When training camp opened for the Pittsburgh Penguins in September, forward Sam Poulin did all he could to push for a roster spot. Without a waiver exemption, he knew that it could be his final shot to play in Pittsburgh.
Unfortunately for Poulin – the Penguins’ first-pick at 21st overall in 2019 – a NHL roster spot wasn’t in the cards for him by the end of camp, and he ended up getting waived by the team he wanted so badly to play for. Going unclaimed by another NHL team, he was optioned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate.
But, while everyone else may have been writing Poulin’s NHL eulogy, he got to work. He registered three goals and nine points to begin his season in the AHL, and, with his promotion back to the NHL club on Sunday, he is – in some ways – thankful for the experience that he went through.
“My dream’s always been to play in this league and play at this level,” Poulin said. “So, I just feel like, you know, I hate to say it, but… I kind of needed that setback a little bit to learn from it and to be even more ready now. I Iearned a couple of things from that one day of being sent down to Wilkes, and I think I’m just more ready now than I was at training camp.”
Poulin’s journey, even at just 23 years old, has not been an easy one. Injuries and a global pandemic had gotten in the way of his development, and he stepped away from the game for a significant chunk of time during the 2022-23 season to focus on his mental health.
He said it feels “really, really good” to be back in this place, fighting for a spot in the NHL lineup by the team that drafted and believed in him. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan also took the time to reinforce that belief from the organization’s standpoint.
“He’s been one of [Wilkes-Barre’s] very best players,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s played extremely well, he’s deserving of the call-up, and that is the biggest reason why he’s here.”
He added: “He’s a guy that’s a young player that we’re excited about, and we’re looking forward to getting him in the lineup and seeing what kind of an impact he can have with our group and helping this team move forward.”
Poulin’s NHL sample size is small, as he has only played in seven total games over the last three seasons, recording one point. He made his season debut against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, logging 10 minutes of ice time and garnering a minor penalty.
Sullivan was quick to praise the young forward’s work in that game as well, saying that he was strong on pucks and in the offensive zone, as well as on the penalty kill, which is a role more unfamiliar to Poulin.
Another thing that has been somewhat unfamiliar is playing on the right wing, which is something that Poulin did in Wednesday’s game and had also been doing in WBS. He was, evidently, seeing some success at a position that he hasn’t played before at the pro level, and he knows that having the versatility to do those new things such as manning different positions and playing on the penalty kill will only benefit him.
Poulin knows it won’t be easy, and he knows being a call-up has its own set of challenges, such as no guarantee of a lineup spot night in and night out. But, with more and more forward injuries piling up for the Penguins, it appears that he may have a more expanded opportunity to make a difference.
And whatever this opportunity brings him, he’s ready for it.
“Just staying ready every day,” Poulin said. “I never know when my name’s gonna be in the lineup or not, so I think it’s just a matter of preparing the right way. If I’m in the lineup, I’ll be ready to go.”
