It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins have one of the lowest-ranked prospect pools in the NHL.
The Penguins' prospects were recently ranked 30th in the NHL by the Athletic, and there aren’t many highlights among the youngsters.
While all eyes are on Sam Poulin or Nathan Legare to impress at rookie camp, there are a few under-the-radar prospects who might be diamonds in the rough.
Ty Glover
A common theme that you will see is that the Penguins love signing undrafted college free agents, and Ty Glover is no different.
Glover was signed by the Penguins in late March of 2022 and his first professional contract gets underway this season.
At 6’3” and 200 pounds, Glover obviously brings size to whatever lineup he is in; and that’s exactly what’s been missing from the Penguins forward core recently.
For Glover, it’s not all about the numbers. He can make a difference and move up the prospect ranks quickly just by utilizing his stature and finding the proper role.
With Western Michigan University in 2021-22, Glover played in 39 games and was a solid play maker with eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points.
Glover will likely start the 2022-23 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL, where he played a pair of games last year.
Jack St. Ivany
Another college signing that brings size to the ice, defenseman Jack St. Ivany is the most recent prospect singing made by the Penguins.
St. Ivany signed in August from Boston College after transferring from Yale in 2020 and played a total of 115 games in the NCAA scoring 60 points.
Often forgotten, however, is that St. Ivany was originally a Philadelphia Flyers draft pick in 2018 while Ron Hextall was their general manager.
St. Ivany never reached the Flyers roster, nor signed a contract with the Flyers, but Hextall is aware of what is being brought to the table.
A sizable, right-shot, puck mover on the blue line, St. Ivany also stands at 6’3” and 200 pounds.
The Penguins have a thin prospect pool overall, but they are especially thin at the defense position.
If St. Ivany can grow into the system properly, he should be in real conversations to crack the NHL fairly soon.
Corey Andonovski
Of the names mentioned, Corey Andonovski has the most experience at the professional hockey level.
In 2021-22, Andonovski played in five games with the WBS Penguins and that is the likely starting spot for him in 2022-23.
The 23-year-old forward showed in his final year with Princeton University that he can be a steady goal scorer.
In 31 games in 2021-22 he scored 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points; Andonovski has a great opportunity with WBS to improve his prospect ranking.
If Andonovski’s name does get called to play with the Penguins in the NHL, he already has a place to stay.
In recent years, the Penguins prospect has become close friends with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett.
The two have already had the discussions and if Andonovki’s number ever gets called, he’ll be staying in Pickett’s extra room.
All three of these players have some names to jump to climb the prospect ladder, but they all have opportunities to prove their worth.
More than just the NHL Penguins, but the WBS Penguins in the AHL will be full of names to watch and keep an eye on as they grow as professional hockey players.
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