CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Just nine months ago, 2019 first-round pick Sam Poulin was a healthy scratch in the middle of the AHL regular season.
But following the opening practice of the Penguins' rookie camp at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Thursday, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach J.D. Forrest, the same coach who scratched Poulin, had nothing but great things to say of the 21-year-old's progression heading into his second pro season.
"He’s a totally different player, and person, I would say, too," Forrest told reporters. "When you look at his progression throughout the year, it was a tough start. That’s a huge, giant jump, and I think a lot of guys aren’t expecting that jump. They think it might be a little bit easier."
Before making the jump to pro hockey, Poulin spent four seasons in the high-scoring QMJHL, where certain plays he got away with simply wouldn't fly at the next level, and he admitted as much after returning to the lineup from being scratched in January. It didn't take long for Poulin to see his performance skyrocket after getting back into the mix.
"One thing about Sam is, he’s a relentless worker," Forrest said. "I know he wasn’t satisfied with that first portion of the season, and he took the message to heart and he changed a few things and stuck with it.
"Any piece of the game that you give him, he’s gonna try to dig down deep into it and become as good as he possibly can at it. Whatever you want to say about Sam, he will not get outworked, and whether that means a battle in the corner or a faceoff."
I don't want to draw any conclusions from a couple of practice drills, but Poulin's skating was noticeably stronger and crisper than what I've seen from him in the past. On top of that -- and to Forrest's point -- it was really hard to miss the intensity and pace he practiced with on Thursday.
Shortly after my observation, I learned that Poulin put in some major work on his skating during the summer.
"They’ve been telling me to work on my skating efficiency," Poulin told me following practice. "They wanted me to be more fluid. Sometimes, especially in pro hockey, you have less time to execute and you definitely have less time to shoot it, so they wanted me to work on my shot release a lot."
Fluid. The second that word left his mouth, I felt the click in my head.
Poulin has always skated with a relatively forceful stride, but it tended to be sloppy and out of sync with the rest of his body. I wasn't quite able to put it together that his skating looked so much better because of more fluidity until he said so. More fluidity, in turn, has made his straight-ahead stride more powerful when he needs to utilize it.
It doesn't hurt that he spent a good chunk of his time in the weight room during the summer, either.
"I just wanted to keep getting stronger in the gym to be better on the ice," Poulin said. "I had a lot of practice in the summer, so I just wanted to work on specific stuff to my game that I knew was maybe a little issue for the pro hockey level. Last year was a really big learning year."
Part of what brought Poulin success during the second half last season was his shift from the left wing to center. The lines used during rookie camp aren't anything to read into, but it is noteworthy that Poulin skated at center during line work on Thursday.
Forrest believes playing center is the best way to maximize Poulin's skills and get him more puck touches.
"He had more success with us at the center position," Forrest said. "He’s got the ability to do both, but with us, that’s where we needed him to play, that’s where he flourished, that’s where he touched the puck the most."
Poulin, however, is less focused on his position and wants to become the most well-rounded player possible so he can contribute however he's needed, whether that's at center or on the wing.
"I don’t want to put any pressure on myself," Poulin said. "I just want to go out there and play and have fun. … I just want to focus on my game and what I can do, just keeping it simple.
"I think it’s a great asset of mine to be able to play all three forward positions, so wherever they need me, I’ll be ready."
While Poulin doesn't figure to be in the mix for an NHL roster spot right out of training camp, Forrest is bullish on Poulin's outlook if his trajectory chugs along on the same upward path.
"Looking at his progression, it’s like, 'Jeez if he could continue that, he’s gonna be a scary good player.'"
Without a doubt, Poulin would benefit from some more time in the AHL, but things are pointing up for him to eventually crack the NHL and potentially make an impact, something that couldn't be said as confidently a year ago.
