As the 2022 preseason wraps up, the Pittsburgh Penguins will have decisions to make when it comes to their bottom six.
With the final game of the 2022 preseason, the Pittsburgh Penguins as a whole will be focused on fine-tuning and knocking off any last rust before regular season puck drop.
While the game is going to feature a number of NHL regulars, there are a few points to keep an eye out as the Penguins take on the Buffalo Sabres.
Chief amongst them is where will bottom six forwards and final depth options land?
Before the 2022-23 NHL season can get underway, teams have to become roster and salary cap compliant.
The Penguins are not excused from this list and still sit with 26 players on the official roster.
To become compliant, the Penguins have three days to drop three names from the roster and somehow drop $3.3 million from the salary.
While not impossible, the depth players on the team have been making lineup decisions tough for the organization.
Josh Archibald hasn’t been the most popular signing with Pens fans, but he has made a decent case to find himself on the NHL roster.
Not a standout offensive threat, Archibald has the support of off ice personnel and can contribute in other ways.
Head coach Mike Sullivan is familiar with Archibald dating back to Archibald’s first run with the Penguins; and general manager Ron Hextall sang his praises not long after signing on the dotted line.
More than just familiarity, Archibald brings a sense of grit to the Penguins.
Penguins radio personality Brian Metzer noted this on Penguins Lunch, no matter what team he is on, Archibald floats around with the most recorded hits.
“He is always among the leaders in hits on whatever team he’s on,” Metzer said. “That’s something the Penguins have been lacking sine they lost Zach Aston-Reese.”
In 243 career games in the NHL, Archibald has piled up 660 hits; good for an average of just under three hits per game.
The Penguins are in need of added toughness, and while Archibald doesn’t bring size, he will play a heavy game with his body.
Archibald is not alone, however, in fighting for a roster spot; Ryan Poehling is looking for his breakout in the NHL.
Poehling arrived from Montreal via trade along side Jeff Petry, but Poehling hopes to be more than just an addition to the deal.
Not yet 24-years-old, and despite a much shorter tenure in the NHL, Poehling is likely to have a higher offensive upside to his game.
In 57 games last season Poehling scored nine goals and eight assists for 17 points.
Those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, but there could be more under the surface of Poehling that just needs to be found.
New scenery is good way to jump start a new aspect to ones game, and Poehling is in a great spot to find a new level.
Since joining the team, Poehling has looked like the leader in the battle to help finish filling in spots in the bottom six.
Beyond Archibald and Poehling, prospect Sam Poulin is also still coasting around as a possible candidate for the position.
The Penguins have one last opportunity to see what a number of possible NHL regulars can do, but they have to work and earn it.
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