Here is What the Remaining Penguins' Roster Will In all probability Look Like

With two weeks of coaching camp practices within the books, it seems that the 2024-25 ultimate NHL roster for the Pittsburgh Penguins is all however set.

For the previous two days, the 2 remaining rostered groups have divided gamers into presumed NHL and AHL practices on separate rinks. The divide is fairly clear, and there has solely been one discrepancy between the 2 days.

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The Penguins play back-to-back preseason video games this weekend in Detroit after which towards Ottawa in Sudbury. Head coach Mike Sullivan stated that everybody will make the journey to Detroit, after which they’ll take some gamers to Sudbury on Sunday and ship some house to Pittsburgh.

So what ought to everybody count on this weekend? Will there be extra roster cuts? Is there nonetheless room for roster competitors? Or is every little thing already set in stone?

The presumed NHL roster

If the NHL lineup is to be based mostly off of what we have seen in observe inside the previous 48 hours, it could find yourself shaping up like this:

Forwards

Drew O’Connor-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Michael Bunting-Evgeni Malkin-Rickard Rakell

Anthony Beauvillier-Lars Eller-Jesse Puljujarvi/Cody Glass

Kevin Hayes-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari

Defensemen

Matt Grzelcyk-Kris Letang

Marcus Pettersson-Erik Karlsson*

Ryan Graves-Jack St. Ivany

Two of: John Ludvig, Sebastian Aho, and Ryan Shea

Goaltenders

Tristan Jarry, Alex Nedeljkovic

*Karlsson remains to be listed as day-to-day with an upper-body damage

Evaluation: This model of the roster shouldn’t come as a lot of a shock to anybody. From the get-go, it appeared seemingly that just one or two ahead spots have been up for grabs, because the overwhelming majority of the blokes on this roster have been paired and enjoying collectively for the reason that starting of coaching camp.

The highest-six is sort of a assured lock and can seemingly stay unchanged from the top of final season. The underside-six options 4 new faces, extra velocity, and extra measurement, all of which may solely be a great factor for an getting old Penguins’ workforce that has missed the playoffs marginally for 2 consecutive seasons.

Related: Penguins Training Camp Day 6: A Tale of Two Teams, Roster Cut to 52

If that is the ultimate roster, the one man who actually earned his spot right here is Puljujarvi. He started camp in a inexperienced jersey – just about designated for AHL forwards – and he was enjoying on a line with Corey Andonovski and Boko Imama, each presumed to play within the AHL this season.

However as camp went on, Puljujarvi has gotten higher. He registered a hat trick within the first preseason matchup towards Buffalo on Saturday, and the day earlier than, he potted two targets in an intrasquad scrimmage. His skating appears higher than it did previous to his double-hip surgical procedure in the summertime of 2023, and his forechecking effort was palpable and relentless.

Puljujarvi seems primed for a roster spot. However there are a number of guys he has needed to finest with the intention to get so far.

Who can be probably the most notable omissions?

Heading into the preseason, the prevailing thought was that Valtteri Puustinen was going to be on the NHL roster.

Though Sullivan has reiterated that nothing is ultimate – and there’s nonetheless time for issues to alter over the following week – issues aren’t trying up for him.

Puustinen appeared in 53 video games for the Penguins final season and recorded five goals and 21 points. Though principally that includes on the workforce’s third line, he did see a while alongside Evgeni Malkin in 2023-24. Final week, Sullivan stated that they wanted to see extra end from Puustinen on the NHL degree.

However Puustinen was positioned with the prospect/AHL workforce each days the squads have been divided. Though it is nothing particular, it seems he might not get that likelihood within the NHL with the Penguins this season.

If he have been to be lower from the ultimate roster, to ensure that Puustinen to be assigned to AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), e would want to clear waivers. Given Puustinen’s age (25) and offensive upside, that’s unlikely to occur.

Related: Penguins Training Camp: Notes from Day 5

One other participant in an identical state of affairs is Sam Poulin. Poulin, 23, was chosen twenty first general by the Penguins in 2019. He has played in only six NHL games and has registered an help.

Poulin’s state of affairs can be a tricky one to swallow. The ahead’s ultimate junior seasons have been stunted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he has handled numerous accidents, and he took a break from hockey throughout the 2022-23 season to concentrate on his psychological well being. He’s a straightforward man to root for, and he has proven flashes, as he scored 16 targets and 31 factors in 41 video games for WBS final season.

However, like Puustinen, he practiced with the AHL/prospect squad each days. If he’s lower, his first-round pedigree might entice one other workforce to scoop him up.

So if each of those guys find yourself getting waived, it’s extremely attainable that neither of them will probably be returning to the Penguins’ group.

Prospects on the perimeter

The 2 most distinguished, NHL-ready prospects who should have an outdoor shot on the roster are Rutger McGroarty and Vasily Ponomarev.

Many anticipated McGroarty to be on the opening night time roster for the Penguins. Whereas that’s nonetheless attainable, Sullivan has steered that he’s nonetheless working to regulate to the NHL’s “tempo of play.”

It might be finest for McGroarty’s growth to get some skilled video games underneath his belt and get the call-up midseason. Though the door is not shut on him cracking the roster, it is troublesome to see the place he would determine within the beginning lineup.

However, Ponomarev should get his shot. The one discrepancy between the 2 split-squad practices was that Ponomarev practiced with the NHL workforce on Wednesday after which switched to observe with the opposite workforce on Thursday.

Coincidentally, on Thursday morning, Karlsson didn’t skate earlier than observe for the primary time in nearly per week. St. Ivany – who had been paired with Graves for everything of camp – was bumped as much as the second defensive pairing alongside Marcus Pettersson, the slot that Karlsson would occupy if wholesome.

The Penguins had two further defensemen at Thursday’s observe and only one further ahead, maybe an indicator that they intend to roster 13 forwards and eight defensemen if Karlsson is not able to go on Oct. 9.

However given Ponomarev’s presence on the NHL observe the day earlier than, it is attainable that, if Karlsson is wholesome, the Penguins may select to roster 14 forwards and 7 defensemen if one in every of Aho, Ludvig, or Shea can play both facet. Ludvig, Shea, and St. Ivany are all on two-way contracts, so it makes transferring them between the AHL and NHL just a little bit simpler.

Like McGroarty, Ponomarev is waiver-exempt, so his first vacation spot this season is probably going WBS. However the teaching workers likes him – and his versatility is efficacious – so this may be a state of affairs to maintain tabs on.

Of us won’t need to rule out Ponomarev pushing for the roster till extra is thought about Karlsson’s situation.

Once more, the Penguins play back-to-back this weekend. Sullivan acknowledged that the 2 video games could have very totally different rosters, presumably with a prospect-centered lineup on Saturday towards the Pink Wings and an NHL-centered lineup on Sunday towards the Senators.

There’s a good likelihood the Penguins will announce further roster cuts as early as Sunday.

Related: Penguins’ Goaltending Prospects Making Their Mark on Training Camp