23. Tomas Hertl
24. Hampus Lindholm
25. Nicolas Kerdiles
26. Scott Laughton
27. Ludvig Bystrom
28. Cristoval 'Boo' Nieves
29. Oscar Dansk
30. Malcolm Subban
Pittsburgh is an elite team, with elite players, and a stable group of prospects. There's very little to complain about, and therefore Pens fans shouldn't. They've won a cup. Stop complaining!
(I jest... kinda.)
Shero, Mario and the gang arrive at the podium, a black Pens jersey in hand. "With our first pick at twenty-second overall, Pittsburgh is proud to welcome, from the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League:
Derrick Pouliot."
A teammate of current Pens prospect, Joe Morrow, Pouliot is of a similar breed to Joe as an intelligent puck mover.
With the puck, Pouliot is at his best. Someone who can log heavy minutes and not wear down, Pouliot plays a very pro-style game. Utilizing his great vision and smarts, Pouliot starts most attacks with very crisp passing to break his teammates. He's a tremendously gifted playmaker and shows that when quarterbacking in-zone offense with calm and collected moves. Whether slowing a game down or speeding it up, Pouliot controls the pace of a game from the back end.
Pouliot is also a strong skater with good balance, utilizing a wide based stride. He shows a real desire to jump into the play and act as another forward for passing plays. When he pinches, he has the mobility to recover and get back into position.
While possessing a fairly accurate shot, he tends to think pass first.
Defensively, Pouliot can struggle. He has a very active stick but needs to learn to simplify and sometimes take the man rather than the puck. His decision making in his own zone is very hit or miss at this stage, and he'll need to add some muscle to his frame.
At his best, Pouliot is sneaking into holes of coverage and making defensive systems look foolish.
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