Scouts raving about Maatta, Dumoulin & buzz on Fleury, Martin, Morrow & Tootoo

GM Ray Shero said this past weekend that the Pittsburgh Penguins scouting staff was "ecstatic" after the weekend they put together. They added goaltending depth to their system and defensively, the team continued to stockpile defensemen and I'm told the team made a primary focus point of adding a variety of different type of defenders.

In Derrick Pouliot, the No. 8 overall pick, Pittsburgh added a dynamic offensive defenseman, while in Olli Maatta the No. 22 overall pick and Boston College defenseman Brian Dumoulin (Trade with Carolina), Pittsburgh added two defenders with two-way capabilities and a potential shutdown defenseman in Maatta.

In the Zbynek Michalek trade, Pittsburgh add a thumper in Harrison Ruopp and added another physical player in Clark Seymour, the team's 5th round pick. Both are less regarded than Maatta and Dumoulin

Overall, scouts have raved about the Penguins landing Olli Maatta at No. 22. More than a few scouts and draft insiders I've spoken with had Maatta rated higher than Pouliot and in fact, one I scout I spoke with also raved about Brian Dumoulin, telling me Dumoulin is the "second best defenseman Pittsburgh added to their system" this past weekend behind Maatta, and according to the scout that isn't a knock on Pouliot who went 8th overall.

"They got a good one there, " an Eastern Conference scout told me on Saturday who was surprised Maatta fell into the 20's. "He brings a lot to the table. Lacks elite seed {but} his anticipation to read the play before it happens really stands out with him. Great hockey sense, IQ, " the scout said. Like his teammate Scott Harrington, Maatta is regarded as being extremely developed defensively for a player his age. What also stands out from evaluators is Maatta's ability to join the rush, which to no surprise drew the Penguins to him. It's an area he's only going to continue to get better.

Dumoulin, 20, is a player that isn't getting a lot of buzz surrounding him but he's widely viewed as projecting to be an NHL defenseman down the road. "He's a huge asset to their organization, one of the best college defenseman in hockey, hands down " an NHL source said.