2009 NHL Draft: Pittsburgh Penguins select Philip Samuelsson, 61st overall

by FrankD on Jun 27, 2009 11:55 AM EDT in 2009 NHL Draft Comment 2 comments

Philip_samuelsson_medium

(Philip Samuelsson at the 2009 NHL Draft)

(USHL - Chicago)	GP	G	A	P	PIM
2008 - Philip Samuelsson (Defense)	54	0	22	22	60

With the 61st pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins selected defenseman Philip Samuelsson. Already the prospect has ties to the Penguins, as his dad Ulf Samuelsson picked up two Cup titles with the Pens in 91 and 92. Samuelsson's game may not be that same bang/crash style as his father, but that's not a knock to his abilities. Samuelsson 2.0 knows how to position himself defensively and is known for his ability to cause turnovers. Philip admitted that his offseason plans include working on his skating, something both he and his father believe needs improvement. He already issued a verbal commitment to play for Boston College next season where he hopes to hone in on his game and one day crack the Pittsburgh lineup.

Along with first round pick Simon Despres, the Penguins have stocked up on two young defenseman. Despres is more on the offensive side of the puck while Samuelsson will look to knock the puck loose. Could this be a sign that the team may be looking to restock Wilkes-Barre in light of a few pending call ups in 09/10?

Ulf and Philip audio will be up soon.

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Comments

Pretty Happy thus far

Unless your first round pick is named Crosby, Fleury, Malkin or Staal it’s a bit of a crapshoot on the picks down the line. However I’m pleased with getting Simon Despres at 30 when TSN had him rated 18th and of course picking up Ulf Samuelson’s kid at the end of R2 is a good thing. Great pedigree there. I think the Pens realize that the cupboard is stocked offensively for years to come, but the real difference maker is Defense and that could pose a problem in the next few years, time to get that taken care of and develop the talent at the blue line.

by Dutch71 on Jun 27, 2009 12:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think both of those picks, Despres and Samuelsson, are exactly what the Pens need. Given the cap situation I feel the Pens may need to tap into the farm a bit. If guys like Lovejoy and Goligoski make the jump next season then reinforcements are definitely needed.

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by FrankD on Jun 27, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs