It's Decision Time for Penguins' Management
Who will make the Pittsburgh Penguins roster out of training camp?
The Pittsburgh Penguins are one week away from their 2023-24 season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks but six days away from the roster deadline.
The Penguins have 41 players remaining on their training camp roster. A number that will need to be at 23 by Monday. Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas will seemingly wait to condense the roster until at least after tomorrow's preseason contest against the Detroit Red Wings.
Dubas recalled Rem Pitlick, Ty Smith, and Avery Hayes from AHL Wilkes-Barre Scranton earlier this morning, seemingly to rest a few veteran players after a long weekend in Nova Scotia.
At the outset of training camp, the Penguins seemingly had six roster spots up for grabs. Drew O'Connor has emerged as a solid contributor throughout camp alongside Lars Eller on the third line. Entering his fourth season with the organization, O'Connor appears ready to make the NHL roster out of camp for the first time.
Similarly, P.O. Joseph staked his claim on the Penguins' third pairing early on. Last season, Joseph stuck in the NHL for the first time in his career, playing 75 games on the Penguins blue line.
The Penguins' four available roster spots are split evenly between the forwards and defense. Defensively, the Penguins need to figure out who will play with Joseph on the right side of the third pairing and the seventh defenseman spot.
Over his seven years with the Penguins, Chad Ruhwedel has built a level of trust with head coach Mike Sullivan and will likely fill one of the final two defensive roster spots.
That leaves Mark Friedman, Ryan Shea, and recently recalled defenseman Ty Smith to fight for the final spot out of camp. Professional Tryout (PTO) defenseman Libor Hajek also remains at the Penguins' training camp, seeking a contract for the season.
On the forward side, over a half dozen players remain serious contenders to earn one of the final two roster spots. 2019 draft picks Sam Poulin and Valtteri Puustinen are still on the roster but have not played in the past two preseason games.
Meanwhile, Vinnie Hinostroza, Radim Zohorna, and Alex Nylander have all rotated in the lineup as the NHL regulars have begun to play in preseason action. The Penguins have yet to release Colin White or Austin Wagner from their PTO contracts, leaving them as options to make the roster.
Kyle Dubas has six days and two more preseason games to trim the roster to 23 players. Expect those decisions to begin following tomorrow's game against the Red Wings.
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