very pro-style, very mature-style game out of Zonan. And the production isn't going to jump off the page at you. I know that we really love that he went on that scoring binge right when he got to the baby penguins. But the scoring binge was kind of, obviously it's very important, but I will say in the grand scheme and discussion of his game, it was basically a bonus because he is talented offensively. He does have offensive upside, but he is just a really solid player. And when you're in a tournament like this one where you're not going to have any sort of film, you're not going to have any sort of preparation, it's not going to be the most organized hockey.

Starting point is 00:22:44 It's going to be a lot of players playing hero ball, so to speak, because they're trying to make an impression. And Zonan has just quietly been one of the better players on the Penguins roster. He's making really good decisions with the puck. He's really good defensively. his forechecking has been solid. It's the kind of player where if you're one of the scouts or the coaches or whomever from the Penguins organization that's watching this tournament, you're not going to be blown away.

Starting point is 00:23:17 You're not going to sit there and go, wow, Bill's on and dominated. But you're going to watch every shift and go, he did something positive. He did something good. He did something positive. He just keeps getting a little bit better. And this is a really positive. development because it would have been really easy for Zonan after his explosive debut with the baby penguins to show up at this tournament and try to blow everybody away and try to do too much

Starting point is 00:23:47 try to dominate instead he continues to play to his strength and he has continued to be one of the better players on the prospect of all yeah he's been very good and again i'm excited to see what he can do on Tuesday as the Penguins go for the prospect tournament title. Another player who hasn't played yet, but I'm wondering if he is going to get a start on Tuesday, is goalie Matt Vaid Nikonovic. Pat, they have started the other two goalies, went and Casey in the first two games. So I am curious if the Penguins coaching staff here gives him an opportunity in this third and final game.

Starting point is 00:24:23 We all know that he's not going back to Russia for this upcoming season. It looks like, Pat, that he's going to go to the O HL's Barry Colts, That's what's looking like right now, which is a pretty good landing spot for him. So I'd like to see him get that start just because A, hasn't played yet. And B, just to see what we're working with here, put up really good numbers in Russia this past season. And I just want to get a game of his end to, you know, at least evaluate him a little bit, even though only a one game sample. But that's my hope for it for Tuesday.

Starting point is 00:24:55 Yeah, and no better time, right? You have a chance to win the tournament. this kid has been really good in his time in Russia as a semi I don't want to say semi pro but like kind of like the KHL minor league system so to speak but he's been really good in that time they do seem to really like his potential so when you got a chance to win the prospect challenge there you go kid you are getting the start in the game that can get us the win so it's a it's a high stakes in a way moment for him and I want to see what he can do if they do play him because again,

Starting point is 00:25:29 they do seem to be pretty high on him and his abilities. So they want to keep making the goaltending pipeline and the Penguins organization as strong as it can be. Want to see what he can do. And here's the thing. We've spent most of this episode talking about how don't take it too seriously.

Starting point is 00:25:47 It's a small sample size, X, Y, and Z. But there is something to be said for a lot of these young players who are going to be involved in one way or another in the penguin system getting together, playing really well, and winning together. Because we all know, and I know I'm getting really, really far ahead of myself, but we all know winning begets more winning. It's kind of what I was saying when Wilkes-Bair was going

Starting point is 00:26:15 through their playoff run. A lot of those guys are players that the organization has high hopes will be able to play together and win together and grow together. So you give them that long run, get them bonded, get them learning how to play together. Do it again on a smaller scale with some of these prospects. They develop together. They come up together. They win together. It helps you build a solid culture.

Starting point is 00:26:39 And it helps you build a lot of team camaraderie, which we know that the best teams, no matter which way you cut it, with the exception of only a few, all seem to be those kind of teams that are really tightly wound and really know one another and want to win for one another. So it's not the biggest game in the world, but tomorrow would be a nice little feather in the cap for these prospects.

Starting point is 00:27:04 Yeah. And also it allows them the opportunity to really ride that momentum into training camp, which is set to start this Thursday. That is the first all-night session. And while I know a lot of these prospects are not making the NHL team this year, you still ride that momentum into camp and preseason. And then have a good camp in preseason, you can take that back to your junior team.

Starting point is 00:27:25 A HL, ECHL, ECHL, etc., NCAA, and you can ride that out for the upcoming season and really keep showing off to the organization and putting together a really good season. So this is really like the start of the 26-27 season for a lot of these prospects. So that final game gets underway 10.30 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday. So if you're bored at work, you don't got much to do, put it up on your computer. it is free to watch on the Penguins official website. And real quickly here, Pat, just before we end the show,

Starting point is 00:27:59 the Penguins announced that Marcel Braithwaite has been named the Penguins' new president of business operations. The Hoffman family said at their first press conference that they were going to be hiring a new president of business operations, and they followed through with that. On Monday, he spent the last 14 years with the MLB's Houston Astros and has a lot of experience. So he is now the Penguins' new president of business operations.

Starting point is 00:28:22 So with that, I think that's, That's going to do it for the Monday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Thank you all so much to take the time to listen to slash watch this one. Pat and I will be back with a fresh episode on Tuesday to recap that final game of the Prospects Challenge, who played well, who didn't, and then later on this week, training camp starts. We'll have training camp recaps from day one and day two,

Starting point is 00:28:43 and then what preseason previews to do as well. So we are fully locked in, especially since the regular season is starting in just a couple of weeks. So for Patrick Damp, I'm Hunts or Hodes. Thank you all so much for tuning in. We'll be back on Tuesday.

Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Which Penguins prospects are standing out at the prospect tournament?

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