The Penguins have invited 48 prospects to their prospect development camp, set to be held July 6-10 in Cranberry, Pa.
Development camp is generally for players with minimal AHL experience -- those guys come to the rookie camp in September instead. So, prospects like Sam Poulin, Vasily Ponomarev and Joel Blomqvist won't be at this camp. This camp is for less experienced prospects, like top prospects Owen Pickering and Brayden Yager, the other pieces in the Jake Guentzel trade in Ville Koivunen and Cruz Lucius, and the entire 2024 draft class -- Harrison Brunicke, Tanner Howe, Chase Pietila, Joona Vaisanen, Mac Swanson and Finn Harding.
As is often the case, a significant portion of the players on the development camp roster are undrafted, unsigned free agents who will be looking to earn contracts. Who are they? Here's a breakdown of those invites, excluding the few who have already signed AHL-level contracts with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the coming season:
FORWARDS
Dalton Andrew
Position: Right wing
Age: 20
Size: 6-5, 205
Shoots: Right
Team: Winkler Flyers (MJHL)
2023-24 stats: 54 games, 43 goals, 39 assists, 115 PIM
Andrew was the leading scorer in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a lower-level junior league in Canada. In March he committed to play Canadian university hockey at Acadia, with Acadia head coach Darren Burns praising "his speed, shot and tenacity," in the school's press release. But two months later, Andrew received an offer to play NCAA hockey at the University of North Dakota, and now he'll play there next season.
Obviously, Andrew has great size. It's a little hard to judge where the rest of his game is at given that he was playing in a low level of junior hockey at age 20. But it's intriguing that North Dakota saw something in him.
Christopher Brown
Position: Center
Age: 18
Size: 5-10, 157
Shoots: Left
Team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
2023-24 stats: 66 games, 7 goals, 24 assists, 8 PIM
One of five Soo Greyhounds attending camp, Brown made strides offensively this past season after putting up five goals and nine assists in 58 games in 2022-23.
Greyhounds head coach John Dean told the CHL league site this season that Brown is "stronger on his stick and learning how to get through hands, and he’s learning how to use his body to win battles. ... His creativity with the puck and his IQ with and without the puck is off the charts."
Brown's linemate Justin Cloutier, who is attending development camp as well, said Brown is "one of the smartest guys in the OHL. The plays he makes, he makes them look so easy. Sometimes he’ll make plays you don’t really see are there. But you see them afterwards and you realize ‘Oh, that’s what he was thinking.’”
Charlie Cerrato
Position: Center
Age: 19
Size: 6-0, 190
Shoots: Left
Team: Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
2023-24 stats: 45 games, 12 goals, 38 assists, 71 PIM
On Cerrato, the Elite Prospects draft guide writes "primarily a rush attacker, Cerrato creates by reading defenders and taking what they give him. He sprints past aggressive defenders and cuts inside across passive ones. If defenders pressure him from the side, he passes through them to a teammate up the middle."
Serrato will be attending Penn State next season.
Justin Cloutier
Position: Right wing
Age: 19
Size: 5-8, 172
Shoots: Right
Team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
2023-24 stats: 68 games, 24 goals, 18 assists, 32 PIM
Yet another Soo Greyhound, Cloutier was the linemate of another forward invite, Brown. Brown told the CHL site this season that "Justin was one of the first guys I looked at and thought that I’d like to adapt his approach. I’d like to use his motor as my motor.”
Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis said of Cloutier, “You never question his work ethic or how much he cares about his teammates. But what’s so impressive about him is that he’s found the confidence that he can be a difference-maker offensively. ... He’s always been a ball of energy and he can really push defenders back with his speed carrying the puck. He’s tough to play against and when the puck drops, he’s always ready to go.”
Matt DiMarsico
Position: Left wing
Age: 20
Size: 6-0, 181
Shoots: Left
Team: Penn State (NCAA)
2023-24 stats: 35 games, 7 goals, 19 assists, 18 PIM
DiMarsico is a local product -- the Wexford, Pa. native played in the Penguins Elite system growing up.
The Elite Prospects draft guide writes that DiMarsico "just plays the game the right way. He isn’t overwhelmingly skilled, but his ability to force the opposition into turnovers and support the puck once it’s back in his team’s possession makes for constant offensive zone time."
Joshua Eernisse
Position: Right wing
Age: 22
Size: 6-3, 205
Shoots: Right
Team: University of Michigan (NCAA)
2023-24 stats: 41 games, 8 goals, 6 assists, 45 PIM
Michigan coach Brandon Naurato called Eernisse "a linebacker on skates" this season.
"He’s so fast and so strong," Naurato said. "I actually think he holds up on guys a lot because he could hurt people. He is a big boy. Very powerful."
Will Gerrior
Position: Left wing
Age: 20
Size: 5-10, 168
Shoots: Left
Team: Ottawa 67's (OHL)
2023-24 stats: 67 games, 26 goals, 19 assists, 24 PIM
Ottawa 67’s head coach Dave Cameron calls the Halifax, Nova Scotia native Gerrior "The Generator" for his tenacity in his play. Over his three seasons in the OHL, he's greatly improved his defensive game.
"I loved playing offence and scoring goals, but year one was an eye-opener to the defensive side of the game,” Gerrior told the CHL league site this year. “I had to get pucks deep, I couldn’t try to make plays at the blueline, but it’s something that I have used to develop my offensive game. ... It was an adjustment. It really helped my game, because now, I’m a good 200-foot player, and two-way forward.”
Calem Mangone
Position: Right wing
Age: 19
Size: 5-9, 165
Shoots: Right
Team: Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
2023-24 stats: 62 games, 22 goals, 41 assists, 42 PIM
Mangone played a key role in Saginaw's playoff run this year, scoring seven goals and seven assists in 17 OHL playoff games. He had an assist in five games as Saginaw went on to win the Memorial Cup.
The Elite Prospects draft guide says the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native "enters every board battle with a plan: Get low, crush the opponent, attack the inside. He knocks opponents off balance or launches them into the boards, spins off the next check, then dekes or passes to the slot. With non-stop scanning and deft hands, he usually chooses the right play and has the skill to complete it. When Mangone isn't trucking through contact, he's drifting away from opponents around the net, eliminating off-puck threats, forcing steals higher in the defensive zones."
Owen Saye
Position: Right wing
Age: 22
Size: 5-11, 185
Shoots: Right
Team: University of Western Ontario (USports)
2023-24 stats: 27 games, 5 goals, 6 assists, 32 PIM
Saye has had an interesting path -- two years in the OHL from 2019-21, a season in the QMJHL from 2021-22, and then a year in the lower-level Ontario Junior Hockey League in 2022-23. He was a freshman in Canadian USports hockey last season, and his 11 points ranked eighth on his team in scoring.
Ryan St. Louis
Position: Left wing
Age: 21
Size: 5-11, 170
Shoots: Left
Team: Brown (NCAA)
2023-24 stats: 30 games, 13 goals, 11 assists, 4 PIM
The son of former NHL player and current Canadiens head coach Marty St. Louis, Ryan St. Louis was a sophomore in college at Brown University last season. But before that, St. Louis had an interesting path. He was a freshman at Northeastern in 2021-22 and had an underwhelming year -- one goal, one assist in 38 games. He went back to junior hockey and played for new Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Kirk MacDonald with the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints before returning to college last season. His 24 points led Brown in scoring.
The 2021 Elite Prospects draft guide says St. Louis uses" in-stride passes, look-off passes, setting up defenders on a curve instead of a straight line, some first-touch deception and patience, before driving past the opposition and trying to gain body positioning. Mechanically, he’s sound across the board: Hands in front with distance between feet while shooting, freed top hand while handling for control, and a projectable stride with some skating skills."
Owen Van Steensel
Position: Left wing
Age: 19
Size: 5-10, 174
Shoots: Left
Team: North Bay Battalion (OHL)
2023-24 stats: 64 games, 41 goals, 45 assists, 40 PIM
Van Steensel turns 20 in August, making him eligible to play in the minors next season if he earns a contract.
The 2022 Elite Prospects draft guide says Van Steensel "uses a near-complete arsenal of passes – backhand, slip, and saucer – to access teammates in high-value areas. An adaptable attacker, he’s capable of turning a scoring chance into a tap-in with a tricky pass through a defender."
DEFENSEMEN
Caeden Carlisle
Age: 20
Size: 6-1, 174
Shoots: Left
Team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
2023-24 stats: 66 games, 4 goals, 18 assists, 74 PIM
With Carlisle being 20 years old, he's eligible to leave junior hockey play in the minors next season.
Carlisle won the Greyhounds' "Unsung Hero" award this past season. He previously attended the Senators' and Flames' development camps.
Frankie Marrelli
Age: 18
Size: 5-11, 185
Shoots: Left
Team: Ottawa 67's (OHL)
2023-24 stats: 60 games, 9 goals, 16 assists, 62 PIM
Marrelli is one of the younger invites coming to camp, only passed over once in the draft. He was the 135th-ranked North American skater coming into this summer's draft.
The Elite Prospects draft guide says "Marrelli’s approach to defense is simple enough: He’s the hammer, the puck carrier’s the nail. He steadily guides opponents into his shoulder and beats down opponents in front of the net. As the cycle defender, he forces attacks high and the meets steps into them if they try to cut back."
Donovan McCoy
Age: 19
Size: 6-1, 185
Shoots: Right
Team: Sudbury Wolves, Peterborough Petes (OHL)
2023-24 stats: 67 games, 9 goals, 29 assists, 62 PIM
McCoy played three seasons for the Petes, winning the OHL championship in 2023 and captaining the team last season, before being traded to the Wolves midseason. With McCoy turning 20 in October, he's eligible to play in the minors next season.
The Elite Prospects draft guide says McCoy is "a shutdown defenceman and crafty puck-mover. He mitigates risk by staying on opponents' hips, disengaging to challenge shooters at the right moments, and eliminating pass lanes. He locks on to opponents in the neutral zone, stripping them just as they receive a pass or lift their stick off the ice."
Lucas St. Louis
Age: 19
Size: 5-11, 170
Shoots: Left
Team: Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
2023-24 stats: 43 games, 15 goals, 14 assists, 24 PIM
St. Louis is another son of Marty and a brother of forward undrafted free agent invite Ryan. A product of the Dubuque Fighting Saints, St. Louis played for new Wilkes-Barre head coach MacDonald last season.
The Elite Prospects draft guide wrote that "Few prospects pack as much deception into every touch as St. Louis. Name a play, and he will fake it. He fakes shots, fakes passes, fakes dump-ins, and even fakes cutbacks and turns. The best sequences see him link together multiple of these in rapid succession, before finding a wide-open teammate sliding through the baffled defenders."
GOALTENDERS
Jackson Parsons
Age: 19
Size: 6-1, 203
Catches: Left
Team: Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2023-24 stats: 51 games, 2.99 GAA, .897 SV%, 4 shutouts
Parsons has played three seasons in the OHL. He was a backup in his rookie 2021-22 season, and was supposed to take over the starting role in 2022-23, but underwent season-ending shoulder surgery after only five games. He took over the starting role last season and picked up where he left off.
Owen Say
Age: 23
Size: 6-2, 185
Catches: Left
Team: Mercyhurst University (NCAA)
2023-24 stats: 31 games, 3.22 GAA, .913 SV%
Say was one of 32 finalists this season for the Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in men's NCAA hockey. The London, Ontario native was in his sophomore season with Mercyhurst, but his first as the starter. One of his top performances of the season came against Notre Dame, when he made 50 saves on 54 shots.
Notre Dame apparently liked what they saw. Say is transferring there next season.
Charlie Schenkel
Age: 19
Size: 6-5, 194
Catches: Right
Team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
2023-24 stats: 47 games, 3.10 GAA, .883 SV%, 2 shutouts
Schenkel is huge, something that would be pretty nice to have in a goalie prospect. He's been with the Greyhounds for the last three seasons -- first as a backup, then in a 1A/1B type of role, and then this past season as a starter. He elevated his game once the Greyhounds were in the OHL playoffs, posting a 2.36 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and two shutouts in 11 appearances. He turns 20 in August, so he's eligible to leave junior hockey and play in the minors if he earns a contract.
