2012 6th round pick Anton Zlobin (5-11, 190lbs) already in Wilkes Barre on an amateur tryout, has officially signed a three year entry level contract, the Penguins announced this morning. The deal begins in 2013-2014 and runs through 2015-2016 season.
Playing as a 20 year old for Val-d’Or Foreurs of the QMJHL, Zlobin finished ninth overall in points with 29 goals, 62 assists for 91 points 61 games.
Regarded as having good speed, the intrigue with Zlobin is that he has the offensive skill to become a top-6 forward if he can put it all together. Zlobin fell to the 6th round last season due to concerns from scouts about his overall game and work ethic. The Penguins last summer saw Zlobin as great value in the 6th round.
“He’s one of those players who has the offensive skill to become a top six player,” Penguins Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting Randy Sexton said last summer on the draft floor about Zlobin.
One scout not connected to the Penguins organization called Zlobin a “fragile prospect” but told me the potential is there for Zlobin to become an NHL player if Zlobin gets the right coaching.
Following the trade of prospects Ben Hanowski, Kenny Agostino to Calgary, the Penguins forward group in their system has become thinner and after Beau Bennett it’s real crapshoot on who the No. 2 forward is in the Penguins system, as some evaluators say Scott Wilson, Jayson Megna or Teddy Blueger. That said, there’s a lot of potential NHL role players among the Penguins top-10-12 forwards in their system.
MY TOP-10 FORWARD PROSPECTS (ON ENTRY LEVEL CONTRACTS)
1. Beau Bennett, 2010 1st round pick
2. Teddy Blueger, 2012 2nd round pick
3. Scott Wilson, 2011 7th round pick.
4. Jayson Megna, UDFA
5. Oscar Sundqvist, 2012 3rd round pick
6. Paul Thompson, UDFA
7. Josh Archibald, 2011 6th round pick
8. Dominic Uher, 2011 5th round pick
9. Anton Zlobin, 2012 6th round pick