Welcome to the start of a new feature of our Penguins coverage, which is a yearly look at some of the Pittsburgh organization’s most promising prospects.
We’ve done a similar countdown for the New York Yankees and RailRiders in the past, and it has provided an early look at a number of minor-leaguers that went on to become productive at higher levels of play.
For Pittsburgh, a series of offseason trades and signings and the most recent draft have quickly stocked the system with names to watch.
The first at No. 10 is goaltender Emil Larmi.
Before getting to his on-ice game, the 20-year-old netminder has made a memorable first impression with his Twitter game. Give him a follow if you haven’t already, as he’s been sharing plenty of punny jokes and observations from his introduction to North American hockey.
As mentioned in our print version, Larmi comes to the organization with a championship pedigree. He played in 18 playoff games and helped lead HPK to Finland’s Liiga crown last season. His performance actually spiked in the playoffs, as he recorded a .932 save percentage. So, if that’s any indication, he’s not afraid of big games and moments.
In terms of his strengths, goaltending development coach Andy Chiodo cited his athleticism and ability to read the game.
At an even 6 feet, he’s not the biggest of goaltenders. But, those other qualities should help make up for it. Plus, he was a teammate of fellow Penguin Nic Almari before even arriving in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and his outgoing personality should help him acclimate.
How he’ll be used this season remains to be seen, but his start on Friday night could be the first step in clearing up the picture.
Tyler Piccotti has covered the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for Times-Shamrock newspapers since 2017. In the Penguins Insider blog, he provides a look at NEPA’s only professional hockey team, sharing analysis and insights that go beyond the game sheet. A 2015 graduate of Syracuse University, he also has written for Bleacher Report, The Post-Standard and Lacrosse Magazine. Contact: tpiccotti@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2000; @CVPiccotti
