Training camp has given the Pittsburgh Penguins a clear look at where the roster stands, and not every young player has taken the chance to move forward.
With a handful of spots suddenly available after the Penguins announced week-to-week injuries to Ben Kindel and Blake Lizotte, along with the tragic passing of Andrei Kuzmenko’s father, there’s room for players to push their way into the conversation. Some have done that. Others have faded.
The biggest concern so far has been the lack of impact from the younger group, especially the prospects the organization would love to see take a real step. Pittsburgh wants to build toward a new wave of talent, but training camp has not exactly produced a convincing show of that yet.
Rutger McGroarty is near the top of that list. This was supposed to be an important camp for him, but he has not separated himself the way the Penguins likely wanted. He remains one of the more highly regarded prospects in the system, yet he still has not shown enough to suggest he’s ready to grab a roster spot and hold onto meaningful ice time while others are out.
Arturs Silovs has also been a problem. His preseason has been rough enough that his place on the team is at least worth questioning, even if the odds of him being pushed out are still slim.
He entered camp with the reputation of a goalie who flashed real promise last season, but that momentum has not carried over. If this keeps up, Pittsburgh may need to lean on Sergei Murashov sooner than expected.
Ville Koivunen has not helped his case either. His contract extension continues to look worse with each passing day, and despite adding bulk for this season, he has not shown enough at camp to quiet the doubts around his future. The Penguins are not looking particularly sharp for signing him to that deal, and if he misses the NHL roster, that only sharpens the criticism.
Justin Brazeau is a little different. He has NHL experience and is coming off one of the best statistical seasons of his career, but the signs have been pointing in a certain direction.
He could still make the team out of camp, even if others may have earned it more. Pittsburgh may decide to keep him around as a steady option, a player who can slide in and out of the lineup as needed.
In Other News...
Penguins Blue Line Suddenly Has A Roster Problem Before Opening Night
Ryan Graves lower-body injury landed at a bad time for a Penguins blue line that is already being watched closely as opening night approaches. Pittsburgh said the defenseman will undergo further evaluation, and any absence would put a little more strain on a group trying to settle into its season-opening shape before the games start to count.
For a team that values stability on defense, even a short-term setback can ripple through the rest of the roster picture. The Penguins are still in the early part of sorting out health and availability, and Graves status is now one of the cleaner examples of how quickly that process can change in the final stretch before the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Camp Cuts Just Hit A Familiar Group Of Players
A preseason setback for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins did not come on the ice, but in the building. Their exhibition game against Lehigh Valley was called off because of a mechanical issue at Mohegan Arena, taking away another chance for prospects and AHL regulars to make one more impression before the season gets going.
In Pittsburgh, the roster picture also tightened as the Penguins assigned five players to the AHL during camp cuts ahead of the opener. It is the familiar part of this time of year, when hopefuls are pushed back to Wilkes-Barre and the organization starts trimming toward its opening night group, even as fans who had planned on the canceled game wait for ticket details from the team. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Final Preseason Lineup Hints At A Bigger Opening Night Shift
The Penguins preseason roster for their game against Buffalo offered a useful glimpse at where things stand with opening night drawing closer. The club listed its forwards, defensemen and goalies, but also made clear that one forward and one defenseman will be scratched before puck drop, the kind of late adjustment that often reveals how the staff is sorting out the last few decisions.
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 🡒]