With training camp starting this week, the 2023-24 NHL season is on the horizon, so cue up the hot stove and the cold ice, hockey season has begun!
Today marks the first day of on-ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ training camp. Earlier today, the Penguins’ PR team released the rosters for training camp. There are 60 players divided into three teams, as you can see below
During his time in Toronto, the training camp teams that Penguins’ President of Hockey Operations and general manager Kyle Dubas (it really is a mouthful) and their coaching staff put together made it pretty obvious who was expected to make the team, who was earmarked for their developmental teams in the American Hockey League (AHL)/ECHL, and who was heading back to Junior hockey.
For starters, two teams have 17 skaters and goalies, while the third team has 24 skaters/goalies. All teams have a mix of returning Penguins and prospects. So, let’s dig deeper and see if we can find potential line combinations and defensive pairings.
Team One: The Stars Have Arrived
While Jake Guentzel is skating at camp, he is absent from any team due to an ankle injury that will keep him out of at least the first five games of the season, it’s notable that both Alex Nylander and offseason acquisition Rem Pitlick are on this team. Why? Because so are first-liners Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby. That is not a coincidence. Both Nylander and Pitlick have top-six-level offensive skills, and as we’ll see when we look at the second line, this is a sign that the plan is to give one of these players a chance on the first line to start the season.
On the defensive end, newcomer Ryan Graves and Penguins’ legend Kris Letang are both on this team. This confirms the preseason thought that Graves would step into the departed Brian Dumoulin’s spot alongside Letang. Many of us have believed that the plan would be for Crosby’s line to be paired with Letang’s defensive pair on Pittsburgh’s first five-man unit, and this training camp roster has confirmed this is indeed the plan.The presence of Ty Smith, as well as players on tryout contracts like Austin Wagner and Libor Hajek, seems a lot like a situation where head coach Mike Sullivan would pull Crosby and Letang aside during camp and ask if these three players feel like a fit. If it’s borderline for any of them to make the team, the thoughts of respected veterans could be the deciding factor in any of these players either making or not making the team.
Team Two: Electric Boogaloo
Pittsburgh’s key acquisition, Erik Karlsson, can be found on this team. Alongside Karlsson of note is Marcus Petterson, who Karlsson is expected to be paired with this season, and two-thirds of the second line, Evgeni Malkin and fellow newcomer Reilly Smith. Electric to say the least
It’s worth noting that both Andreas Johnsson and former top prospect Sam Poulin are on this team. For Johnsson, it’s a perfect opportunity for him to show that he still has the skills that Dubas loved to see in Toronto, and likewise for the hockey ops team to see what Johnsson brings to a top-six line at this point in his career. For Poulin, it’s a great measuring stick to see if he has overcome the concerns about his skating, or if he still looks like an AHL player.
It’s worth noting that both Andreas Johnsson and former top prospect Sam Poulin are on this team. For Johnsson, it’s a perfect opportunity for him to show that he still has the skills that Dubas loved to see in Toronto, and likewise for the hockey ops team to see what Johnsson brings to a top-six line at this point in his career. For Poulin, it’s a great measuring stick to see if he has overcome the concerns about his skating, or if he still looks like an AHL player.
