Penguins' Training Camp 2026: Observations From Day 1

The Pittsburgh Penguins kicked off training camp Thursday morning as they continue preparing for the 2026-27 season. 

The Penguins held three sessions for three different groups after announcing on Wednesday that they had invited 69 players to training camp.

Group A included Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, Nick Robertson, Harrison Brunicke, Arturs Silovs, and others, while Group B included Evgeni Malkin, Egor Chinakhov, Tommy Novak, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Sergei Murashov, Joel Blomqvist, etc. 

Group C featured most of the prospects, including Liam Ruck and Markus Ruck, but it also had Elmer Soderblom. It felt weird to see him in that group, but he confirmed after the practice session that he was moved there because he misread the schedule.

With the first day in the books, let's take a look at some observations from each session. 

Group A

- Nick Robertson had a solid first day. He beat Tristan Broz 1v1 and scored on the play before getting solid time with Sidney Crosby. The two looked comfortable together and read off each other well. When line rushes started, Rickard Rakell joined both of them. 

Robertson can play up and down the lineup, so it's not surprising to see him get a look with Crosby. 

- Kaedan Korczak and Sam Girard were paired together during drills, and it felt really natural. Girard was especially solid and looked a lot faster than he did last year.

Having someone like Korczak as his partner makes sense, since he's great defensively and lets Girard do his thing in the offensive zone. 

- Don't forget about Filip Hallander in the forward roster battle. He's cleared to play and was doing several drills with Avery Hayes, who is also looking to make the team. Hallander really shone in some of the 2v2 and 3v3 drills. 

Group B

- It shouldn't surprise anyone that the top line featured Novak between Chinakhov and Malkin. It was one of the Penguins' best lines last season, and they look poised to run it back this season. 

- Ville Koivunen had a solid first day. Yes, Letang flattened him during a drill, but he scored a couple of really nice goals after and was flying out there. It's the exact type of start that he needed. 

- Defensively, Karlsson was paired with Declan Carlile, while Letang was paired with Trevor van Riemsdyk. I see the vision, even though I predicted Carlile to start with Letang and TVR with Karlsson.

The Penguins likely see Carlile as a Parker Wotherspoon replacement for Karlsson, while TVR can be a veteran defensive presence for Letang.

Carlile took an absolute beating during drills, and in one sequence, he went hard into the boards and stayed down for a few seconds. He got up and got help from some of the trainers before returning to practice. 

- It was a blast watching Murashov and Blomqvist duke it out during drills. It's only one day, but Blomqvist got the better of him on Thursday. He looked calm in the crease, and everything came easily. 

There was a three-minute stretch when Karlsson and Bryan Rust lit up Murashov, but that happens sometimes.

The preseason games will carry more weight, but it was still a nice first day for Blomqvist. 

Group C

- As expected, Soderblom was fantastic and scored a beautiful top-shelf goal during a drill, but don't expect him to stay in this group for long. He'll be with one of the top two groups either on Friday or Saturday. 

- It was good to see Liam and Markus Ruck get some reps. Liam potted a couple of nice goals in 2v2 drills, while Markus showcased his playmaking ability. 

- Goaltender Matvei Nikonovich had an underrated first day. He was making save after save during drills and even robbed Soderblom with a great sprawling save at one point. 

It will be fun to track his season with the OHL's Barrie Colts once it gets underway. 

The Penguins will return to training camp on Friday. Group A will come on the ice at 8:45 a.m., followed by Group B at 11:30 a.m. and Group C at 12:45 p.m.

All practices are free and open to the public. 

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