While the NHL and most leagues in North America have been on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, several leagues in Europe and a handful in North America have already opened play for the 2020-21 season.
Twenty of the Penguins’ prospects or minor leaguers have played this season, primarily in Europe. Here is a weekly look at their progress:
• Defenseman Niclas Almari played his first game in nearly three months on Wednesday, helping Pelicans of Finland’s Liiga win a 3-2 road shootout against Ilves on Wednesday.
Sidelined since Oct. 6 due to an undisclosed injury, Almari was held without a point on two shots but logged 22:34 of ice time, second-most on the team.
Almari, 22, was a fifth-round pick (No. 151 overall) in 2016 and is entering the second year of a three-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.
• Also in the Liiga on Wednesday, forward Valtteri Puustinen scored HPK’s lone goal in a 2-1 road loss to Luuko.
Goaltender Emil Larmi made 31 saves on 33 shots in the defeat.
A seventh-round pick in 2019 (No. 203), Puustinen, 21, has yet to sign with the Penguins. The undrafted Larmi, 24, is in the second year of a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.
• In other Liiga play on Wednesday, forward Kasper Bjorkqvist recorded two assists for KooKoo in a 4-3 road loss to Assat.
A second-round pick (No. 61 overall) in 2016, Bjorkqvist, 23, is in the second year of a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.
• On Sunday in Sweden’s HockeyAllSvensken, defenseman Jesper Lindgren was sidelined due to injury for MODO’s 2-1 home win against Timra. He remains that team’s leading scorer with 17 points (all assists) in 23 games.
Lindgren, 23, is entering the final year of a three-year entry-level contract. The Penguins acquired him in a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs in August.
• Forwards Nathan Legare, Drew O’Connor, Sam Poulin, Radim Zohorna and defenseman Cam Lee were invited to the Penguins’ training camp which opened on Sunday.
• On Dec. 28 in Russia’s KHL, forward Pontus Aberg recorded an assist for Traktor Chelyabinsk in a 5-3 road loss to Avangard Omsk.
The 27-year-old Aberg is an unsigned restricted free agent whose rights the Penguins acquired from the Maple Leafs in an August trade.
Statistics
Forwards and defensemen
Goaltenders
*-Current team
(All figures are through Sunday.)
