Penguins' Positional Battles: Left Wing

Training camp is fast-approaching for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and that means positional battles are, too. 

And, no, these won't be the positional battles of training camps past for the Penguins. This time around, the organization has prospects who are legitimately on the verge of full-time NHL minutes, and they also have a collection of players who, even if they were on an NHL roster last season, are not guaranteed a spot this season. 

The forward front will certainly be the most interesting for the Penguins, as they have 15 forwards currently listed on their roster per Puckpedia, and that's not even accounting for prospects who are sure to push and make legitimate cases for roster spots.

So, how is the left wing battle shaping up? Here are the guarantees, the maybes, and the longshots.

Unless Rakell, 33, gets moved prior to training camp or prior to the season, he will be on the roster. But, even though he will be on the roster, his deployment will be interesting to watch.

Maybe Rakell is deployed to Crosby's left - as has been the default for the past couple of seasons - but head coach Dan Muse and the staff liked using Rakell at center last season, and he can also play right wing.

But, given the Penguins' general depth at center, it is most likely he will stay on the wing, at least, to start the season. 

There is quite literally zero question that Chinakhov will be on someone's left wing next season, whether that's Crosby's, Novak's, Kindel's, Rakell's, or Malkin's.

So, he's in the guarantees. The Penguins think they might have a star player in Chinakhov, and they'll find out this season if they're right. 

Even though it's hard to predict what will happen with new players on the roster, the Penguins signed Kuzmenko to a one-year, $5 million deal. It's safe to say they aren't just going to cut him. 

At the end of the day, yes, it's unlikely that Dewar will be left off the roster. He signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract extension this offseason, and he has chemistry with fourth-line center Blake Lizotte.

But that's what Dewar is: a fourth-line penalty-killing forward who is, at the end of the day, replaceable. If a guy like Broz, Hayes, or even Elmer Soderblom has a better camp, Dewar could be the odd guy out.

And that's the thing: Dubas and the Penguins aren't allergic to waiving rostered players. They did so with defenseman Ryan Graves and forward Danton Heinen last season, and they will do it again if necessary.

Soderblom, 25, was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings ahead of the trade deadline last season, and he was a decent player for the Penguins down the stretch, recording five goals and 10 points in 20 games with Pittsburgh.

But, just like Dewar, he's not someone who has any guarantees by any means. He stands at 6-foot-8, 252 pounds, so his size helps his cause - but he will have to outplay all the other young players pushing at camp to ensure a spot on the roster.

Lapierre, 24, was acquired from the Washington Capitals for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick earlier this summer. The former first-round pick (22nd overall in 2020) has yet to put everything together at the NHL level, and he registered four goals and 16 points in 74 games with the Caps last season.

Even if the Penguins spent assets to acquire Lapierre, he's another player who could be beat out by a younger player if he doesn't show enough in camp. He's already on the fringe of the roster, at this juncture, as it is. 

Unfortunately for McGroarty, it will be an even bigger squeeze for him to make the roster than it has been previously. He was injured during training camp last season and made the team initially in 2024, but the logjam at forward this season complicates things.

McGroarty was excellent down the stretch for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) last season and ended up with 10 goals and 34 points in 30 AHL games. He was also one of the most noticeable players in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Now is the time for McGroarty to start showing he belongs at the NHL level, and he has a chance to knock another guy out of the lineup during camp.

Zonnon is a bit more of a stretch here, as the soon-to-be 20-year-old just broke the AHL during the Calder Cup Playoffs and could probably benefit from a little bit of runway.

But Zonnon's talent and "ready" skillset is hard to ignore. Hey, Ben Kindel surprised everyone during camp last season as an 18-year-old, and Zonnon never got that opportunity due to injury.

So, don't rule him out entirely. He's a good young player. 

Okuliar, 26, was acquired from the Florida Panthers this summer in exchange for defensive prospect Emil Pieniniemi. He spent last season in the SHL and had 15 goals and 29 points in 46 games.

Again, he is going to have to beat out some other players in order to earn a roster spot, and the odds are stacked against him. He's unlikely to crack the roster, but he is eligible for waivers, which may help his cause just a bit.

Given that he, like Zonnon, just transferred to the AHL at the end of last season, Ilyin could use a bit of runway at that level before making the jump.

But there's a reason we had him at No. 5 on our Top-20 Prospects list. This guy has some serious puck skills and legitimate, cerebral playmaking ability, and if he's given an opportunity to work with some higher-level talent during camp, he may just surprise.

Howe is probably the biggest longshot on here, even if he put together a nice season for WBS last year. The 20-year-old had eight goals and 16 points in 27 AHL games after recovering from an ACL tear and missing substantial time.

His toughness, grit, tenacity, and straight-line style of play is something that the Penguins could benefit from, so even if he isn't on the NHL roster out of camp, he's someone who could make his NHL debut this season.

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