Penguins/NHL
TIOPS Prospects Watch
Penguin officials will be busy tracking the NCAA tournament this week as the Penguins have six draft picks playing in the tournament.
F Kasper Bjorkqvist, Providence | 2016 Second round Pick
29 GP – 3 Goals – 6 Assists – 12 Points
D Jeff Taylor, Union | 2014 Seventh round pick
37 GP – 9 Goals – 24 Assists – 33 Points
F Anthony Angello, Cornell | 2014 Fifth round pick
34 GP – 12 Goals – 8 Assists – 20 Points
D Dane Birks, Michigan Tech | 2013 Sixth round pick
41 GP – 2 Goals – 7 Assists – 9 Points
F Nikita Pavlychev, Penn State | 2015 Seventh round pick
34 GP – 4 Goals – 7 Assists – 11 Points
F Frederik Tiffels, Western Michigan |2015 Sixth round pick
36 GP – 7 Goals – 12 Assists – 19 Points
— The top three Penguin prospects playing in the tournament are Kasper Bjorkqvist, Jeff Taylor and Anthony Angello. Bjorkqvist a 2nd round pick in 2016, has put up low offensive numbers in his freshman season but there’s a lot to like in his game. His play along the wall and in tight around the net often stands out. The Penguins expect the offensive production to increase next season and he could turn pro after the 2017-2018 season.
Union’s Jeff Taylor, the Penguins top prospect on defense is one of the best defensemen in college hockey. Smooth, puck moving d-man who the Penguins will aggressively try to sign after the season. If Taylor opts for free agency, he’d have 20 teams chasing him.
Angello is a big 6-foot-5 center with some scoring ability. Had a great start to season but numbers fell off during the second half.
NCAA Tournament: Penguins Prospects in Action
March 24 | Harvard – Providence, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN U)
March 24 | Air Force – Western Michigan, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN 3)
March 25 | Denver – Michigan Tech, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN 3)
March 25 | Penn State – Union, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
March 25 | Cornell – UMass Lowell, 12:00 p.m. (ESPN 3)
STOCK UP
RW Josh Archibald, WBS Scranton | 16 Goals – 13 Assists – 29 Points |
– Archibald scored his 16th goal of the season in Wilkes Barre’s 5-2 win over Hartford on Tuesday night and earned a call-up to the big club for tonight’s game vs Ottawa. The 24 year old winger has 3 goals in his last four AHL games and has totaled 5 goals over his last 8 games. Archibald is tied for the AHL lead with 4 shorthanded goals and his plus-26 rating ranks third.
Archibald is waiver eligible next season and with excellent north-south speed to go with some offensive ability, he’s not only showcasing himself for a full-time role with the Penguins next season but also around the league as the Penguins will only have so many spots available.
F Dominik Simon, WBS Scranton | 12 Goals – 29 Assists – 41 Points
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– After a slow start to the season, Simon’s offensive numbers have seen a big uptick over the last month. Simon had a two assist night vs Hartford, extending his points streak to five games. Simon has 15 points in his last 15 games. The goal numbers are down but he’s producing around the same level as last season.
RW Daniel Sprong, Charlottetown QMJHL | 31 GP – 32 Goals – 27 Assists – 59 Points
– Sprong continues to put up huge numbers in his final junior season, named for the second-straight month as the Q’s first star of the month.
The 19-year old forward scored 12 goals and had 22 points in just nine games in March. He had six multi-point games. Sprong set a Charlottetown single-game record with 4 goals and 7 points on March 8 against Moncton. Sprong’s big offensive numbers shouldn’t be cast aside but there’s still pause not to get too carried away. He’s an older player who’s too good for a league that plays no defense and the issue continues to be the transfer rule. Sprong should be playing in the AHL this season. [/hide]
Related posts:
Prospect Watch: D’agostino, Wilson among Pens rising prospects in NCAA hockey tournament Field of 16
Penguins Prospects Buzz (Stock Up): A look at six prospects where the arrow is pointing up
Rookie Tournament: Tracking Penguins prospects through two games
Scouts Take on five Penguins draft picks playing in the Men’s Hockey NCAA Tournament
