Pittsburgh Penguins shockingly place seven players on waivers including former first-rounder

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, all 17 players on waivers yesterday have cleared, freeing up the chairs for today's new group to hit the wire. Of course, one keeping an eye on their roster status is Pittsburgh Penguins' Sam Poulin. Though the word "prospect" still hangs around his name, Poulin, at 23 now, has reached a juncture in his career where the tag doesn't quite stick any longer. Having played just six games in the NHL since being selected 19th overall in 2019, the young defenceman's road has featured AHL destinations and personal issues that have prevented him from nailing down a consistent spot on the Penguins. Unfortunately for Poulin, he was one of the players placed on waivers today by the Penguins. The Penguins also sent down forwards Corey Andonovski, Tristan Broz, and Ville Koivunen, as well as defenseman Owen Pickering to their AHL affiliate without the need for them to be placed on waivers.

It's a combination of injuries and the personal decision to step away from hockey last season, to work on his mental health, that has dictated the path Samuel Poulin's career has traveled to this point. Those setbacks have played into why Poulin, to date, hasn't been able to stick with the Penguins at the NHL level. With the 2024-25 preseason on the horizon, Poulin reached a crossroads. Unlike in previous years, he can no longer be sent down to the AHL without clearing waivers, meaning any of the NHL's 31 other teams could claim him now that the Penguins decided to send him to their AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. And with his pedigree as a former first-round pick, it's quite plausible that other teams may see potential in giving him a fresh start.

Despite those question marks, Poulin has flashed some promise in the AHL. Last season, when healthy, he was able to score 16 goals and add 15 assists in 41 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. A bunch of poorly timed injuries stopped him from getting a call-up by the Penguins when there were chances for a recall. As the current preseason wore on, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has spoken about being satisfied with Poulin's physical conditioning but also critiquing his game where there is room for improvement. Through some recent preseason action, Poulin has centered the team's third line and has been logging some solid minutes, though he does not yet have any points, which is likely why he was sent down.

One area where Samuel Poulin has indeed made his presence felt is in penalty minutes. While leading the Penguins so far this preseason with 20 minutes in the box, Poulin's discipline on the ice has been called into question. In particular, he did take a rather astonishing 16 penalty minutes during a single game against the Ottawa Senators, including a 10-minute misconduct. Meanwhile, other players gunning for roster spots, such as Jesse Puljujarvi, have found ways to have more positive impacts: Puljujarvi has scored a hat trick and five points in three games. The penalties taken by Poulin could very well have stood in the way of his fight for a regular roster spot.

In other words, the immediate future of Sam Poulin with the Pittsburgh Penguins has come to an end as he reaches one of the most significant stretches of his professional life thus far. Much will be expected from the man who was a first-round pick to show he can make meaningful contributions to the team with fewer and fewer penalty issues, which he will have to prove in the AHL if no other team claims him. Whether he sticks with the Penguins organization or gets claimed by another team, these next 24 hours will set the course for the rest of Poulin's career in the NHL.