Penguins forward Drew O'Connor is better prepared entering his 2nd season

Drew O’Connor is in a very different place compared to where he started his professional career.

The United States.

While most hockey leagues in North America were on hiatus last fall because of the pandemic, virtually every team in Europe forged on. As a result, NHL franchises scrambled to find valuable playing time for their prospects on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

For the Penguins, that meant sending O’Connor to Norway.

After seven games and 10 points (six goals, four assists) with Mangelrud Star of that country’s Eliteserien league, he reported to the Penguins’ training camp this past January in advance of the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign.

While he was productive in the American Hockey League (AHL) last season — O’Connor had 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 20 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton — he had a harder time making any kind of significant impact in the handful of NHL games he suited up for. Primarily deployed on the fourth line, O’Connor played in 10 NHL contests and recorded one assist.

At the dawn of his second professional season, O’Connor has a better grasp of what it takes to reach the NHL — and stay there.

“Last year was a good learning experience,” said O’Connor, whom the Penguins signed out of Dartmouth in March of 2020. “I got to learn what it takes to play at this level. It’s a big jump coming from college. I learned a lot from the game and how I can make an impact.”

Making a literal impact will be key for the stocky O’Connor, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. He is one of the Penguins’ bigger players on an admittedly lighter roster.

“One part of my game that I’ve been able to be pretty good at is using my stick to kind of create turnovers,” said O’Connor, 23. “The big thing for me is being a little bit more physical now and relying a little bit less on my stick and using my body a little bit more.”

Physically, O’Connor is in a different place, too. He said he added some muscle and is a quicker skater after a productive offseason.

“This summer, I made some big changes,” O’Connor said. “Cut out all gluten, all dairy. Just really worked in the summer in the gym. Really tried to put on some weight and get faster.”

Beyond the physical components of the game, O’Connor appears to have a firmer grasp of the cognitive aspects of being a professional.

“The jump from college hockey to pro hockey is big,” said coach Mike Sullivan, a Boston University alum who spent 11 seasons in the NHL as a bottom-six center. “’From amateur hockey to the NHL is a big jump, and it’s an adjustment for everybody. The lifestyle, first and foremost, and the grind of the schedule. You’re playing 80 to 100 games a year versus a college schedule that plays 30 to 40. There’s a lot of adjustments that players make when they make that jump. Drew went through that process last year.”

That process still is unfolding, but it appears to be bearing some results. On Wednesday, the Penguins skated with lines that appear to be close to what they might use to open the season. O’Connor worked on the left wing of a fourth line with veteran Brian Boyle at center while Dominik Simon and Anthony Angello alternated on the right wing.

“(O’Connor is a) guy that comes to camp with a better understanding of what to expect,” Sullivan said. “Nothing is catching him by surprise now. He’s familiar with the pro game, he’s familiar with the Penguins’ way.”

The Penguins’ way for many years has been to trade away high-end prospects or draft picks for established players who could drive them to a Stanley Cup title. That approach has left them to rely on undrafted players such as forwards Zach Aston-Reese or Conor Sheary to fill out vital secondary roles in the lineup.

O’Connor appears ready — and more prepared — to take a similar path.

“It’s a good opportunity here,” O’Connor said. “There’s some spots up for grabs here I think. It’s up to us young guys to earn those spots.”

Follow the Penguins all season long.