Faceoff Factor

Penguins Prospect Update - October Edition

Jesse Marshall | Minor Leagues (ECHL, AHL, etc)

Oct 21, 11:10 AM | Hype this story!

We’ll start our trip down prospect lane in Wheeling, WV. Penguins #67 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Nick Johnson, is off to a hot start with the Wheeling Nailers.

In a log jam of 15 forwards on WB/S preseason roster, Johnson, who averaged nearly a point per game in college, was sent down to the ECHL so he could play rather than sit and watch in the AHL. And play he has, in his first two games with Wheeling, Johnson has netted 3 goals, including a pair in the teams last victory.

Jonathan Bombulie noted when the cuts were made that it would take a certain kind of mental toughness to endure being sent down. Johnson has exhibited it in his last two games.

We’ll see if Johnson can continue netting goals for the Nailers in the days to come. His penchant for big goals and big time stick handling seem to be transferring over from Dartmouth.

Moving up to Kingston, Ontario – Nathan Moon is coming off of a 5 point weekend (1G, 4A – +1) where Kingston earned two wins and moved into a tie with the Peterborough Petes for last in the division.

That might not seem like much of a feat, but it’s a marked improvement considering Kingston was winless in their first few matches this year.

Moon’s power-play performances have been most impressive. He’s playing everywhere on the ice and is stalking the puck and open spaces on the ice like a predator.

Moon continues to put points on the board on a nightly basis, but he’s also racking up the PIM’s. Moon has developed a considerably larger edge to his game this year and has been quite the antagonizer on the ice. Could the situation in Kingston finally be driving him over the edge?

Moon’s cumulative season statistics now sit at 6 goals and 7 assists in 11 games played.

Finally, we head over to St. Michaels to get a look at Penguins 7th round selection in the 2008 Entry Draft, Nick D’Agostino.

D’Agostino, a 6’2, 181 lb. two-way defenseman, has 16 points in as many games for the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the OPJHL. D’Agostino has 5 goals and 11 assists in this campaign, with 8 of his 16 points coming on special teams. Two of his 5 goals have been game winners.

D’Agostino was the lesser known partner of the #51 overall selection by the Devils, Brandon Burlon. The Penguins have made a similar pick in the past, selecting Kristopher Letang as the lesser known partner of first round pick, Luc Bourdon in 2005.

The Penguins selected D’Agostino with the second to last pick in the draft, but he’s showing that he could pay a bigger dividend than that. He is committed to playing in Cornell in 2009. Consider him an Alex Goligoski-like prospect. The timetable may be long, but the wait could be worth it.