CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach J.D. Forrest knew that the 2021-22 season would begin with a bit of an adjustment period for defenseman Chris Ortiz as he made the jump from the QMJHL to pro hockey.
Ortiz, who went undrafted in 2021 and later signed a two-year AHL contract with the Penguins, weighed just 172 pounds at the beginning of last season, which is probably the biggest reason as to why he spent the majority of his first pro season in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers, picking up 12 goals and 26 assists in 54 games.
He also made a brief appearance in the AHL, recording a goal and an assist across eight games.
"Obviously it was an adjustment playing against grown men, but I think it went pretty well," Ortiz told me when I asked for his thoughts on last season following rookie camp practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Monday. "Slow start, then the season went going and I was just getting better every day."
Ortiz hasn't necessarily stood out among his peers throughout rookie camp -- something that is tough for a defenseman to do, anyway -- but I have been intrigued with the finer details of his game that aren't always the most apparent or eye-catching.
In Saturday's 6-4 Prospects Challenge victory over the Bruins, Ortiz displayed above-average processing ability and hockey IQ, both with the puck on his stick and without.
Ortiz has been mostly known for his offensive capabilities since the start of his junior career, but he was as sound as you could ask for in transition defense, too, as he frequently utilized inside or outside leverage to goad puck carriers into not-so-ideal areas of the ice. This was augmented by his strong gap control.
I've yet to see Ortiz make a glaring mistake with the puck on his stick. He's reliable, knows where the puck needs to go, and has a knack for creating positive possession sequences.
Even though Ortiz told me he believes his skating is "pretty average" and needs work, he's very smooth on his feet and transfers his weight well. He's not a burner or overly quick, but there's no denying his skating ability, combined with his vision, is what has allowed him to be so effective at breaking up plays and being in the right place at the right time.
His shot won't blow you away, but when he lets 'er rip, it's typically hard and crisp.
Of course, all of that is moot if he can't hold his own against hefty competition.
Rookie camp has been my first in-person viewing of Ortiz, but he certainly appears to have a bit more size than he had in the highlights and clips I've seen of him in the past. I asked if he put on roughly 10-15 pounds.
"I wouldn’t say that much. I wish,” Ortiz laughed. "Playing against grown men you need to be stronger, so I put on probably like eight pounds since the beginning of the season last year."
Ortiz went on to tell me that he previously wasn't eating enough, but since joining the organization, he has been given the necessary nutritional information to continue bulking up by the Penguins' performance staff. He's drinking tons of water, eating larger meals and snacking often, even as frequently as every hour. He's also been making it a point to spend extra time in the weight room.
Entering his age 21 season, Ortiz figures to see much more time in the AHL, perhaps even the entire season. Is the coaching staff giving him individualized feedback on what he needs to do to solidify his chances of taking that step?
"I’m not a guy who talks much," Ortiz said, a subtle smirk curling up his cheek. "They told me I need to talk more on the ice, especially calling for pucks, calling for plays and stuff, but overall just getting better every day, progressing every day."
Obviously, I pushed him on why he's not much of a talker.
"I’m pretty much a shy guy. I just like to read the play and look around."
Nothing wrong with that in the slightest, so long as he's effectively communicating with his teammates when he's out on the ice.
Former NHL defenseman Sheldon Brookbank, who was hired over the summer as an assistant coach for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, has been around Ortiz for less than a week, but is already picking up on the qualities that make him an enticing player to keep your eyes on the next couple of seasons.
"I think he’s a pretty slick player," Brookbank told me Monday. "He looks like he has a lot of poise, you know, patience in his game. He seems like a puck-moving defenseman, for me, so that’s the one thing that really stood out."
