The Penguins are expected to sign undrafted free agent center Felix Robert to an AHL contract, according to multiple reports out of Quebec this week.
Robert, 21, was Samuel Poulin's center on the QMJHL regular season champion Sherbrooke Phoenix this season.
QMJHL league website writer Mario Morrissette tweeted this week that the deal was already done, and Le Journal de Québec's Roby St-Gelais reported that the news is expected to be made official soon. La Tribune's Jerome Gaudreau also reported that Robert confirmed he was in discussion with the Penguins.
Robert finished No. 4 in league scoring this season with 36 goals and 56 assists in just 46 games, having missed some time during the year with mononucleosis. He was one of only two QMJHL players to average at least two points per game, with the other being projected No. 1 pick Alexis Lafreniere.
Robert scored a hat trick in October of this season in the first 20:38 of a game, and Poulin had the primary assist on all three tallies:
The QMJHL put together this package of Robert's top goals of the 2019-20 season:
Robert was committed to play at the University of Moncton next season in Canada's USports. Robert said earlier in the year that playing USports was his backup plan to signing an AHL contract.
“Basically, my goal since the start of the year, if I sign a contract in the AHL, I'm going to try my luck, I'm going to go," he said. "If not, I'm going to play university, have my diploma and try afterwards."
Robert is on the smaller side at 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, which is one of the reasons that a professional contract wasn't a given after his QMJHL career ended.
The third member of Sherbrooke's top line, Alex-Olivier Voyer, signed an AHL contract with the Providence Bruins this offseason.
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