Snapshots: Jagr, Kirk, Poulin
Being 36 years old in the NHL for an average player generally means retirement is on the horizon. Don’t tell that to Jaromir Jagr, who confirmed today he’ll be playing his 36th straight season of pro hockey, suiting up with his hometown team, Rytiri Kladno, in the Czech Extraliga. Jagr, the team’s majority owner, doesn’t ride the bench at age 51, either. His 14 points in 26 games last season still placed him top ten on the team in scoring as Kladno narrowly managed to avoid relegation to the 1. liga for the second straight season. This season, he’ll be once again joined by team captain Tomas Plekanec, as the longtime Montreal Canadiens pivot is still active overseas at age 40. Longtime NHLer Michael Frolik is also suiting up for Kladno in 2023-24 after playing last season in the Extraliga with Bili Tygri Liberec. Jagr has played for Kladno ever since his NHL career ended in 2018 with the Calgary Flames.
Other notes from around hockey on this Saturday night:
- Groundbreaking British prospect Liam Kirk spoke to PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan recently after mutually terminating his entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes. Last season was a roller coaster ride for Kirk, who was healthy after a knee injury sidelined him for most of 2021-22. Loaned to ECHL Atlanta and then overseas to Jukurit in Finland, Kirk says he “didn’t really hear from the Coyotes” throughout the campaign and was even more confused after AHL Tucson was still active after his season in Finland ended without recalling him. Kirk, the first player born and developed in England to be drafted by an NHL team, has a one-year deal with HC Litvinov in Czechia next season, where he’s expected to play a top-six role. The 23-year-old remains in pursuit of another NHL opportunity down the line.
- Pittsburgh Penguins 2019 first-round pick Samuel Poulin is back on the ice with the team during rookie camp after taking a four-month leave of absence to deal with his mental health last season, telling NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale he “feel[s] great” and is looking forward to competing for a roster spot. It’s been a tough transition to pro hockey for Poulin, who put up strong numbers in the QMJHL but had just four goals and no assists in 15 games with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season. The 6-foot-2, 214-pound Laval product can play all three forward positions.
Peter Abbandonato Expected To Join Penguins On PTO
The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to add forward Peter Abbandonato to their training camp roster under a PTO contract according to Tony Androckitis. In early July, Abbandonato reached a one-year AHL agreement with the Chicago Wolves organization for the 2023-24 AHL season.
Although a seemingly unrecognizable player to most, Abbandonato was one of the biggest names in major junior hockey not all that long ago. During the 2018-19 QMJHL season, Abbandonato was a part of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies organization, leading not only his team but the entire league in points. The Huskies would end up defeating the Eastern Conference champion Halifax Mooseheads in the President Cup Finals in six games. Rouyn-Noranda would continue their playoff momentum, winning the 2019 Memorial Cup, with Abbandonato leading the way scoring six goals and 21 assists in 15 games.
Unfortunately, Abbandonato’s junior league success did not transfer into the semi-professional leagues of North American hockey, as while being split between the AHL and ECHL for much of his career up to this point, had been unable to score more than 25 points over a full season in either league.
Last season, playing in his first full year with the Laval Rocket, Abbandonato had one of his best seasons since his famed 2018-19 QMJHL year. Playing in 66 games for the Rocket, Abbandonato would score 11 goals and 35 assists, finishing second on the team in total scoring. Although he has already committed to the Wolves for the upcoming season, if Abbandonato impresses in camp with the Penguins, and builds on his best year in the AHL to this date, he may be in line for some surprise NHL minutes in his future.
Pittsburgh Penguins Announce Slew Of New Hires
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced a slew of new hires today, adding people to positions in their equipment, high performance, and player development departments. Some of the new hires have prior experience working with Penguins president of hockey operations and GM Kyle Dubas, including new director of goaltending Jon Elkin. These hires continue the process of re-shaping the Penguins under relatively new owners Fenway Sports Group and Dubas, who FSG hired earlier this offseason.
Latest On Owen Pickering
- Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays word from Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins head coach J.D. Forrest that 2022 first-round pick Owen Pickering is dealing with an undisclosed injury. Rorabaugh adds that he’s “hopefully ready by the start of training camp” though that is unclear at this time. Pickering is a bit of a long shot to make the Penguins out of camp, but did get into eight pro games last season and likely will spend one more year as a top-line defenseman in the WHL.
Phil Kessel Unlikely To Sign With Pittsburgh Penguins
A rumor that hasn’t been going away the past month is a Phil Kessel reunion with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kessel was largely beloved in Pittsburgh during his four years with the Penguins and was a huge part of their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017. Kessel had a very good claim to the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2016 that ultimately went to Sidney Crosby and was equally as effective in 2017 on the Penguins’ path to a repeat. He was an electric playmaker that fit the city of Pittsburgh like a glove.
But with the rumors flying Josh Yohe of The Athletic has poured cold water on the notion of the Penguins signing the now 35-year-old Kessel. Yohe writes that he doesn’t see the Penguins signing Kessel for a number of reasons. This echoes what Dave Molinari wrote last week in Pittsburgh Hockey Now where he said what Kessel brings to the table doesn’t fit with what General Manager Kyle Dubas and Head Coach Mike Sullivan are trying to do.
Both Yohe and Molinari’s assessments make sense given the roadblocks that would impede a potential return. The Penguins have signed a lot of bottom-six forwards for this upcoming season and appear to be favoring defensively responsible players, something Kessel has never been accused of being.
There is also the issue of Kessel leaving Pittsburgh on bad terms when he was traded in the summer of 2019. Many outside reports indicated that Kessel and Sullivan had a difficult relationship, however, both men have said that those reports were overblown by people who were outside of the situation.
The last hurdle, and perhaps the biggest one is the play of Kessel since he was traded by the Penguins to the Arizona Coyotes in 2019, he just hasn’t been as good as he was in Pittsburgh. Kessel has never taken great care of himself despite being the NHL Iron Man, and this has really shown in his play on the ice. Since the trade, Kessel has topped 14 goals just once, and 50 points once as well. Last season he found himself a healthy scratch for the majority of the playoffs as he watched the Vegas Golden Knights march to the Stanley Cup.
While a reunion would be fun and would add to what is going to be a wildly entertaining season of hockey in Pittsburgh, it doesn’t seem like it is going to happen, which will break the hearts of some Penguins fans.
Pickering Among Three Prospects Injured For Prospect Tournament
- A trio of Penguins prospects are dealing with injuries and aren’t expected to play at their upcoming rookie tournament, relays Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Those players are defensemen Owen Pickering, Nolan Collins, and winger Raivis Ansons. Pickering is the most notable of the group as Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in 2022 and in theory could have an outside shot at cracking their lineup in camp. He and Collins are ticketed to return to junior otherwise while Ansons should once again suit up in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. There is no word about the nature of the injuries or how long each player might be out for.
Penguins Sign Colin White To PTO Agreement
4:50 PM: The PTO signing of White has now been officially announced by the Penguins.
2:07 PM: The training camp roster continues to grow for Pittsburgh as TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link) that center Colin White has agreed to a PTO agreement with the Penguins.
The 26-year-old was bought out by Ottawa last spring despite having three years and $15.75MM left on his contract. He quickly landed with Florida, inking a one-year, $1.2MM deal on the opening day of free agency. White wound up playing a very limited role with the Panthers last season, getting into 65 regular season games where he played pretty much exclusively on the fourth line. He was relatively productive in that role, notching eight goals and seven assists despite logging less than 10 minutes a night.
White was a regular in Florida’s lineup for their run to the Stanley Cup Final, playing in all 21 games. However, his playing time was even more limited at less than eight minutes a night while his production dipped to just two assists without scoring a goal. While Florida could have retained White’s rights by issuing a $1.2MM qualifying offer in June, they opted not to do so, sending him back into the open market.
White joins winger Austin Wagner plus defensemen Mark Pysyk and Libor Hajek as those entering Pittsburgh’s training camp on tryout agreements. Having been an NHL regular (when healthy) for the past five years would seemingly give him a leg up but GM Kyle Dubas has already added some extra depth this summer with the likes of Andreas Johnsson, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Rem Pitlick. One thing is for certain, there is going to be quite a battle for the final few spots with the Penguins and White is the latest to become a part of it.
Phil Kessel May Not Be Set For The Pittsburgh Reunion Fans Want
Phil Kessel is looking for his next team after winning his third Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights. Many fans have hoped that his free agency could mean a possible reunion with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kessel spent four years of his 17-year career in Pittsburgh, winning Cups in his first two years with the club. But Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dave Molinari shares that a reunion is less than likely. Molinari shares that Pittsburgh’s current roster building is focused around fleshing out their bottom-six. And while Kessel, who scored 36 points in 82 games last year, may be able to provide some exciting bottom-six scoring, he doesn’t fit the checking-line style that Pittsburgh is targeting. The Hockey News’ Nick Horwat is similarly doubtful that Kessel is set for a Pittsburgh reunion, adding that Kessel doesn’t have the defensive acumen that new Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has prioritized.
Pittsburgh Penguins Hire Doug Wilson
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced this morning that have hired former San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson as a Senior Advisor of Hockey Operations. According to the Penguins press release, Wilson’s role will see him provide his opinion and counsel to Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas, as well as offer his expertise relating to all hockey matters, including personnel decisions.
Wilson brings over four decades of NHL experience to the Penguins management group having spent over 25 years in management with the San Jose Sharks on top of his 16-year Hall-of-Fame playing career. Wilson oversaw a Sharks team that was consistently in contention without ever undergoing a true rebuild. Something the Penguins are likely staring down when the Sidney Crosby–Evgeni Malkin–Kris Letang era of hockey comes to an end.
Wilson was inducted into the Hockey Hall-of-Fame as a player in 2020 after dressing in 1024 career NHL games split between the Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks. The Ottawa, Ontario native recorded 237 goals in his career and 827 points and was the Norris Trophy winner in 1982.
He spent 19 years as the general manager of the Sharks, guiding them to 14 playoff appearances as well as a Presidents’ Trophy in 2009, to go along with six division titles. The Sharks never did win a cup under Wilson’s tutelage, coming close in 2016 when they lost in the Stanley Cup final to the Penguins.
Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Dubas has rebuilt the Penguins both off and on the ice, having overhauled their defense, their forward group, and now the hockey operations department. It should make for an interesting season in Pittsburgh as there is renewed optimism after the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. The Penguins have felt stale since 2018 and with the addition of Dubas, along with the Erik Karlsson trade, it seems the Penguins are trending in a positive direction as they enter what is likely to be the final run with this core.
Penguins Announce New Regional Sports Network
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced “SportsNet Pittsburgh” today, finalizing the home of Penguins hockey for all regionally televised games. Per the announcement, the Penguins “entered into an agreement to acquire and re-brand the existing AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh network,” the Penguins’ regional sports network from last season. There has been significant uncertainty in the regional sports broadcasting market in recent months, but with this announcement Penguins fans get some clarity as to what entity will broadcast their team’s games moving forward.