The Penguins are trimming the camp roster fast, and Friday brought another notable round of cuts as the team starts to get its opening-night picture into focus.
Avery Hayes was among eight players removed from the NHL roster. The 2026 draft picks Markus and Liam Ruck are headed back to their WHL junior team, while five others are on their way to AHL Wilkes-Barre. Goalie Colin Delia was also released from his tryout.
Hayes had gotten into two preseason games and scored a goal, but even with a pile of injuries up front and Andrei Kuzmenko away from the team after returning to Russia to be with his family following his father’s passing, the Penguins still didn’t find room for him.
That leaves Pittsburgh with 37 players in camp, by the current count.
Forwards in camp: Justin Brazeau*, Tristan Broz, Egor Chinakhov, Sidney Crosby, Connor Dewar, David Gustafsson, Filip Hallander, Ben Kindel*, Ville Koivunen, Andrei Kuzmenko**, Hendrix Lapierre, Blake Lizotte*, Evgeni Malkin, Rutger McGroarty, Tommy Novak, Rickard Rakell, Nick Robertson, Bryan Rust, Elmer Soderblom and Bill Zonnon.
Defensemen in camp: Harrison Brunicke, Declan Carlile, Sam Girard, Ryan Graves, Caleb Jones, Erik Kalrsson, Kaeden Korczak, Kris Letang, Jake Livanavage, Owen Pickering, Chase Pietila, Ilya Solovyov and Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Goalies in camp: Joel Blomqvist, Cam Johnson**, Sergei Murashov and Artus Silovs.
- Injured, possibility to open season on injured reserve ** Currently away from team for personal reasons
The Penguins still have to get down to a maximum of 23 players by Monday, when the league season begins.
Friday’s practice offered another look at where the lines may be headed, and the group had a few wrinkles worth watching. Brazeau remained out while being evaluated for a lower body injury. Joel Blomqvist, Rutger McGroarty, Tristan Broz, Ryan Graves, Caleb Jones, Owen Pickering, Jake Livanavage and Chase Pietila did not skate, according to Pens Inside Scoop, which points to some unfavorable news on those players’ NHL chances in the near term.
With Lizotte and Kindel dealing with center injuries, the Penguins worked in extra centers during practice. Zonnon and Gustafsson were the most notable names in that mix.
Dewar appears to be the likely temporary option at center until some of the injured players return, but Pittsburgh also seems to be taking a longer look at other possibilities if it wants to go in a different direction from Dewar and/or Lapierre. Zonnon and Gustafsson both look like their chances of breaking camp have improved with the current injury situation.
Koivunen is another player who has benefited from the shifting picture. Kuzmenko’s absence has opened a spot on Rust’s line, and Koivunen has moved himself into that conversation.
Just a few days ago, he looked like a tougher fit. Now the door is open.
On defense, the shape of things hasn’t changed much since camp opened, aside from Brunicke getting pulled away from a pairing with Pickering and getting another look with the NHL group. Solovyov, who can play both sides, still appears to be the leading candidate for the reserve defenseman spot on the NHL roster, though that battle remains one to keep an eye on.
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Ryan Graves and Justin Brazeau were both noted as injured, adding another wrinkle to a roster picture that already feels unsettled in a few spots. Graves, in particular, is viewed as unlikely to make the NHL roster this season, leaving Pittsburgh with one more question to sort through as the final preseason games narrow the field. [Read more 🡒]