Penguins defenseman seems ready for bigger role in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Penguins barely missed the playoffs this year after the Washington Capitals clinched the final wild-card spot. Fortunately, the team got their hands on an outstanding rookie defenseman who seems ready for a bigger role in the lineup.

The Pittsburgh Penguins ended the season just shy of a playoff spot, pulling only a few points behind the final wild-card slot team Washington Capitals, and ending the year in 19th place in the league overall. Yet, later in the season, they pulled in a defensive rookie who can potentially turn things around for the team in the coming years.

This player is none other than Jack St. Ivany, who proved to be a star defensive player in the AHL. He had the chance to speak ahead of his NHL debut for the Penguins' March 22 game in Dallas on what it feels like to finally get a chance in the big leagues.








Yet, though this player was met with few expectations other than filling the ice on behalf of all the injured players, St. Ivany exceeded these with flying colors. Aside from quickly gaining the respect and admiration of his teammates and Penguins fans, his head coach Mike Sullivan also shared his positive impression of this player.








Only a short 10 days after his first game with the Penguins, St. Ivany earned his first point in the NHL with an assist. Though he is still focused primarily on the defensive aspect, we can certainly expect his career total to drive up gradually.






With the next regular season a while away, the Penguins sent St. Ivany to their AHL affiliate. With this defenseman poised to take on a bigger role with the team in Pittsburgh, hopefully, he can prove his power even further by bringing home the Calder Cup.




Source - The Hockey News
Rookie Defenseman Ready for Role With Penguins