Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
One of the Penguins’ top prospects will be away from the organization for the foreseeable future.
On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that forward Sam Poulin will be taking a leave of absence from the club due to personal reasons, with a timetable for his return yet to be determined. According to the announcement, Poulin will return to his home province of Quebec and continue his workouts both on and off the ice.
The Penguins did not shed light on the reasoning for Poulin’s absence and requested that his privacy be respected.
“The Penguins support Sam’s decision to take time away from hockey to focus on himself,” said Penguins GM Ron Hextall in a statement on Wednesday.
“As with all of our players, our priority is them as individuals first. We look forward to having him back with the team when he is ready.”
Poulin made his NHL debut on Oct. 25 versus the Calgary Flames and recorded his first big-league point before being returned to the AHL where he’s spent most of this season.
The 21-year-old was selected by Pittsburgh with the 21st overall pick in the 2019 draft and broke into the professional ranks last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, racking up an impressive 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points as a rookie.
Needless to say, the hockey world extends its good wishes to Poulin as he does what is best for his well-being.
