Note: This is the last Penguins-related In the System of the season. Alex Stumpf will take over the feature next Tuesday and focus on Pirates prospects. Thanks for following along all hockey season!
For the first time since the 2001-02 season, the Penguins don't have a team in their organization playing in the postseason.
The 2001-02 season was the only other time Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh missed the playoffs in the same season since Wilkes-Barre became the Penguins' AHL affiliate in 1999. The Penguins' ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers missed the playoffs that season too, and they did this year as well.
As far as the prospects the Penguins have spread out over the world in junior, college and European pro leagues, there's not much to speak of as far as playoff runs go. All of the Penguins' prospects in Europe are done for the year. Goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov, the Penguins' fourth-round pick in 2022, made the longest run. Murashov's team was swept in the best-of-five conference finals in the Russian junior league, with Murashov in net for all three losses. None of the Penguins' college prospects had any playoff runs worth noting. A couple of the Penguins' prospects in junior saw first-round exits.
There are only three prospects in the organization still playing for anything: Forward Zam Plante and defensemen Isaac Belliveau and Ryan McCleary.
Plante, the Penguins' fifth-round pick in 2022, plays for the Fargo Force in the USHL, the top junior league in the United States. Fargo clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference this week and will wrap up the regular season on April 22. Plante, who was traded to Fargo from the Chicago Steel on Feb, 28, has three goals and six assists in 15 games since the trade. He's the left wing on Fargo's second line.
Belliveau, the Penguins' fifth-round pick in 2021, plays for the QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques. The Olympiques are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference after winning their division title. They eliminated the defending Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs in the best-of-seven first round, 4-1. They now have a 2-0 series lead over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the second round. Belliveau has five assists and a plus-13 rating in seven games on Gatineau's second defense pairing.
McCleary, the Penguins' seventh-round pick in 2021, plays for the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL. Portland entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and eliminated the Everett Silvertips in the best-of-seven first round, 4-1. The Winterhawks are now trailing the Kamloops Blazers in their second-round series, 2-0. McCleary has one assist and a plus-5 rating in seven games.
The Penguins had one prospect win a championship last season, when forward Raivis Ansons won the Memorial Cup with the Sea Dogs. The Penguins are down to three chances to have a prospect win a title this year.
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.Here's how the Penguins' other NHL-contracted players in the minors or draft picks elsewhere whose teams were still playing did over the last week:
FORWARDS
Corey Andonovski
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-1/194
Shoots: Right
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 23
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 62 games, 8 goals, 11 assists, 66 PIM
Andonovski was scoreless in Wilkes-Barre's final two games.
Raivis Ansons
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-1/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, fifth round
Age: 20
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 44 games, 2 goal, 4 assists, 27 PIM
Ansons has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since March 17. That ultimately marked the end of his season.
Drake Caggiula
Position: Center/wing
Size: 5-10/176
Shoots: Left
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 28
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 66 games, 22 goals, 31 assists, 47 PIM
Caggiula had two assists in two games.
Jordan Frasca
Position: Center/left wing
Size: 6-2/183
Shoots: Left
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 21
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
Season totals: 8 games, 16 PIM (AHL), 36 games, 7 goals 5 assists, 8 PIM (ECHL)
Frasca was scoreless in his one game this week for Wilkes-Barre.
Ty Glover
Position: Center/ left wing
Size: 6-3/201
Shoots: Left
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 22
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 49 games, 7 goals, 6 assists, 15 PIM
Glover had one goal and one assist in two games.
Jonathan Gruden
Position: Center/left wing
Size: 6-0/172
Shoots: Left
Drafted: Acquired via trade
Age: 22
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Season totals: 54 games, 16 goals, 15 assists, 54 PIM (AHL), 3 games (NHL)
Gruden had one goal in two games.
Filip Hallander
Position: Center/left wing
Size: 6-3/201
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, second round
Age: 22
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Season totals: 43 games, 11 goals, 22 assists, 20 PIM (AHL), 2 games (NHL)
Hallander has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since March 29. He didn't play another game after that.
Nathan Legare
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-0/205
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2019, third round
Age: 22
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 68 games, 8 goals, 11 assists, 61 PIM
Legare was scoreless in two gams.
Zam Plante
Position: Center
Size: 5-9/161
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2022, fifth round
Age: 18
Team: Chicago Steel, Fargo Force (USHL)
Season totals: 33 games, 8 goals, 15 assists, 2 PIM (USHL Chicago), 16 games, 3 goals, 6 assists (USHL Fargo)
Plante had one assist in two games.
Sam Poulin
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/214
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2019, first round
Age: 21
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Season totals: 15 games, 4 goals, 6 PIM (AHL), 3 games, 1 assist, 2 PIM (NHL)
Poulin didn't play this week. That was a planned part of his return-to-play plan after his three-month absence for mental health reasons, given that he wasn't practicing that entire time.
Valtteri Puustinen
Position: Wing
Size: 5-9/183
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Age: 23
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 72 games, 24 goals, 35 assists, 22 PIM
Puustinen scored one goal and two assists in two games.
Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Age: 21
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 47 games, 3 goals, 12 assists, 8 PIM
Svejkovsky was scoreless in his only game this week, and was a healthy scratch for the regular-season finale.
DEFENSEMEN
Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Age: 19
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 55 games, 11 goals, 35 assists, 48 PIM (regular season), 7 games, 5 assists, 10 PIM (playoffs)
Belliveau had three assists in the first two games of the second round.
Peter DiLiberatore
Size: 6-0/185
Shoots: Right
Drafted: Acquired via trade
Age: 22
Team: Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL), Hendeson Silver Knights (AHL), Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 18 games, 3 assists, 16 PIM (ECHL Savannah), 22 games, 3 assists (AHL Henderson), 5 games, 1 assist (ECHL Wheeling) 8 games, 2 goals, 8 PIM (AHL WIlkes-Barre)
DiLiberatore was scoreless in three games to finish the season in Wheling.
Taylor Fedun
Size: 6-1/201
Shoots: Right
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 34
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Season totals: 58 games, 3 goals, 8 assists, 22 PIM (AHL), 4 games (NHL)
Fedun sustained an upper-body injury on April 7 and didn't play this week.
Josh Maniscalco
Size: 6-2/205
Shoots: Right
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 23
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
Season totals: 27 games, 2 goals, 2 assists, 11 PIM (AHL), 31 games, 8 goals, 20 assists, 42 PIM (ECHL)
Maniscalco was scoreless in two games with Wilkes-Barre.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 19
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 66 games, 13 goals, 18 assists, 51 PIM (regular season), 7 games, 1 assist, 6 PIM (playoffs)
McCleary was scoreless in two games to open the second round of the playoffs.
Xavier Ouellet
Size: 6-0/196
Shoots: Left
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 29
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 29 games, 2 goals, 15 assists, 21 PIM
Ouellet suffered an ankle injury on Dec. 31. He underwent successful surgery last week and is done for the rest of the year. He's still signed to a two-way NHL contract through next season.
Owen Pickering
Size: 6-4/180
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2022, first round
Age: 19
Team: Swift Current Broncos (WHL), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL)
Season totals: 61 games, 9 goals, 36 assists, 30 PIM (WHL), 8 games (AHL)
Pickering was scoreless in two games with Wilkes-Barre.
Ty Smith
Size: 5-11/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: Acquired via trade
Age: 22
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Season totals: 39 games, 7 goals, 17 assists, 20 PIM (AHL), 9 games, 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 PIM (NHL)
Smith scored one goal and two assists in two games.
Jack St. Ivany
Size: 6-3/201
Shoots: Right
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 23
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 63 games, 8 assists, 33 PIM
St. Ivany was scoreless in two games.
Colin Swoyer
Size: 6-0/185
Shoots: Right
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 24
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
Season totals: 36 games, 1 goal, 11 assists, 12 PIM (AHL), 6 games, 1 assist, 4 PIM (ECHL)
Swoyer had one assist in his last two games.
GOALTENDERS
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-2/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Age: 21
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL)
Season totals: 21 games, 2.29 GAA, .907 SV% (Liiga regular season), 3 game, 3.69 GAA, .848 SV% (Liiga playoffs), 1 game, 4.00 GAA, .852 SV% (AHL)
Blomqvist played his first game of the season for Wilkes-Barre and was in net for a 4-0 loss in which he stopped 23 of 27 shots. His performance was much better than his stat line would suggest -- he didn't get much help in front of him that game as far as high-danger chances go.
Taylor Gauthier
Size: 6-2/207
Catches: Right
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 21
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
Season totals: 20 games, 2.71 GAA, .907 SV% (AHL), 16 games, 3.09 GAA, .896 SV%, 1 shutout (ECHL)
Gauthier dressed as backup this week.
Filip Lindberg
Size: 6-1/194
Catches: Left
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 23
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Season totals: 19 games, 3.13 GAA, .896 SV%
Lindberg has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since Feb. 11. He was considered "day-to-day" for the last couple of weeks of the season but never returned, even in a backup role.
Dustin Tokarski
Size: 6-0/198
Catches: Left
Drafted: Free agent signing
Age: 33
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Season totals: 35 games, 2.69 GAA, .91- SV%, 1 shutout (AHL), 4 games, 3.44 GAA, ,897 SV% (NHL)
Tokarski started in the regular-season finale and stopped 29 of 34 shots in an overtime loss.
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These are the final regular-season stats for the players whose teams' seasons have been over for at least the last week
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/178
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Age: 20
Team: Denver (NCAA)
Season totals: 40 games, 10 goals, 18 assists, 33 PIM
Luke Devlin
Position: Center
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2022, sixth round
Age: 18
Team: West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL)
Season totals: 51 games, 11 goals, 26 assists, 27 PIM (regular season), 6 games, 3 PIM (playoffs)
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center
Size: 6-1/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 20
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 1 game
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-10/176
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Age: 20
Team: Providence (NCAA)
Season totals: 37 games, 8 goals, 7 assists, 14 PIM
Santeri Airola
Position: Defenseman
Size: 5-11, 163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Age: 22
Team: Ilves/SaiPa (Liiga), KOOVEE (Mestis)
Season totals: 5 games, 2 PIM (Ilves Liiga), 10 games, 7 assists (SaiPa Liiga) 29 games, 8 goals, 14 assists, 22 PIM (Mestis)
Nolan Collins
Size: 6-3/194
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2022, sixth round
Age: 18
Team: Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Season totals: 63 games, 8 goals, 22 assists, 50 PIM
Daniel Laatsch
Position: Defenseman
Size: 6-5/183
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 21
Team: Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 36 games, 1 goal, 6 assists, 6 PIM
Thimo Nickl
Position: Defenseman
Size: 6-2/176
Shoots: Right
Drafted: Acquired via trade
Age: 21
Team: AIK (Allsvenskan)
Season totals: 47 games, 8 assists, 69 PIM
Sergei Murashov
Size: 6-0/167
Catches: Right
Drafted: 2022, fourth round
Age: 18
Team: Loko Yaroslavl (MHL), Lokomotiv (KHL)
Season totals: 42 games, 1.53 GAA, .948 SV%, 11 shutouts (MHL regular season), 1 game, 1.00 GAA, .947 SV% (KHL), 10 games, 2.07 GAA, .932 SV% (MHL playoffs)
