As we head into the offseason, it’s time to take a look at where the Penguins’ prospect pool stands.
Just as I did last year, I’ll break down the status of each prospect in the Penguins system, including players on Pittsburgh contracts and players on AHL-level deals who spent time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this past season.
I’ll take a look at their contracts for next season and where they are likely to play, as well as highlights from each player. If I interviewed the player this season, I’ll also share my favorite quote of the season from them.
Today, we conclude the series with a look at the goaltenders in the system.
Drafted?: No
2018-19 status: QMJHL (NHL contract)
2019-20 status: AHL (NHL contract)
Age: 20
Catches: Right
Size: 6-3, 210
D'Orio's 2018-19 season was his final year of junior hockey, and it was a wild one.
D'Orio began the year with the Saint John Sea Dogs, one of the QMJHL's basement-dwellers. His stats at face value with the Sea Dogs -- 4.48 goals-against average and .883 save percentage -- aren't impressive. But the Sea Dogs are a young team in a rebuilding phase, and D'Orio was the only player on the team with any ties to an NHL club. D'Orio faced an average of nearly 40 shots per game with Saint John and the most high-danger chances in the league during his time there.
As a courtesy to D'Orio, Saint John traded him to a contender -- the Baie-Comeau Drakkar -- at the QMJHL's trade deadline. As a result, D'Orio faced a much more reasonable 25 shots per game in Baie-Comeau, and posted a 2.55 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.
It's incredibly difficult to predict a goaltender's future success based on their junior career. However, when it comes to the things that do translate at any level — work ethic, mindset, calmness, confidence, and character — D'Orio excels. The number of people in the Saint John organization who spoke highly of D'Orio's character was incredible. On the Penguins' end, they were impressed by how D'Orio handled the adversity of carrying the team on his back.
“You learn a lot about his battle level and his mentality, and how he fights through adversity,” Penguins director of player development Scott Young said during development camp. “One of the things with Alex is that he played so many minutes, and that’s tough, but it’s actually great for a goaltender as far as the shots that he sees. It says a lot about him, and we’re really high on him.”
D'Orio will be in Wilkes-Barre full-time next season, where it’ll be exciting to see how he adjusts to the professional game. I would expect him to split the starts with a more veteran goaltender to help with the transition.
Drafted?: 2013, second round
2018-19 status: AHL, NHL (NHL contract)
2019-20 status: NHL contract
Age: 24
Catches: Left
Size: 6-2, 195
Quote: "You just focus on where you’re playing, and the team that you’re with. There’s nothing really you can do to control (trade rumors). Just making sure you can do what you can where you are.”
Jarry had one of his best statistical seasons of his four-year professional career. Both his goals-against average of 2.66 and .915 save percentage were the second-best of his career. Those numbers are even better when you look at how weak Wilkes-Barre was overall, and how several significant injuries affected the blue line.
The issue isn't whether Jarry is a good goaltender. He is. It's just not clear where he fits in the organization. Matt Murray is the starter. Casey DeSmith signed a three-year extension this season and requires waivers. Jarry becomes eligible for waivers next season, and with his low cap-hit of $675,000, there's a good chance he'd be lost on the waiver wire if the Penguins attempt to assign him back to Wilkes-Barre.
That means it's incredibly likely that Jarry becomes a trade chip in a larger deal for the Penguins this offseason, so they don't risk losing him for nothing once the season starts.
Drafted?: No
2018-19 status: ECHL, AHL (NHL contract)
2019-20 status: Unrestricted free agent
Age: 30
Catches: Left
Size: 5-11, 185
The Penguins signed Muse to a one-year deal last summer. Muse, at the time, was a seven-year pro who had spent his entire career split between the AHL and ECHL. He was a depth signing.
The Penguins had no other choice than to assign Muse to Wheeling, because Wilkes-Barre's other goaltender Anthony Peters was not eligible to be assigned to Wheeling. Because Muse was on an NHL contract, he had to give his consent to be assigned to the ECHL, and he did.
And yet ... Muse never looked like he wanted to be there. He was awful in Wheeling, recording a 3.40 goals-against average and an .878 save percentage. He earned a short stint in Wilkes-Barre while Jarry was recalled to Pittsburgh and again approved a re-assignment back to Wheeling, but he still just looked like he wasn't putting forth the effort that was needed. Wheeling kept giving him the starts, seemingly trying to play him out of his funk.
Finally, with Muse clearly not working in Wheeling, he was recalled to Wilkes-Barre to share the backup job with Peters. Muse appeared in 10 games with Wilkes-Barre, recording a slightly better 3.00 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.
Given Muse's rough year, I can't imagine he'd be re-signed. Wilkes-Barre does need a veteran backup for D'Orio, but they're everywhere. Muse is replaceable.
Drafted?: No
2018-19 status: ECHL (ECHL contract)
2019-20 status: Unrestricted free agent
Age: 27
Catches: Left
Size: 6-6, 205
O'Connor got his first taste of the NHL early in his career. He played in the Senators' home opener back in 2015, his first professional season. He took the loss, stopping 31 of 34 shots, and was sent back to the AHL. He remained in the AHL for the remainder of that season, and has bounced between the AHL and ECHL ever since.
O'Connor first joined the Nailers in the 2017-18 season while on an NHL contract with the Predators. The Predators had no room for O'Connor to play in their own organization, so they loaned him to the Nailers. He appeared in four games at the end of the season, recording a 3.33 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
Wilkes-Barre invited O'Connor to training camp last season, but released him, having no spot for a third goaltender. O'Connor signed an ECHL deal with Wheeling, where he began the season backing up Muse. O'Connor split the starts with Jordan Ruby after Muse left Wheeling for good. O'Connor appeared in 24 games for the Nailers, recording a 3.06 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. His size is definitely an asset, but he also has a calmness when he's in the net.
O'Connor joined Wilkes-Barre as a Black Ace at the end of the season, and posted a 2.26 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in two games.
O'Connor might not be a bad option to share the net with D'Orio next season in Wilkes-Barre. He was a great guy for Wheeling's locker room and he has 75 games of AHL experience, plus that one-game stint in the NHL.
Drafted?: No
2018-19 status: AHL (AHL contract)
2019-20 status: Unrestricted free agent
Age: 28
Catches: Left
Size: 6-1, 195
Quote: (on attending Pittsburgh's training camp) “Certain things had to fall into place, and you just have to do what you can control, and that’s working hard, coming to the rink every day and trying to be prepared for when things do happen. It’s exciting to be here, I’m really enjoying it.”
Peters seemed poised to have a career year last season, but that didn't exactly happen.
Peters began the 2017-18 season with the Cincinnati Cyclones on an ECHL contract. After a strong first few weeks of the season, during which he recorded a 2.34 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage, Peters earned an AHL deal with Wilkes-Barre and became the backup. He ended up being a valuable addition down the stretch and played 24 games, recording a 2.71 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
Peters' run at the end of that season earned him an invite to Pittsburgh's training camp this past season, where he again looked strong. He led his training camp squad to a tournament win, stoning Phil Kessel in the shootout to secure the final win.
Peters was destined to be Wilkes-Barre's backup. Cincinnati still maintained his ECHL rights, meaning if Wilkes-Barre were to assign him to the ECHL he could not go to Wheeling. Peters struggled in the few games he did play — a 3.28 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage in 19 appearances.
I'm sure Peters will be able to find an AHL backup job in another organization, but I don't see him returning to Wilkes-Barre.
Drafted?: No
2018-19 status: SPHL, ECHL (ECHL contract)
2019-20 status: Unrestricted free agent
Age: 28
Catches: Left
Size: 6-1, 210
Quote: “As a goalie, as a hockey player, it would be a lie to tell you that my dream is not to play in the NHL. Every hockey player’s dream is to play in the NHL. That will always be there until the day for me to quit.”
Do you ever meet someone and it's almost weird how nice they are? That's Ruby. That, coupled with his background, makes him an easy guy to root for. He's a real gem. *rimshot*
Ruby spent most of his three-year professional career in the SPHL before he came to Wheeling. That would be the Southern Professional Hockey League, a semi-pro independent league. Ruby earned some short ECHL stints during that time but spent the entire 2017-18 season in the second-tier French league.
Ruby returned to the Macon Mayhem of the SPHL for the start of the 2018-19 season so he could be closer to his family, recording a 1.90 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage in 12 games. When Muse was recalled to Wilkes-Barre and O'Connor was injured in December, Ruby was signed to an ECHL deal with Wheeling.
Ruby started the next five games and looked outstanding. Once Muse and O'Connor returned, Ruby was playing too well to just send him back to Macon, so Ruby and O'Connor split the backup job until sharing the net after Muse went back to Wilkes-Barre.
Ruby appeared in 27 total games for the Nailers and recorded a 2.87 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage, leading the team in both categories.
Ruby's former Macon squad was still in the playoffs when Wheeling was eliminated from playoff contention. Wheeling suspended Ruby, allowing him to report to Macon. Macon was swept in the best-of-three first round, with Ruby taking the latter of the two starts.
Wheeling's choice to suspend Ruby (as a way of getting him to Macon at the end of the season, rather than just releasing him) allows the Nailers to retain Ruby's ECHL rights for next season, suggesting that the Nailers intend to bring him back. He's certainly earned it.
Monday: Forwards, Part 1
Tuesday: Forwards, Part 2
Wednesday: Defensemen, Part 1
Thursday: Defensemen, Part 2
