Sam Poulin hopes a physical edge will land him a spot on the Penguins' roster

Sam Poulin looks different.

Cosmetically.

Blessed with a thick head of hair that occasionally was highlighted via artificial means, he now is sporting a buzz cut.

“Just wanted a different look,” Poulin said. “Nothing too crazy about it. … This year, I just wanted to show up with a different look.”

And that’s not the only altered feature noticeable with the 24-year-old.

The two black eyes he has are prominent as well.

Those came via a fight with Montreal Canadiens forward Jared Davidson during the Penguins’ first game of the preseason, a 2-1 road shootout loss Sept. 22.

After Poulin slammed Canadiens forward Alex Belzile from behind into the boards, Davidson rushed to his teammate’s defense and challenged Poulin.

“As soon as I finished my check, the other guy ask me to go,” Poulin said. “I didn’t hesitate, and I just went.”

Nothing went as scripted for Poulin and the Penguins since they selected him in the first round (No. 21 overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft.

More than six years since he stepped on the stage to accept a Penguins jersey and pose for photos with team management, he has all of 13 games and two assists on his NHL resume.

Part of that limited return is the result of a leave of absence Poulin took in 2022 to address his mental health.

While that respite was vital for his overall well-being, it stunted his development as an NHLer.

He took some considerable steps forward, however, last season, even through some uncertain moments, such as clearing waivers in October.

Spending the bulk of the 2024-25 campaign with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, the left-handed Poulin posted career highs at that level with 19 goals and 43 points over 57 games. He also managed to get into the NHL club’s lineup for seven games.

“I felt like I had a really strong season,” Poulin said. “I was confident the whole year and put some good stuff out there. Also, I played some strong games when I was up here in Pittsburgh. Overall, I was really happy about the way things went.”

Beyond the base statistics, Poulin’s game underwent some development. At 6-foot-2 and 217 pounds, he is one of the stronger players in the organization and started to offer more physical displays similar to the sequence in Montreal.

“His game is becoming more well-rounded,” said defenseman Jack St. Ivany, Poulin’s teammate with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton the past two seasons. “With the guys that we had last year, the skilled players, it felt like he almost had to take on a power forward role. Earlier on (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton), he was a little bit more skilled. That was his game. He’s become more well-rounded. He’s learned to play both sides of the puck and be whatever you need to be.

“A little bit of a Swiss Army knife. He can go out there and fight. He can go out there and hit. He can also be a net-front on the power play. He’ll accept everything. That’s something he’s learned to embrace, whatever role he’s going to play that game.”

Poulin certainly vows to be ready for any station the Penguins might want him to inhabit. Typically deployed as a winger, he also is keeping his skills as a center refined by regularly working on faceoffs with assistant coach Nick Bonino.

“The last couple of years, they put me on the right, on the left, at center,” Poulin said. “You never know when there’s going to be a spot available. Right now, in training camp, there’s lots of movement, lots of changes. So, I never know where I’m going to end up playing. If they put me at center, I want to be ready. Same thing for (penalty kill) and power play. You never know when you’re going to be in.

“I’m just preparing myself for whatever is in front of me.”

What lies ahead is the NHL’s Oct. 6 deadline to submit season-opening rosters. Poulin realizes he’s in a battle to secure a role on the NHL club as guided by a mostly new coaching staff.

“Those coaches don’t really know me as a player,” Poulin said. “I do whatever it takes every day to bring the best effort I can bring and to show some good things on the ice.

“I want to make this team. Once that’s done, I want to help the Penguins win.”