Penguins Coaching Camp Day 6: A Story of Two Groups, Roster Lower to 52

The ultimate roster for the Pittsburgh Penguins is coming into focus.

In Day 6 of coaching camp practices on the UPMC Lemieux Sportsplex in Cranberry, Pa., the Penguins – as soon as once more – cut up their squad into two groups and made some extra roster cuts.

It now appears that the ultimate 23-man roster is all however set.

For the second day in a row, the squads had been cut up by NHL and AHL/prospect lineups, with the potential NHL crew practising on Rink 1 and the opposite getting their reps on Rink 2.

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And after sending 2024 draftees Tanner Howe and Finn Harding to their respective junior groups yesterday, the Penguins introduced extra cuts to the coaching camp roster on Thursday, formally trimming it right down to 52. All lower gamers had been reassigned to AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton:

Ahead cuts:

– Raivis Ansons

– Jack Beck

– Atley Calvert

– Mathieu De St. Phalle

– Sam Houde

– Gabe Klassen

– Bennett MacArthur

– Logan Pietila

Defensive cuts:

– Isaac Belliveau

– Scooter Brickey

– Justin Lee

– Mats Lindgren

– Philip Waugh

Goaltending cuts:

– Luke Richardson

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Related: Penguins Training Camp: Notes from Day 5

Beforehand, at observe, these had been right this moment’s strains for each squads:

Staff 1:

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-Jack St. Ivany

Ryan Graves-Ryan Shea

John Ludvig-Sebastian Aho

Goaltenders

Tristan Jarry, Alex Nedeljkovic

Staff 2:

Forwards

Rutger McGroarty-Vasily Ponomarev-Valtteri Puustinen

Jimmy Huntington-Emil Bemstrom-Sam Poulin/Boko Imama

Jonathan Gruden/Ville Koivunen-Tristan Broz-Avery Hayes

Marc Johnstone-Joona Koppanen-Corey Andonovksi

Defensemen

Owen Pickering-Dan Renouf

Isaac Belliveau-Mac Hollowell

Nathan Clurman-Harrison Brunicke

Philip Waugh-Scooter Brickey

Goaltender

Joel Blomqvist, Sergei Murashov, Filip Larsson

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Related: Penguins Fall to Sabres in Second Preseason Matchup

Listed here are some notes and observations from right this moment:

– I believe it is protected to say that Staff 1 will just about be the opening evening roster on Oct. 9.

Whether it is, Puljujarvi actually earned his spot. I will be the primary to confess that, in the course of the first few days of camp, I didn’t see an avenue for Puljujarvi to make the roster.

But, boy, did he prove me wrong in camp. And I am comfortable to eat crow on that one. His shot is totally zipping, his skating is noticeably significantly better compared to final season after his double-hip surgical procedure, and his forechecking and work alongside the partitions has been commendable.

Once more, if that is the roster, he earned it. What a camp from him.

– Yesterday, Ponomarev practiced with the NHL roster. At the moment, he was on the prospects rink.

Head coach Mike Sullivan talked about in his press convention following observe that there was nonetheless a chance for some guys to crack the roster. The crew plans on bringing everybody remaining on the roster to Detroit for Saturday’s sport, which can, presumably, nonetheless be fairly prospect-heavy.

He additionally commented that, following the Detroit sport, some can be delivered to Sudbury for Sunday’s matchup in opposition to Ottawa, and a few can be despatched again to Pittsburgh.

If there’s something to learn into right here – which, I consider there’s, to an extent – I would not be shocked if a number of of the blokes like Ponomarev, Puustinen, McGroarty, and Poulin play Saturday to vye for a their journey to Sudbury on Sunday. If I needed to guess, I consider Sunday will function a extra NHL-heavy lineup.

I believe whoever goes Sunday will function within the final spherical of “tryouts” earlier than remaining cuts, whereas those despatched again to Pittsburgh will seemingly even be lower the identical day.

Related: Penguins Training Camp: Notes from Day 4

– Piggybacking off of that, do not rule out a last-minute shock addition to the NHL roster.

With Erik Karlsson’s well being a query mark, it seems that, proper now, the crew could also be headed within the path of conserving eight defensemen and 13 forwards. If that is the case, it is fairly clear who’s going to make the lower, with Puljujarvi as the additional ahead and, seemingly, Ludvig and Shea as the additional defensemen.

But when Karlsson is able to go on the finish of camp, I am unsure it makes a lot sense for the Penguins to roster eight defensemen this season. Aho and Ludvig are each able to enjoying each side, giving the crew flexibility to maintain 14 forwards as an alternative of the additional defenseman – which can be extra helpful.

Basically, I would not be shocked if the choice to maintain the additional defenseman nearly completely depends on the well being of Karlsson. Due to this, I do not suppose the door is completely shut but on somebody like Ponomarev, Puustinen, or Poulin to make the roster.

– I believe McGroarty goes to start the season within the AHL.

Sullivan mentioned that he is nonetheless engaged on the adjustment to the NHL’s tempo of play and “power of the sport.” In the long term, it would bode higher for McGroarty to get some enjoying time in skilled hockey earlier than taking the massive leap, particularly if enjoying time on the NHL degree is in no way a assure, even when he’s rostered.

I can not see the crew rostering him as the additional ahead simply to take a seat within the press field. And with the emergence of Puljujarvi in camp – in addition to Glass’s and Beauvillier’s sturdy efficiency within the again half of camp – I simply cannot see the place he would determine into the lineup in any respect proper now.

Give him the reps. Let him be a midseason call-up. That mentioned, he must see the NHL sooner or later this season. In any other case, the transfer to swap he and Yager would not make a lot sense.

– St. Ivany had been on a pairing with Ryan Graves all through camp till right this moment. At the moment, he was bumped up with Pettersson.

As soon as once more, this may very well be an indicator that Karlsson’s well being is in query. He didn’t skate this morning after skating earlier than observe in prior days, so that’s positively a storyline to keep watch over.

I believe it will be higher for Graves and St. Ivany to stay collectively as a constant pairing on the third pair, however, sadly, the Penguins simply do not actually have one other top-4 right-side choice with Karlsson out. We’ll see how this all progresses.

– The Sudbury sport goes to be actually cool. Sullivan spoke yesterday in regards to the group’s, the gamers’, and the league’s accountability to develop the sport, and this occasion is an ideal signifier of that.

It will likely be an thrilling day for youth and junior hockey, and that is why I believe it is going to be largely NHL gamers from the Penguins on Sunday. This sport means one thing to folks, and youth gamers will wish to see the easiest the sport has to supply up-close.

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