CRANBERRY, Pa. — Niclas Almari, the Penguins' fifth-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, is shaping up to be one of the organization's top defensive prospects.
The lanky Finn has spent most of his time with HPK of the top Finnish men's league the past two seasons, and he'll be back there again for one more in 2018-19. Staying in Finland allows him to develop while playing against men in a professional league, and focus on what he needs to work on most -- putting on weight.
"The main reason I'm staying in Finland is to get bigger overall and be NHL-ready after next season," he told me after Day 1 of the Penguins' prospect development camp at the Lemieux Sports Complex. "I had a chance to come to the AHL and play but I made my decision."
At 179 pounds, Almari could stand to fill out his 6-foot-2 frame more. He also wants to spend more time playing in crucial situations -- penalty kills, the ends of close games, overtimes.
Almari is a two-way defenseman, and names his offensive game as one of his biggest strengths. The league he plays in is more of a low-scoring league, especially for defensemen, and his four goals last season were the second-most of any defenseman on his team.
Almari is a smooth skater, and he likes the speed of North American hockey compared to the game in his home country.
"It's a lot faster game than we play in Finland, so I love that part of the game here. So, I'm looking forward to coming here to play."
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton signed Almari to a tryout contact at the end of last season, and he was able to play in two regular-season games and one playoff game. The ice surfaces in North America are smaller than what he's used to, but he didn't see it as a problem during his short stint. Almari did say that the physicality of North American hockey is something that he'd have to adjust to, but putting on weight should help him with the transition.
The Penguins have a few players like Almari -- European players who are developing in professional leagues back home -- and Penguins director of player development Scott Young likes what they can bring to the organization.
"I don't think there are any minuses," he said of having so many European prospects. "Being a USA Hockey guy, playing against the Europeans so many times? They're really good hockey players. I think one of the pluses is they can be over there playing in a pro league and developing. Look at a guy like Almari. Almari came in last year into Wilkes-Barre at the end, he got into a few games and I thought he looked great. He really, really looked great. He's going to go back for another year, but there's big potential there."
Almari called his AHL stint, albeit short, a "great experience" because he was able to learn from players like Daniel Sprong and Tom Kostopoulos. He's enjoying this camp for other reasons, though.
"I think it's nice to have Finns here. In the AHL I was alone with all the Swedes. That was not nice."
MORE FROM DAY 1
• Jordy Bellerive isn't at camp due to the burns he sustained in a bonfire accident, but Young said Bellerive is "doing fine" and reiterated that he will make a full recovery.
• Kasper Bjorkqvist wasn't skating, but he was impressive in his media availability. He sounds so mature, and speaks like he's a pro already -- probably why he'll be a captain for Providence College next season. Young said that the Penguins have "very high hopes" for Bjorkqvist. "He's a specimen. I mean, you guys have seen him in a t-shirt, right? He's ripped," Young continued. "He's a very disciplined person. The leadership that his coaches talk about, that's a huge part of his game."
• The four teams for Friday's 3-on-3 tournament will be named after Olli Maatta, Brian Dumoulin, Matt Murray, and Jake Guentzel. The organization chose these players because they all recently attended development camps and went on to win a Stanley Cup (or two).
• Alex D'Orio is the only goaltender in attendance on a Penguins contract. His Saint John Sea Dogs finished last in the QMJHL last season, but the organization has liked what they've seen from him while playing on a team that is struggling as a whole. The Penguins are "very high" on him.
• There are some notable absences from this year's camp. Nikita Pavlychev didn't make the trip from Russia, Freddie Tiffels didn't make the trip from Germany, and there is nobody here who spent the entirety of last season in Wilkes-Barre. Most of these guys have been to multiple camps already, and Young says that the organization checks in on them enough throughout the year that they don't need to be at camp.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
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Penguins development camp, Lemieux Sports Complex, June 27, 2018. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS[/caption]
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