Snapshots: Walker, Penguins, Kostin

As NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti writes, Nathan Walker will make history Saturday night when the Australian forward makes his NHL debut for the Washington Capitals. Though born in Wales, Walker was raised in Australian and will be the first player from the country to lace up his skates for an NHL game. It’s not a publicity stunt by any means either, Walker has worked hard and deserves this chance.

A third-round pick in 2014 as a 20-year old, the small but unstoppable Walker has one of the most interesting development stories in the league. From playing in the Czech professional ranks as a teenager before suiting up in the USHL, to playing almost an entire season in the AHL before being drafted, Walker has proved at every level he shouldn’t be overlooked. He’ll likely skate beside Jay Beagle and Devante Smith-Pelly in Saturday’s game, in what could be a very effective energy line for the team.

• The Pittsburgh Penguins have been rumored to be after a third-line center for some time, but GM Jim Rutherford doesn’t think that was the problem with their first two games. Rutherford spoke to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and confirmed that they likely still will make a change eventually. “Can we make that position stronger at some point? Yeah. We’re going to,” said Rutherford, who has been linked to players like Riley Sheahan and Jordan Staal in the past. While it doesn’t sound like either of those two options are going to happen at this point, the Penguins are sure to be active all season long as they look for a three-peat in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
• Yesterday, despite being injured Klim Kostin was assigned to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. Kostin is working his way back from a lower-body injury suffered in camp, and will likely be asked to start in the AHL before getting another crack at the St. Louis Blues’ lineup. Kostin was impressive all summer after being drafted at the end of the first round, but is still just 18 years old. Of course, the Blues won’t have much say in how he’s deployed in San Antonio, as the AHL squad is actually the affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche for one more season. In 2018-19, St. Louis will be taking control after signing a long-term partnership with the club.