Penguins forward Sam Poulin’s pursuit is ‘just to be happy’
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Sam Poulin looks a bit different these days.
He has grown his hair out, and it’s a bit blonder.
Plus, he’s smiling.
That might be the most profound change in his appearance.
Approximately 10 months ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect took a leave of absence from the organization and returned to his home in Quebec to address his mental health.
He maintains his privacy as to the details of his respite, but it’s clear that it did him some good emotionally.
“Just to be happy,” said Poulin, the Penguins’ first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft. “That’s one thing I learned over the last couple of months. … It’s something you want to hold on to.”
While Poulin’s downtime was necessary for his overall well-being, it came at the expense of playing hockey. Since he returned to the American Hockey League’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in April, he has played in only five organized games, two at the AHL level and three this preseason with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“Actually, it doesn’t feel like I missed four months last (season),” said Poulin, who has two goals this preseason. “My summer was good. It was a good thing to go to rookie camp (this summer) as well to get some (ice time). So far, I feel really good.”
Poulin, 22, spent much of the offseason in Laval, Quebec skating under the watch of former NHL forward Sebastien Bordeleau (and with his son, San Jose Sharks forward prospect Thomas Bordeleau).
By July, Poulin participated in the Penguins’ prospect development camp, drilling with players a few years younger than him. Then in September, he participated in a prospect showcase that the Penguins took part in with five other NHL franchises in Buffalo. In that event, he was one of the older players on the ice.
Those steps have helped him make up for lost time in hopes of meeting the expectations that are always present for first-rounders.
“Understanding and putting his situation in context, he missed an awful lot of hockey last year, almost the whole season,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “That takes some time. I thought he had a strong rookie camp in Buffalo. He’s shown signs in the (preseason) games here. We really like his game. He’s big, he’s strong. He’s good down low below the goal line underneath the hashmarks of the offensive zone. He’s really good at the net-front, using his body to protect pucks. He can get to rebounds. He’s got a really good stick, getting his stick on pucks for deflections. Has the ability to play center and wing. There’s a lot about Sam’s game that is encouraging from our standpoint.
“The biggest and most important thing — and I’m sure I’m stating the obvious with this — is Sam’s health, first and foremost. That’s always been a priority for us and will continue to be. He looks really good, he feels really good. He’s doing really well. We’re excited about where he is and where potentially he could go.”
On Thursday, Poulin was gone, off to Northeast Pennsylvania after being assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the upcoming regular season.
Regardless of what end of the commonwealth he is stationed in, Poulin professes confidence in his game despite his unique circumstances.
“I think things went pretty well,” Poulin says of his preseason. “Just didn’t want to over-complicate things. Keeping my game simple. I think I’m doing the right things. We’ll see what goes on in the next couple of days.”
Whatever happens, don’t expect Poulin to be dour. The past 10 months have provided him with a different outlook.
“You don’t want to go too far away from being happy,” Poulin said. “By doing the things that make you happy in life, it’s awesome. And I get to play hockey every day and getting paid to do this. I enjoy my job even more than I did the last couple of months.”
Note: In addition to Poulin, the Penguins assigned forwards Avery Hayes, Rem Pitlick and Valtteri Puustinen as well as defensemen Xavier Ouellet and Ty Smith to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. … Forwards Andreas Johnsson, Joona Koppanen and Alex Nylander were waived. If they go unclaimed by 2 p.m. Friday, they can be assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. … SportsNet Pittsburgh hired former Penguins forward Bryan Trottier and former NHL defenseman Matt Bartkowski, a native of Mt. Lebanon, as analysts.