Is it Truly Too Early to Break Down Penguins' Potential Line Combos?

Sure. The reply is, by and huge, “sure.” It is too early to interrupt down Penguins’ potential line combos.

Nonetheless, after two days of coaching camp, that does not imply there is not some type of methodology to the insanity.

Up thus far, the identical guys on every of the three groups have largely caught collectively. That is fairly frequent – even within the early days of coaching camp when there are three groups and 69 rostered gamers for camp – and a variety of it tends to get shifted round as soon as rosters are shrunk, guys are minimize, and groups start to mix.

However that does not imply there’s nothing to learn into. And here is why.

It is no secret that head coach Mike Sullivan likes his “pairings” in coaching camp. Usually, he pairs one winger with every of his facilities, and – for probably the most half – these pairings appear to stay all through most of camp and into the common season.

At this yr’s camp, it has been no totally different. Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust are a pair, as are Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell, Lars Eller and (apparently) Michael Bunting, and Blake Lizotte and Kevin Hayes.

However here is the place “not studying into issues” would possibly get a bit saucy. The way in which the three groups are break up, what tends to occur is that the remaining forwards within the group – particularly those deemed extra NHL-ready and are distinguished as such throughout separate group practices – are usually teams of men who could also be within the combine to fill the open wing slot alongside the pairings.

Related: Penguins Training Camp: Notes from Day 2

Give it some thought this fashion: If you take a look at Crew 1, it is no accident that the remaining forwards inside the “NHL-ready” group are Drew O’Connor, Anthony Beauvillier, Rutger McGroarty, and Sam Poulin. Though nothing is a given, all of those gamers are guys who’ve both already performed with Crosby prior to now or who, presumably, match some type of skillset that the coaches see as a possible match with Crosby and Rust.

O’Connor and Beauvillier are, probably, the candidates most primed – and most sensible – to carry down that left wing on the primary line when the season opens on Oct. 9. They’re each pace wingers with 20-goal upside. However Poulin and McGroarty are, once more, presumably, two guys who could possibly be potential matches youth-wise and skillset-wise.

The identical goes for Crew 2. It’s mildly attention-grabbing that Bunting was paired with Eller on Crew 3, and this can be an instance of a pairing that does not stick as soon as rosters are minimize down.

However the remaining “NHL” guys within the Crew 2 group are Vasily Ponomarev, Emil Bemstrom, Valtteri Puustinen, and Ville Koivunen – who has performed on the open wing slot alongside Malkin and Rakell to date.

Related: Penguins Training Camp: Notes from Day 1

Out of that group, Puustinen has performed with Malkin, so his placement is smart, and Koivunen and Ponomarev are each guys who’ve potential to profile properly with Malkin when it comes to skillset. And based mostly on what Sullivan mentioned Thursday in his press convention, the teaching workers appears to be excessive on each of these guys.

And as for Crew 3? This complete group is just about comprised of forwards who assume to say bottom-six roles, except for (possibly) Bunting. Okay. Hayes and Lizotte have labored rather a lot with Noel Acciari on the suitable wing. Bunting and Eller have labored principally with Cody Glass. And people six are, fairly clearly, the six “NHL” guys on this squad.

So what does this all imply? Though rather a lot modifications between now and the top of coaching camp roster-wise, these groups are put collectively and constructed the best way they’re for a purpose: It maximizes the period of time each the pairings and the candidates for the third spot on a possible NHL line need to work collectively and mesh. The longer a line mixture has to coach collectively, the upper the chance that they will develop chemistry.

And that is why this primary week-plus of coaching camp earlier than the primary roster cuts, although it may appear largely insignificant for the ultimate roster image, is not essentially a a crapshoot. It does imply the smallest one thing as a result of the groups are put collectively deliberately, and that is simply meals for thought to bear in mind as the rest of coaching camp unfolds.

So whereas everybody awaits the primary spherical of cuts on the finish of subsequent week, it is likely to be smart to pay even just a bit little bit of consideration to some repeat patterns so far as strains and groupings go.

Related: Five Prospects to Keep an Eye on in Penguins’ Training Camp