The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are looking to return to the postseason for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Wilkes-Barre has only missed the playoffs three times in franchise history — the inaugural 1999-2000 season, the 2001-02 season, and in 2018-19. The AHL didn't have a postseason in 2019-20 and 2020-21 due to COVID-19 shortening both seasons' schedules.
Earlier this week, the AHL announced a change in postseason format for the 2021-22 season. In each division, all but two teams will qualify for the postseason, creating a field of 23 teams. For the Penguins, this means they must finish in the top six of the eight-team Atlantic Division, which also includes the Springfield Thunderbirds (Blues), Hartford Wolf Pack (Rangers), Hershey Bears (Capitals), Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Flyers), Charlotte Checkers (Panthers/Kraken), Bridgeport Islanders and Providence Bruins.
The expanded playoff field gives Wilkes-Barre a good shot at returning to the postseason. Some of the additions to the roster, like an exciting young forward group making their AHL debuts, are going to make Wilkes-Barre an exciting team to follow this coming season, one that might actually have a shot at a real run.
Let's take a look at some of the players who will be joining Wilkes-Barre next season and where they're coming from, as well as which players from last season have moved on and where they went.
FORWARDS
Arrivals: Samuel Poulin (Val-d'Or Foreurs, QMJHL), Nathan Legare (Val-d'Or Foreurs, QMJHL), Filip Hallander (Lulea, SHL), Valtteri Puustinen (HPK, Liiga), Kasper Bjorkqvist (KooKoo, Liiga), Michael Chaput (Arizona Coyotes), Samuel Houde (Chicoutimi Sagueneens, QMJHL), Shaw Boomhower (Did not play last season), Jamie Devane (San Diego Gulls, AHL)
Departures: Chase Berger (HC Banska Bystrica, Slovakia), Josh Currie (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL), Sam Miletic (Carolina Hurricanes),
Unsigned: Zach Nastasiuk, Tim Schaller, Nick Schilkey, Luke Stevens
Bottom line: Massive upgrade. Currie and Schilkey were Wilkes-Barre's No. 1 and 2 scorers last season, and Schaller played in the top six and first power play as well. The other forward departures are all bottom-six players who didn't contribute much offensively last season. There are four really exciting, young prospects making their AHL debuts next season in Poulin, Legare, Hallander, and Puustinen. Bjorkqvist returns for a full season after spending almost all of last season in Finland. Chaput is 29 years old and has 182 games of NHL experience and is a good veteran presence to have among all of the young forwards. Devane is a veteran enforcer, and returns to Wilkes-Barre on an AHL contract after last playing there in the 2019-20 season. Boomhower and Houde round out the AHL-contracted depth signings. Boomhower spent his first two seasons in the ECHL with the Cyclones, and didn't play last season when the Cyclones didn't play, so I'd pencil him in for Wheeling to start. Houde was Chicoutimi's captain last season, and scored 28 points in 29 games. I'd expect Dominik Simon to likely join this forward group at some point too, perhaps to start the season.
DEFENSEMEN
Arrivals: Taylor Fedun (Texas Stars, AHL/Dallas Stars' taxi squad), Niclas Almari (Pelicans, Liiga)
Departures: Zach Trotman (retired), Kevin Czuczman (Minnesota Wild), Jon Lizotte (Minnesota Wild), Billy Sweezey (Cleveland Monsters, AHL)
Bottom line: A wash. Trotman and Sweezey didn't see much playing time last season, but Lizotte and Czuczman were big parts of Wilkes-Barre's blue line, and Lizotte especially on the penalty kill. Fedun can replace that leadership Trotman and Czuczman brought to an otherwise young defense corps. Almari returns to North America after spending the entire previous season in Finland, something that will hopefully prove to be good for his confidence. The departures will also likely open up a spot for Josh Maniscalco to be a regular in the lineup after only playing in six games last season. Though I'd expect P.O Joseph to see more regular NHL time next season, he may still start the season in Wilkes-Barre, joining returning defense prospects Cam Lee and Will Reilly
GOALTENDERS
Arrivals: Filip Lindberg (UMass, NCAA), Tommy Nappier (Ohio State, NCAA)
Departures: Max Lagace (Tampa Bay Lightning), Emil Larmi (Pelicans, Liiga), Shane Starrett (Glasgow Clan, EIHL), Brett Brochu (London Knights, OHL)
Bottom line: This is exciting. The goalies leaving only played a handful of games at most for Wilkes-Barre last year, mostly a product of all the shuffling with the taxi squad. Lagace was great in the nine games he played, but Larmi and Starrett underwhelmed, and Brochu only played in the last game of the season. Alex D'Orio took over as the No. 1 in the second half of last season, and I'd expect him to split the starts with Lindberg, who is the most intriguing depth pickups in free agency. Lindberg was a draft pick of the Wild, and the Wild tried to sign him to a contract, but he elected to hit free agency. He went 10-1-4 with UMass last season, with half of his wins being shutouts. He went 3-0 with a .33 goals-against average and two shutouts on the path to UMass' NCAA championship. Nappier joined Wilkes-Barre late last season on a three-year AHL contract and played in three games before finishing the year in Wheeling. With D'Orio, Lindberg, and Nappier all being young and needing playing time, I'd expect Nappier to be Wheeling's starter, but see AHL time if a spot opens due to injury or callup.