The Penguins are rolling out a heavier dose of their regulars for Tuesday night’s preseason matchup with the Detroit Red Wings’ preseason squad, with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both set to play.
They won’t be the only familiar faces in the lineup. Pittsburgh said Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, Tommy Novak, Ilya Solovyov, Sam Girard and Artūrs Šilovs are also going to be in action. Ville Koivunen is back for his first game since signing his eight-year extension last month.
A handful of younger names from Pensburgh’s top 25 under 25 list are also getting another look: Markus and Liam Ruck, Mikhail Ilyin, Finn Harding, Bill Zonnon and Tomas Galvas.
Among the players worth watching is winger Nick Robertson, who is making his first appearance for the Penguins. Rutger McGroarty is in the mix too as he tries to build momentum toward a permanent NHL roster spot.
That spot may not come easy. McGroarty’s path looked a little tougher Monday night after Filip Hallander and Tristan Broz turned in strong performances and Avery Hayes added a highlight-reel goal.
The Penguins are also still sorting through special teams looks as the preseason moves along. One of the changes from Monday was a penalty-kill role for Elmer Söderblom, though Dan Muse said after the game he still hadn’t decided whether Söderblom will keep that job once the regular season starts.
Monday’s win over the Buffalo Sabres also gave Pittsburgh a glimpse of early chemistry between Bryan Rust and offseason addition Andrei Kuzmenko, plus a strong showing from goaltender Sergei Murashov ahead of what could be his first full-time season in Pittsburgh.
The biggest concern coming out of that game was Ben Kindel, who left in the second period with a lower-body injury. Muse said after the game that Kindel was still being evaluated, and the Penguins will be hoping for a positive update. He had been one of the team’s best forwards before the injury.
Puck drop for Tuesday’s second game of the shortened preseason is set for 7 p.m. ET. After that, the Penguins have only two exhibition games left - Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres - before opening the regular season a week from Wednesday at the Philadelphia Flyers.
In Other News...
Penguins Camp Cuts Put Real Pressure On The Opening Night Battle
The first training camp cuts have already sharpened the picture in Pittsburgh, where the early roster move sends a clear signal that the Penguins are sorting through more than just bodies on the ice. Pittsburgh Hockey Now also projected the opening lineup and flagged that there could still be changes during the season, which is exactly the kind of uncertainty that hangs over a camp when the margin for error is thin.
For the players still in the mix, the next few days matter more now because the opening night battle is no longer a broad competition, it is becoming a test of who can hold a spot when the roster starts to settle. Around the league, there are other developments adding to the backdrop, from Columbus talking contract with Adam Fantilli to a few notable names surfacing on waivers, but in Pittsburgh the focus is much more immediate: who stays in the frame, and who gets pushed further down the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Prospect Ben Kindel Faces A Bigger Setback Than Expected
Ben Kindels early push toward the season hit an unexpected roadblock almost immediately, as the Penguins center is now facing a more serious injury than the team first believed. The setback came in the first period of Pittsburghs opening preseason game, and what initially looked manageable has turned into a week-to-week recovery, a frustrating development for a prospect trying to make his mark in camp.
For an organization that has been trying to sharpen the path for its young players, the timing is less than ideal. Pittsburgh has spent plenty of time working through the logistics and growing pains in its minor league pipeline, including travel complications after its ECHL affiliate relocated, while also trying to build a more competitive development system. Kindels absence adds another variable to that process, and it leaves the Penguins waiting to see how long one of their prospects will be sidelined. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Opening Night Plans Already Face Another Lineup Problem
The Penguins are already having to juggle their opening-night picture after Ben Kindels status changed from day-to-day to week-to-week following an injury in the first period of a preseason game. Even before the regular season gets going, Pittsburgh is trying to sort through a lineup that has been nudged into motion by absences, with Filip Hallander, Connor Dewar and Elmer Soderblom skating together as a possible fourth line.
Blake Lizotte is also listed as week-to-week, which only adds to the uncertainty in the middle of the roster. Andrei Kuzmenko is away from the club for a family matter, leaving the Penguins with one more variable to manage as they continue shaping the early-season group and trying to hold the bottom of the lineup together. [Read more 🡒]