The start of Drew O’Connor’s 2022-23 season looks a lot different than how his 2021-22 campaign began.

First, he found some offense almost instantly last season when he recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in his first two games.

This season, he went six games before getting his first goal.

Also, there’s the matter of where he’s opening this season. At the moment, he’s in the American Hockey League.

A year ago, he opened the season on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ NHL roster.

The Penguins’ main problem coming out of their 2021 training camp was trying to find enough healthy bodies to man the center position as All-Stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were still recovering from offseason surgeries.

This past training camp, the Penguins’ only roster-related issue was trying to stay compliant with the salary cap as the only malady they had to worry about was an undisclosed injury suffered by fourth-line center Teddy Blueger.

For O’Connor, that meant an assignment to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 24-year-old is still exempt from waivers for any assignments to Northeast Pennsylvania, so Penguins management sent him to their AHL affiliate Oct. 2.

After being limited to two assists in his first five games, O’Connor erupted for two goals and an assist in a 5-1 home win against the Cleveland Monsters on Wednesday.

“(It) was his best game for us so far this year,” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach J.D. Forrest said. “He started a little bit slow. I think he was fighting it, and he found it (Wednesday). He just kind of went back to work. We just need to see some more of that, which he’s certainly capable of. It’s a good step for him. It’s not just because he got himself on the (scoreboard). I think that was a result of the way he got himself on the scoreboard, the way he scored some of those goals.”

O’Connor’s first goal proved to be the winning score at 10 minutes, 45 seconds of the first period. Off a pass from forward Corey Andonovski, O’Connor surged past a handful of Monsters defenders and attacked the net before tucking a nifty backhander into the net.

“I got a good pass from (Andonovski) there,” O’Connor said. “Saw a little opening, so I just kind of chipped it a little bit and kept skating. Got a little breakaway there. Just kind of made a move with my backhand. Saw an opening there five hole. Fortunately, it went in there.”

Capable of playing wing or center, management has stressed the latter position for O’Connor this season, and he has been focusing on the details.

“I’ve been working a lot with the staff here, just watching my shifts, going over video, seeing those little areas of the games where I can be more effective,” he said. “Working as a center now, I’m definitely working on faceoffs. The penalty kill has been another point of emphasis this year for me. Playing center right now, I’m just trying to find those areas of the ice a little bit better where I can help out and get the puck more, support the defenseman.”

A major component of being a center is a greater emphasis on defense compared to wingers. Centers must offer support to defensemen in terms of getting the puck out of the defensive zone.

“A big thing for me is communicating a bit more on the ice, talking to the (defensemen), letting them know when you’re coming back in, what their options are, playing physical down low,” O’Connor said. “Then kind of reading the coverage, when they get those three forwards in the high ice, just sorting it out. And just kind of playing sound defensively. It’s definitely a big job for the centers to kind of be an area of support when the (defensemen) have the puck. So finding an area where you can get a pass, be an option for them I think helps them out a lot.”

On Sunday, with forward Jake Guentzel suffering an injury, the Penguins recalled forwards Drake Caggiula and Sam Poulin to the NHL roster.

More performances like the one O’Connor offered Wednesday can help his case for earning the next recall.

“There’s definitely a lot of good players, a lot of good forwards,” O’Connor said. “It’s something that can only make you a good player, having to fight for those spots rather than having it handed to you.”

Follow the Penguins all season long.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)