Faceoff Factor

Part 4: A Jump From Juniors To Pittsburgh

Jesse Marshall | Pittsburgh Penguins

Sep 13, 09:04 PM | Hype this story!

This year the Pittsburgh Penguins are a bit short on players coming out of the Canadian Hockey Leagues. So, as part four of Faceoff Factor’s training camp package, we will look at the few young players who have been invited to camp and those who have been left out from last year.

Defense
D #53 Jonathan D’Aversa (Sudbury Wolves, OHL) 6’2, 200lbs
D’Aversa broke all his personal bests last year as he helped lead Sudbury to an OHL title birth. D’Aversa, throughout his four year career at the OHL level, put up 60 points last year (13+47) and exhibited great poise in moving the puck and creating offensive chances. Having completed four years at the OHL level and meeting the age requirement, D’Aversa will head to the Baby Penguins this season. Camp will provide him with an excellent opportunity to showcase his abilities as a prototype for the “new” defenseman in the NHL. D’Aversa was named to the Eastern Conference All-Stars for the OHL last year and had an assistant captainship for the Wolves. Although undrafted, D’Aversa should become an immediate presence on the blueline in Wilkes-Barre.

D #58 Kristopher Letang (Val d’Or Foreurs, QMJHL) 6’0, 201lbs
Letang will be the player to watch in Pittsburgh this season. He returns to camp bigger, stronger and more determined than he did last season. Despite scoring two goals in his first seven NHL games, Letang was returned to the Foreurs where he lead his team on an unbelievable journey through the season and into the finals. Down three games to one in the conference finals, Letang helped lead his team on a memorable rally to overcome a seemingly insurmountable deficit to beat the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 4-3. His 31 points (12+19) in 19 playoff games last year will be a launching pad for Letang this season. He is, overall, more seasoned and skilled than he was as he entered camp last year, so expect big things from this skilled blueliner. The addition of Darryl Sydor on defense will help Letang immediately.

Forwards
RW #56 Aaron Boogaard (Tri City Americans, WHL) 6’3, 220lbs
Last year Boogaard found himself at Anaheim Ducks camp hoping for his first pro contract. A year later, he received it. Only it was from Pittsburgh, not Anaheim. Boogaard is a big presence that has deceiving skill and speed for someone his size. The nature of his game isn’t fancy or dazzling, but he brings it every shift and will crash the net without mercy. Boogaard is a presence because the opposition will avoid getting crushed by him at any cost. You’ll see a lot of space open up in the boards with Boogaard coming into the picture. Like his brother, Boogaard will drop the gloves without hesitation. He’s a team player and a good presence to have on any team. His WHL career is finished and he’s ready to make his presence known in the AHL. Boogaard is a perfect replacement for someone like Dennis Bonvie.

C #70 Angelo Esposito (Quebec Remparts, QMJHL) 6’1, 180lbs
Coming off of a Memorial Cup championship two years ago, Esposito was pegged as a surefire top five selection at the start of the year. However, things change. After struggling early on, Esposito never regained the fire he had the previous year. His points were down and the PIM’s were up. However, the hockey world did the Penguins a favor by allowing this great talent to slide into their hands. The deadly offense of the Penguins just got better. With a groin injury hampering him, Esposito is a question mark for camp. He sat out rookie workouts and missed the entire rookie tournament in Kitchener. While Esposito might return to the Q next year, it might be a good thing. The Remparts will be missing some key elements this season, so it’ll be interesting to see if Angelo can finally carry a team. The lack of an ability to do so has been a major knock on his game since the start of last season.

Notables Not On The Camp Roster
LW Luca Caputi (Mississauga Ice Dogs, OHL) 6’2, 184lbs
After a solid 4 assist performance in the rookie tournament, Luca Caputi is headed back to the Ice Dogs. Management hasn’t said a word about the issue, but I have a feeling they’re content to let Luca head back to the OHL and get another full year’s experience alongside standout prospect Stefan Legein. Last year was a breakout year for Caputi, so this year ought to be a good indicator of whether or not that was an aberration.

LW Mathieu Roy (Val d’Or Foreurs, QMJHL) 6’0, 196lbs
This might not be that big of a surprise to some, but I liked what Mathieu Roy brought to the table on his amateur invite last year. Not only that, I liked what he did in Val d’Or last year. Roy reminds me of a more skilled Michel Ouellet, he might not be the best skater in the world, but he has some serious skill with the puck. To my knowledge, Roy hasn’t been invited anywhere else this fall.

D J.P. Paquet (Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL) 6’2, 202lbs
The Penguins finally cut their 6th round choice in 2005. Paquet has finished his overage year in the QMJHL, so his whereabouts next year will depend highly on whether or not he can get into a camp this fall. Paquet had a great year last season in Baie-Comeau, but it wasn’t enough to impress the Penguins front-office.