00:00 – Sam Poulin: Is This the End of His NHL Dreams? Pengrowth Analysis | PENSBURGH Top 25 Expose
01:57 – Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: #19 Joona Vaisanen – The Intelligent Defender Leading the Charge
03:48 – Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Finn Harding
1. Sam Poulin: Is This the End of His NHL Dreams? Pengrowth Analysis | PENSBURGH Top 25 Expose
Analyzing the meteoric fall of Sam Poulin, Pittsburgh’s 2019 first-round pick, as he faces his final year in the Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 rankings.
🏒 **Key Talking Points:**
– Career-high 43 points (AHL) vs 7 NHL games (1 assist)
– Roster competition with Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau
– Skating limitations & pandemic setbacks hindering NHL transition
– Potential Group-6 free agency in 2025
– What went wrong vs alternative draft pick Phil Tomasino’s NHL breakthrough
Dive into organizational depth challenges, waiver vulnerabilities, and Sam’s last-chance training camp ahead of a critical season.
2. Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: #19 Joona Vaisanen – The Intelligent Defender Leading the Charge
Get to know Joona Vaisanen, the newest national champion in the Penguins’ organization, as we break down his journey from being an overage draft pick to becoming a crucial defenseman for Western Michigan.
Discover what caught the Penguins’ attention, including his high hockey IQ and sneaky competitiveness, as highlighted by Assistant General Manager Jason Spezza.
Learn about Vaisanen’s role in WMU’s championship win, his experience as a team captain at the Penguins’ development camp, and his goals for the upcoming season.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts on Vaisanen’s potential impact on the Penguins’ future.
**Timestamps:**
0:00 – Introduction
1:00 – Vaisanen’s Journey
3:30 – What the Penguins Saw
6:00 – Championship Experience
8:30 – Development Camp Highlights
10:30 – Future Outlook
**Subscribe for more Penguins analysis and prospect updates!**
3. Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Finn Harding
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2024 draft class was defense-heavy, and one of the notable picks was Finn Harding, a seventh-round draft pick.
Harding played his junior hockey for Mississauga and Brampton, steadily improving his offensive production every season.
Despite questions over his skating and playmaking, Harding has shown improvement and a willingness to learn.
As he steps into pro hockey full time, this season will be a big test for him to determine whether he becomes a legit prospect with an NHL future.
Sam Puland. Is this the end of his NHL dreams? Pen growth analysis. Pensburgh Top 25 expose. The harsh reality of unfulfilled potential. Sam Puland’s crossroads. As we continue our Pensburg Top 25 under 25 countdown, we arrive at a pivotal moment for a player once hailed as a promising firstround pick. Catch up on the previous entries. Pensburg top 25 under 25 graduates and departed players in 2025. Top 25 under 25 the best of the rest. Number 25 Quinn Boshame. Number 24 Cruz Lucius. Number 23 Travis Hayes. Number 22 Brady Pedal. Number 21 Finn Harding. Number 20 Sam Puland LW. 2024 ranking eighth. Age 24, born February 25th, 2001. Acquired via 2019 NHL draft round one. Pick 21. Height weight 6’1, 213 lbs. A glance at Puland’s elite prospects resume reveals a mixed bag. On the positive side, he achieved careerh highs in the American Hockey League, AHL, last season with 19 goals, 24 assists, and 43 points. However, this progress is tempered by his limited NHL impact with just seven games played last season, yielding only two shots on goal and a single assist. The writing on the wall as Puland enters his final appearance in the Pensburg T-25U25. The harsh reality of unfulfilled potential sets in. Having cleared waiverss in October 2024, he faces an uphill battle to avoid the waiver wire again given the Penguins recent signings. Pensburgh top 25 under 25. 19. Jonah Visenan, the intelligent defender leading the charge. Pensburg’s top 25 under 25 list continues with rising star Jun Visinan at number 19. Specifically, get ready for a bold statement. Juna Visinan is the newest national champion in the Penguins organization and he’s just getting started. But here’s where it gets controversial. Some say he was overlooked in the draft. What do you think? At 21 years old, Visin has already made a name for himself. He’s a right-handed defenseman who was drafted in the sixth round 175th pick in 2024. Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 176 lbs, he’s not the biggest player on the ice, but he makes up for it with his hockey IQ and sneaky competitive nature. Visin’s journey has been impressive from being undrafted at 18 to becoming a key member of a national championship team at 20. But here’s the part most people miss. It’s his intelligence on the ice that sets him apart. He knows when to make a safe play and when to create opportunities. Wow. In the 2024 to 25 season, Vicisonin played a top pair role with Western Michigan University, averaging 20 minutes per game on top of the program and team development camp. So, what’s next for this rising star? He plans to focus on getting stronger and winning more puck battles. But do you think he has what it takes to make it to the top? Let us know in the comments below. One thing is for sure, Visonin is a dependable all-around solid player who always seems to make his team better. Every year he takes a step forward, and we can’t wait to see where he goes next. Pensburg top 25 under 25. Finn Harding. Chensberg’s top 25 under 25 spotlight on Finn Harding at number 21. As we dive into the 2025 edition of our Pensburg top 25 under25 countdown, we find ourselves reflecting on the Jake Gensel trade, especially after a challenging college season. This countdown is not just a list. It’s a celebration of potential and promise in the Pittsburgh Penguins future. To catch up on previous entries from this year, check out the following links. Graduates and departed players in 2025. https www.pensburg.com/244726. Pensburg top 25 under 25 graduates and departed players in 2025. The best of the rest/www.pensburg top 25/2447465. Top 25 under 25 best of rest penguins top prospects Charlie Trethaway Daniel Lotch Ryan Miller and no 25 24 Cruz Lucius https pensburg.com 2025 728 2447547 Pensburg top 25 under25 no 24 Cruz Lucious Penguins NHL NCAA prospects no 23 Travis Hayes https pensburg.com 2025 245994 Pensburg top 25 under 25 no 23 Travis Hayes no 222 Brady Pedal at pensburg.com 2025 730 24476371 Pensburg top 25 under25 no 22 Brady Pedal Penguins NHL hockey at age 20 born March 2nd 2005 acquis position method selected as the seventh round draft pick no 23 overall in the 2024 NHL draft. Kyle Dubis, the president of hockey operations and general manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins, has dedicated a considerable portion of his early tenure to enhancing the team’s prospect depth, particularly in defense. The 2024 draft class was notably defenseoriented with four out of six selections focusing on bolstering the back end. Among these was Finn Harding, the seventhround pick who is one of the few overage players selected that year. Harding honed his skills in junior hockey with Missaga and Bmpton, consistently elevating his offensive output each season. This upward trend in point production is promising, especially since concerns about his puck handling abilities were prevalent at the time of his draft. Elite Prospects resume at Cruz Lucious/www. eliteprosspects.com/player/512107/cruzucious. Both Cory Prawnman from the Athletic and Dober hockey have highlighted potential limitations in Harding’s puck moving skills as he transitions to higher levels of play. Prawnman noted that while Harding skates well and makes significant contributions in the OHL, there are questions about how his puck play will translate against more experienced players. From Cory Prawman at the Athletic, Harding skates well and makes a lot of stops in the OHL. His puck play is fine in junior. He can make a first pass, but scouts have questions on how he projects with the puck versus men. From Dobber Hockey, Harding is another overage defenseman to add to the prospect pool for the Penguins. Unlike the two previous defenseman discussed, Harding is just 19 and one year removed from his traditional draft year. He is a defense first player with a powerful stride. While he may not be flashy with the puck, he consistently makes reliable plays to set up his teammates, he acknowledges that he started his OHL career a year later than most of his peers, which may have contributed to his development trajectory. Given this context, Harding’s development path appears quite promising. If viewed as a late bloomer, his achievement of 34 points in 68 OL games becomes significantly more impressive. However, he must become more assertive on the ice, particularly in transition where he tends to wait for plays to develop rather than taking the initiative. To his credit, Harding has shown a strong commitment to improving all facets of his game. This dedication was recognized by Tom Costlos, the Penguins director of player development, during the recent prospect camp. remarked, “He absorbs everything we’ve thrown at him.” Throughout his season in Bmpton, he was placed in various roles, including penalty killing and power play situations. During the Christmas stretch, while other players were at the World Junior Championship, he was logging 30 minutes a night and thriving. There’s been significant growth in his game. His skating continues to improve, and while speed is an area he needs to enhance, he is a willing learner. He’s learning to defend consistently and move the puck effectively, showing some offensive potential. Exciting times lie ahead for him. However, let’s not sugarcoat it. Being a seventh round draft pick means Harding faces long odds to reach the NHL and even longer odds to become a regular player. It takes an extraordinary stroke of luck to find an all-star caliber player in this round. While Harding’s progress is encouraging, it’s essential to maintain realistic expectations. His defensive skills will need to shine for him to make it to the NHL, especially given the concerns surrounding his skating and playmaking abilities. Interestingly, expectations for Harding are likely higher now than they were at the time of his selection. This is probably the best that the Penguins can hope for at this stage. Currently, the Penguins have Chris Latang and Eric Carlson on the right side of their defense, but neither is expected to remain in Pittsburgh in the coming years. Harrison Brunicki stands out as the team’s top defensive prospect, particularly on the right side, but Harding is making a case for himself to add depth to that position in the prospect pool. As of now, Harding has only played three games in the ECHL, making this season a crucial test as he transitions to professional hockey full-time. His performance and growth will significantly influence whether he evolves into a legitimate NHL prospect or remains a typical seventhround pick, filling a roster spot in the minors. What do you think? Are the Penguins making the right moves in their prospect development? Will Harding rise to the occasion? or will he fade into obscurity like many seventh round picks? Share your thoughts in the comments.
