The right side might feature some interesting decisions during training camp for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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 right side on defense will be interesting this year. With Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang still around, a new face in Kaedan Korczak, and a promising, pushing prospect in Harrison Brunicke, a battle is sure to take place.
For our purposes, we're going to assume righty veteran Trevor van Riemsdyk will probably play the left side, as that is mostly where he's deployed, and the Penguins have less certainty on that side.
So, how is this positional battle on the right side shaping up? Who are the guarantees, the maybes, and the longshots?
The guarantees
Erik Karlsson
This one doesn't really require an explanation. Karlsson is this team's best defenseman by a mile and a generational talent at the position. He'll be on the team unless he has anything to say about it.
Kris Letang
Yes, Letang has shown ample signs of decline, and it can be argued whether or not he should still be seeing top-four minutes. But, at the end of the day, he's still an all-time franchise defenseman, he's still in excellent condition, he's still a serviceable defenseman in a lesser role, and the Penguins are better in the locker room with him in it.
Letang will be on this team. The bigger question with regards to him is how much different his role and his ice time will look next season. And it wouldn't be entirely surprising if he's deployed on his off-side a bit if some younger blueliners show out in training camp and earn roster spots.
It will definitely be an interesting storyline to watch as the season unfolds.
The maybes
Kaedan Korczak
Some may be surprised to see the 25-year-old Korczak in this tier, as he has four years remaining on his current contract that pays him $3.25 million annually.
To be clear, Korczak is as close to a lock without being one as a player can be. There is little chance that the guy who was acquired for the Penguins' top-pairing left defenseman last season in Parker Wotherspoon won't be on the NHL roster at the end of camp.
The question is more so whether he ends up a fixture on the right side or if a certain rookie has a very strong showing in training camp. Even if Korczak is on this team, there's no guarantee, like Letang, that he will be a regular defenseman on the right side.
But there is certainly upside in Korczak, and Dubas and the Penguins are betting on it.
Harrison Brunicke
Given the personnel on the right side for the Penguins, it will be an uphill climb for Brunicke, 20, to make this roster. The past two training camps were different because the only choices were NHL and WHL, and the AHL wasn't an option for him despite the fact that it's where he should've been.
With the AHL as an option now - and with his waivers exemption - Brunicke will need to have such an outstanding camp that he leaves the front office and coaching staff no choice but to keep him on the roster.
But don't discount that from happening.
The past two training camps, Brunicke has been one of the best defensemen in them, period. His 2026 Calder Cup Playoff run was impressive as the No. 1 blueliner on a team he had barely been a part of throughout the season as a 19-year-old, he's added size and defensive dimension, and the Penguins believe they really have something in him.
If he is as good in this camp as he has been in the last two - and, especially, if he's even better in this one and stands out more than guys like Korczak, Declan Carlile, and Sam Girard - it's going to be hard to leave him off the roster. If he truly earns it, they'll find a way to put him in the lineup.
The longshots
Finn Harding
If you're looking for an organizational success story in development, look no further than Harding, who is easily the right defenseman just behind Brunicke on the Penguins' depth chart nowadays.
The 21-year-old blueliner was a seventh-round pick (223rd overall) in the 2024 Draft, and he is certainly not a seventh-rounder. Harding is steady and reliable and also has some offensive upside in his game, as he's really developing into a good two-way organizational option on the blue line.
His biggest weakness is his skating and mobility, but it's something he has been working hard to address. Otherwise, there aren't too many things that Harding can't do, and that should bode well for him as he eventually transitions to the NHL.
Even if that doesn't happen out of camp - it's very unlikely he cracks the roster over the four (or five, if you're counting van Riemsdyk) in front of him - it shouldn't be all that long until Harding is donning an NHL sweater. He may not have super high upside, but he's making a case for himself to be a reliable bottom-pair NHL defenseman.
Chase Pietila
Well, right behind Harding is Pietila, another pick in the later rounds (111th overall in 2024) who may just have NHL upside. Like Harding, Pietila is rounding out as a solid two-way defenseman, even if the offensive output isn't quite as high.
Pietila probably won't make the team out of camp, either, but the former Michigan Tech blueliner is as solid as prospects come defensively and could be a nice shutdown depth option if injury needs arise.
His NHL ETA is probably still a year away, but he can't entirely be discounted from making the roster. Never say never, but Pietila still has some growth to accomplish at the AHL level and is probably better-served to begin there.
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