Penguins Goaltenders: Counterpoint

*This post is in response to my friend Rick Buker’s latest post on Penguins’ Goaltenders

When was the last time a Pittsburgh Penguins’ prospect made any national, top ten prospect list for any position? I can’t even remember. Certainly, not during the nightmare Mike Sullivan, black hole era.

Jake Guentzel did turn out to be a star, but he was a 3rd round draft pick who finished his career out in college before turning professional. Sullivan tried burying him in the minors like so many other prospects in his first pro season. He started the 2016-2017 season out with the Wilkes Barre – Scranton (WBS) Penguins until injuries to many Penguins’ Forwards rescued him from the obscurity that condemned so many other prospects in the Sullivan regime. Injuries and the opportunity to skate with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel gave Guentzel the opportunity to score big in his first game, potting a Goal in his first shift and also the second Goal and only other Goal a Penguin scored in that game.

Well, finally a Penguin Prospect got recognition from national writers; On July 17th the NHL website listed Joel Blomqvist as one of the top ten Goalies under 25.

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