We Got Our Winger

Despite rumors that they may trade it to a team like the Flyers, the Pens went on and selected RW Beau Bennett with their 20th overall pick. Bennett was the product of heavy discussion that the Pens were looking for a winger, though he may not have been specifically the one everyone expected. Bennett is rather large at around 6'1 175 lbs, but plays more like a small agile forward. Bennett, born in southern California, spent last season in the BCHL hockey league. His stats were excellent, though the level of competition in the BCHL has been questioned a bit. He is sometimes referred as a "big fish in a small pond." Despite this, there is plenty of upside to this kid. He is a great skater and brings a goal scoring touch unseen in many of the gritty players the Pens currently have in the system. He has great vision on the ice and has been extremely effective on the powerplay. His physicality needs some work, as does his backchecking, but there is plenty of time to work on that in the minors. He will be playing college hockey next season in Denver, and I probably wouldn't expect him to be considered for the NHL roster for at least 2 years. Still, it was a good pick by Shero in the idea of a long term investment.