Nathan Légaré

June 2022 – The 21-year-old endured a difficult transition to professional hockey in Wilkes-Barre, posting just seven goals and 16 points in 57 games. However, he was only playing around 13 minutes a night and with a rotating cast of linemates. The team as a whole struggled to score, and Légaré was shooting 6%. The raw ability is still there: when he did score, it was often as a result of his own work creating scoring chances out of nothing and using his NHL-calibre shot. He is still very much a work in progress, but he has slimmed down significantly from when they drafted him and has improved his foot speed. There is still middle-six, powerplay upside here and he should take major strides this year with a more consistent role in the minors. That being said, another pedestrian season in the minors could see him moved as he is one of the organization’s most valuable trade assets. Kyle Watson

August 2021 – The Penguins wanted Legare to work on his skating and it is evident that the 20-year-old has been doing just that. He was able to find more space behind defenders this year, getting on to the end of passes and driving to the net with improved straight-line speed. He was dominant on Val d’Or’s playoff run, scoring an impressive 14 goals in just 15 games – including a four-goal outing to eliminate Chicoutimi in the Conference Finals. The 2019 third-round pick will likely spend a year or two in Wilkes-Barre to continue to work on playing with more pace. Kyle Watson

January 2021 – Legare has been assigned to Val D’or after being cut from training camp. He did look much better surrounded by quality players than on the struggling Baie-Comeau Drakkar this year. Kyle Watson

December 2020 – The Penguins’ third-round pick from 2019 was traded to the Val D’or Foreurs in exchange for Justin Sullivan and five draft picks. This should prove to be a positive move in the winger’s development as Baie-Comeau is once again looking like a fringe playoff team. In his final year of junior, Legare has started the season with five goals and 14 points in as many games. He should be able to produce at a much higher rate on the first-placed Foreurs. Kyle Watson

April 2020 –  Légaré had a bit of a setback season this year. Playing on a weaker team might have affected his play throughout the year. He was worst on the team in plus minus with a minus-24 rating and was one of the top players in the QMJHL leading in goals against. So it is hard to determine if he was struggling defensively or if it was just because he was on a weaker defensive team. On the upside, Légaré has proved he can work well on the power-play, having scored 14 power-play goals this season. He ended up finishing the year with 35 goals and 36 assists for 71 total points in 61 games played with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Clare McManus

February 2020 – The sniping winger has 27 goals and 30 assists in 51 games, better than a point per QMJHL game. It is, however, significantly behind his 2018-19 pace that resulted in 45 scores and 42 helpers in 68 outings. That could be explained by Baie-Comeau struggling at around .500 compared to the Drakkar’s 49-15-2 record last season. More evidence? After finishing plus-37 in the team’s 102-point campaign, Légaré is minus-24 so far this time. Mark Allan

September 2019 – Who says pre-season games don’t count? Légaré signed a three-year, entry-level contract ($925,000 AAV) the day after scoring twice in 23 seconds in a 4-1 exhibition win over Columbus. The sniping RW leads Pittsburgh with three points in two “meaningless” outings so far. This is promising for the Penguins, who traded up to take him with the 74th-overall pick in this year’s entry draft. Légaré is renowned for his heavy shot, although concerns remain about his skating. The 18-year-old will work on that once he’s returned to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Mark Allan

June 2019 – Opting for quality over quantity with their draft picks, Pittsburgh traded up to choose Légaré in the third round. In exchange, the Penguins surrendered their fourth-round, fifth-round, and seventh-round picks in the 2019 draft to the Arizona Coyotes. The sturdy winger’s second-year production (45 goals, 42 helpers and plus-37 in 68 games) was dramatically better than his rookie campaign with Baie-Comeau of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. His 87 points for the Drakkar were eighth in the league, and 52 penalty minutes underscored his physical willingness. Three scores and an assist in seven playoff games as well as four goals in seven appearances in the under-18 world junior championship supported his growing reputation as a sniper. His variety of effective shots includes a howitzer and a superior wrister. The power forward hits to hurt, although his skating is deficient. His ability to address that will determine whether he plays in the NHL and on what line. Légaré plays hard, protects the puck and keeps his feet moving. That’s important because, while his first few steps are decent, his acceleration and top speed are mediocre at best. He’ll have time in junior and the minor pros to work on that. Mark Allan