Penguins forward prospect Chase Yoder had to be feeling a little déjà vu this week.
We first have to rewind to the week before, in Providence College's game against UMass on Nov. 4.
Yoder, the Penguins' sixth-round pick in 2020, was on the penalty kill for Providence when UMass defenseman Ryan Ufko was skating the puck out of his own end. Ufko attempted a drop pass to a teammate, but Yoder was right there to pick his pocket and capitalize on the turnover. Yoder swung wide to beat the other UMass defenseman and carried the puck to the net, finishing with a backhand shot for a shorthanded goal, his second goal of the season:
Just seven days later, Yoder did it again. Exactly.
It happened in Providence's game against UConn on Friday. UConn was on the power play and UConn defenseman Andrew Lucas had the puck in his own end. He attempted a drop pass, Yoder immediately took possession, skated wide around the other UConn defenseman then finished with a backhand shot, just like the week before:
If you're looking for an NHL player comparison for Yoder, Teddy Blueger is a good one. Both are hard-working, defensive-minded centers, responsible, penalty-kill specialists with above-average faceoff abilities and the ability to chip in offensively occasionally.
Yoder is a junior this season, and is skating as Providence's third-line center. His best season offensively was last year, when he scored five goal and 11 points in 38 games. With three goals and seven points in 11 games this year, he's on track to beat that. He averaged .13 goals per game and .29 points per game as a sophomore, and he's currently on a .27 goal-per-game, .64 point-per-game pace.
An area where Yoder has really stood out is the faceoff circle. He's won 57.8% of his draws this season. His best weekend was in Providence's two games against New Hampshire at the end of October, when he won 85.7% of his faceoffs, going a combined 24-4 in those two games.
Yoder could potentially turn pro as early as next season. That's a decision that the Penguins often leave up to the players -- if a prospect wants to go back to school for his senior season, they won't (and can't) stop him. It's not uncommon to see college prospects sign with the Penguins early, either -- the last Providence prospect the Penguins had was Kasper Bjorkqvist, who left college and signed his entry-level deal after his junior season.
Whenever Yoder does turn pro, he seems to have a game that would transfer well to the AHL level, being the reliable, sound center he is.
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Here's how the Penguins' other prospects in junior, college, and Europe did this week:
FORWARDS
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/178
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Age: 20
Team: Denver (NCAA)
Season totals: 12 games, 1 goal, 1 assist
Broz was scoreless in two games this week as Denver's third-line left wing.
Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-4/212
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Age: 21
Team: North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 11 games, 2 goals
Caulfield played two games this week on the right side of North Dakota's third line and scored his second goal of the season. His goal came just seven seconds into a game, setting the record for the fastest goal to open a game in NCHC history. He had a nice move to catch a pass his back skate then kick it up to his stick:
Luke Devlin
Position: Center
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2022, sixth round
Age: 18
Team: West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL)
Season totals: 14 games, 2 goals, 7 assists
Devlin scored a goal in his two games this week as the Warrior's first-line center.
He officially signed his National Letter of Intent to play at Cornell next season:
WEST KELOWNA WARRIORS
Zam Plante
Position: Center
Size: 5-9/161
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2022, fifth round
Age: 18
Team: Chicago Steel (USHL)
Season totals: 2 games, 1 goal, 1 assist
Plante made his season debut after recovering from shoulder surgery in the spring, and skated as the Steel's third-line center. He was scoreless in his first game then picked up a goal and an assist in his second one.
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center
Size: 6-1/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 20
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 1 game
Tankov suffered a season-ending neck injury in the opening game of the season and required surgery to repair a fractured vertebrae. He is expected to be able to play next season.
Tankov, who is still wearing a neck brace, recently filled in as color commentator for one of his team's games:
VHL
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-10/176
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Age: 20
Team: Providence (NCAA)
Season totals: 11 games, 3 goals, 4 assists
Yoder scored one shorthanded goal in two games this week.
DEFENSEMEN
Santeri Airola
Size: 5-11, 163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Age: 22
Team: Ilves (Liiga), KOOVEE (Mestis)
Season totals: 5 games (Liiga), 10 games, 3 assists (Mestis)
Airola didn't play this week as his league was on a break to accommodate a smaller international tournament.
Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Age: 19
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 16 games, 3 goals, 14 assists
Belliveau played one game this week and was put on Gatineau's injured list after.
Nolan Collins
Size: 6-3/194
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2022, sixth round
Age: 18
Team: Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Season totals: 11 games, 2 goals, 3 assists
Collins played in two games on the left side of Sudbury's third pairing and scored his second goal of the season. The goal came on a 5-on-3 power play:
Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/183
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 20
Team: Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 12 games, 2 assists
Laatsch played on the right side of Wisconsin's third pairing and picked up an assist in two games. That gives him two on the year, matching his total from his freshman season in fewer than half of the games.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 19
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 14 games, 3 goals, 7 assists
McCleary played in two games on the left side (his off side) of Portland's top pairing and scored a goal and three assists.:
Owen Pickering
Size: 6-4/180
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2022, first round
Age: 18
Team: Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
Season totals: 13 games, 3 goals, 10 assists
Pickering had an assist and an overtime-winning goal in his two games this week. Nice hands for a big guy:
GOALTENDERS
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-2/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Age: 20
Team: Karpat (Liiga)
Season totals: 10 games, 2.18 GAA, .906 SV%
Blomqvist's league was on pause this week to accommodate a smaller European international tournament.
Sergei Murashov
Size: 6-0/167
Catches: Right
Drafted: 2022, fourth round
Age: 18
Team: Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
Season totals: 19 games, 1.41 GAA, .955 SV%
Murashov's league was on pause this week to accommodate a smaller European international tournament.
Murashov was named the goaltender for the MHL All-Star Team for the month of October. During October he posted a shutout streak just shy of 244 minutes, a streak that ranks in the top 10 in MHL history.
