New Penguins center Ryan Poehling was Montreal’s first-round pick (25th overall) in 2017. He began his NHL career in grand fashion, scoring a hat trick and the shootout winner against rival Toronto on April 6, 2019 at Montreal.
It was Poehling’s first NHL game, and his only one that season. Witness the hat trick.
Since then, unfortunately, Poehling has netted just 10 times in 84 games.
Poehling came to Pittsburgh as a throw-in with the Jeff Petry trade. He doesn’t figure to make the Penguins, who are loaded at center. (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jeff Carter and Teddy Blueger man Poehling’s position.)
That said, Poehling can catch fire. This past Nov. 20, Poehling scored two goals in 37 seconds against Nashville. Host Montreal won, 6-3.
But Poehling only totaled nine goals in 57 games last season.
Poehling’s tendency to occasionally explode is intriguing.
But consistency would be better for his career, and for the Penguins.
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