Poulin 'just in a good place' in bid for Penguins roster spot

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Sam Poulin said he only wants to look toward a future with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 22-year-old forward made his NHL debut on Oct. 25, 2022, with an assist in Pittsburgh's 4-1 loss at the Calgary Flames. Poulin played again with the Penguins on Oct. 28 and Nov. 5 before being re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Then, on Dec. 7, the No. 21 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft took a leave of absence, citing personal reasons.

Poulin returned to play for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on April 7 and 10. Now back, he said he wants to make the most of a new chapter.

"I've worked on myself a lot in the past couple of months," Poulin said at Penguins prospect development camp last month. "Right now, I'm just in a good place. Just ready to play hockey. That's what matters for me right now."

Poulin (6-foot-1, 208 pounds) was limited to 18 games last season: three with Pittsburgh and 15 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In addition to his one assist in the NHL, he had four goals in the AHL.

The time away has made things difficult, Poulin said. He is still trying to regain his form, something he said will come in time.

"I think it's just a matter of having a different mindset," Poulin said. "I didn't play for a couple of months, so for sure, my body is not really used to that stress yet. Just have to be patient with the process and I know, eventually, I'll get back to where it was."

In 2021-22, his first season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Poulin had 37 points (16 goals, 21 points) in 72 games.

Surpassing that level is the goal. In the meantime, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach J.D. Forrest said patience is the priority.

"With Sam, out of respect to him, right now, we're just happy he's here," Forrest said during development camp. "He's in a great spot. We're kind of looking forward with all that. He's a great kid. We're happy he's involved in all of this. He was fantastic out there today."

Poulin is aided by versatility, having the ability to play center and wing. He was at center after being called up to Pittsburgh last season.

"If it's the case again, I'll be ready," Poulin said. "If it's on the wing, I'll be ready too."

Poulin, a native of Laval, Quebec, said he is less sure of the current state of his game.

"To be honest, I didn't skate that much in the last, like, two months of the season," he said. "It's a process and I'm just being patient with it. Don't want to put too much pressure on a timeline. I know the time is going to take care of itself."

But he added that just being back has helped.

"I've played hockey since I was 3 or 4 years old. That's what I like to do," Poulin said. "Things haven't really changed. I'm always happy to be at the rink and on the ice."