Justin Brazeau's spot in the lineup is far from a guarantee. Will he make the team?
It wasn't long ago that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Justin Brazeau was lighting the league on fire.
Brazeau scored the Penguins' first two goals of the 2025-26 season before notching his third goal in the Penguins' second game of the year against the New York Islanders.
He was a man on a mission in October, scoring six goals and compiling 12 points in 12 games. Unfortunately, he missed all of November, but he returned to his goal-scoring form in December, finishing the month with six goals and eight points in 12 games.
12 of Brazeau's 17 goals came in the first half of the season before he cooled off in the second half of the season. He was especially cold in March and April, only scoring a combined two goals.
His tough form and the rise of Elmer Soderblom meant that Brazeau was a healthy scratch for five of the six Penguins' playoff games against the Philadelphia Flyers. It was a tough end to his season, and now his spot in the every-night lineup is far from a guarantee.
The Penguins brought in multiple forwards this offseason, and several young forwards are trying to make the jump from the AHL. Brazeau will compete with all of those forwards for a roster spot, which will make training camp a lot of fun.
If you thought last year's training camp was competitive, just wait until you see this year's camp. There's up to 20 forwards, including Brazeau, who will be gunning for a roster spot.
If Brazeau makes the team, it would likely be in a depth role. He'd be projected to score double-digit goals again, but may not hit the career-high numbers that he set last season.
He also has a year left on his contract and could be used as trade bait around the trade deadline if the Penguins are out of the playoff race.
Brazeau might be a player some fans have forgotten about, but don't be surprised if he scores some big goals for the Penguins this year, assuming he makes the team.
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