Skating doesn't slow Penguins top picks Samuel Poulin, Nathan Legare in scrimmage

When the Pittsburgh Penguins used their first two picks in last weekend’s NHL draft to select power forwards Samuel Poulin and Nathan Legare, the question came almost immediately.

Do they skate well enough to be impact players in the modern game?

It was fitting, then, that the team’s annual development camp ended with a three-on-three scrimmage tournament Friday night at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.

In three-on-three hockey, there’s nowhere for bad skaters to hide.

But Poulin and Legare didn’t have to hide. Competing against a group of prospects between the age of 18 and 25 at the end of June isn’t the same thing as skating against some of the world’s greatest athletes, of course. Everyone knows that. But in this setting, skating didn’t hinder either one at all.

Poulin made an impact on most shifts, showing off good anticipation skills, a deft passing touch and a physical edge.

“It’s a quick game,” Poulin said. “Especially three on three, there’s a lot of ice to cover. If you’re slow, it’s going to beat you. I think I did pretty well in the tournament.”

If Legare wasn’t the most dangerous shooter on the ice, he was in the top two.

“When I have space, I like to put the puck on the net,” Legare said. “It’s been successful for me.”

“I think their skating looks good,” director of player development Scott Young said. “I read that too, and they’re 18 years old. Everybody at 18 years old has to pick up their pace of play a little bit to play in the NHL. Maybe Connor McDavid didn’t have to, but there’s very few of those. Everybody, it’s pick your pace up. I see that written, and to me, it’s not a concern.”

One particular play stood out. In the championship game, Legare powered his way up the left wing with Poulin whacking him with his stick and hanging on his back. Legare withstood the onslaught, skated across the face of goal, waited out diving goalie Emil Larmi and fired a shot under the crossbar.

“He’s pretty strong and he’s pretty powerful,” Poulin said. “He’s a big body. You’ve got to make sure you angle him the right way to make sure you get the puck. I didn’t do that on the play. He beat me.”

Poulin got the last laugh when his Team Jagr defeated Legare’s Team Lemieux 7-5 in the championship game.

Larmi was the winning goaltender, and his performance stood out in a crowd. He’s an animated goalie who actively challenges shooters, never gives up on a play and isn’t shy about resorting to gymnastics when the situation calls for it.

Three-on-three hockey can be a goalie’s nightmare, but Larmi didn’t mind.

“Yeah, but it’s fun. I love to do this,” he said.

In a scene reminiscent of Marc-Andre Fleury, Larmi even tried in vain to shoot for an empty net when Team Lemieux had its goalie pulled in the final minute of the scrimmage. He said he’s never scored a goal before.

“Someday I will do that. Knock on wood,” Larmi said.

If Legare wasn’t the most deadly shooter in camp, that honor went to Jordy Bellerive.

The 20-year-old winger isn’t sure his shot is as hard and accurate as it could be as he continues to recover from a hand injury last summer, but he showed no signs of trouble Friday night. In his opening scrimmage, for instance, he ripped a wrist shot from the left circle in off the crossbar.

“He’s strong,” Young said. “He’s really strong for his size. He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s really strong on the puck. He has zone time. He makes plays. He has his head up. He can shoot the puck really well. There were a lot of guys in this camp who can shoot the puck really well.”

Some other observations from the development camp scrimmage:

• Jared Spooner, a left wing about to start his junior year at Minnesota State, stood out in the crowd with excellent skating and a willingness to use his hard, accurate shot.

• If there’s any concern about Poulin’s game, it’s not his skating. It might be his finishing. If he ups his conversion rate on the multitude of scoring chances he creates around the net with his direct, physical style, he’ll dominate junior hockey next season.

• Niclas Almari, the 20-year-old Finn, makes the prettiest breakout pass of all defensemen in camp. He plays bigger than his 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame might indicate. A solid sleeper prospect.

• Undersized defenseman Calen Addison is a one-man breakout. His skating is a strength, but he also knows when to carry the puck and when to make a pass. That’s obviously critical in a three-on-three situation.

• Filip Hallander, last year’s second-round pick, looks to be better defensively than offensively at this stage in his development. He’s a good skater, which is probably why the organization is so high on him.

• Scouts say fifth-round pick Judd Caulfield needs to work on his skating. He says his biggest weakness is puck skills around the net. After one short viewing, it looks like the scouts are right. Caulfield’s hands are fine. He scored a nifty turnaround goal during one scrimmage. He has to improve on his agility.

• Will Reilly, a seventh-round pick last year, isn’t fast, but he knows it. That’s key. He realizes he has to use anticipation and smarts to make up for a lack of foot speed, and he’s good at it.

• Finnish defensemen Antti Palojarvi and Santeri Airola didn’t have standout performances, but both are good skaters with good acceleration. That’s what makes them prospects.

• A couple of college free agents who could make an impact in Wilkes-Barre this season: Jake Lucchini and Brandon Hawkins. Lucchini does everything well. Hawkins is a nifty skater.