Penguins Roster is Set, But Not Final

The Pittsburgh Penguins are cap compliant, but could still be looking to make moves.

The Pittsburgh Penguins season begins later this week, but it is still not certain who will be in the lineup when they take on the Arizona Coyotes. Over the weekend, the Penguins sent down four players to be salary cap compliant before Monday's five o'clock deadline.

Some names were expected, like Sam Poulin and Filip Lindberg, but others were more surprising. 26-year-old defenseman Mark Friedman was placed on waivers on Saturday. He cleared through and was assigned to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins of the AHL. That still left one player left to cut from the Penguins roster. 

Ty Smith was sent down to the AHL Penguins on Sunday afternoon, marking the final cut from the 2022 Penguins training camp. Smith spent the entirety of camp on the Penguin's third defense pairing next to Jan Rutta. Due to his waiver exemption, he was the easiest player to send down without risking a waiver claim. 

Smith was pleased with his showing at Penguins camp, telling InsideThePenguins.com, "I think I was pretty good for the most part, but that's up to those guys. I try not to think about that too much."

The moves leave P.O. Joseph as the projected starter on the Penguin's third defense pairing, marking the first time he has made the roster out of camp. While reports indicate that Joseph could be on the Penguin's trade block, for now it seems they will keep him at the NHL level instead of risking a waiver claim.  

However, there is still time for Penguin's general manager Ron Hextall to make a move before the season begins. Leaving the door open for Smith to potentially be called back up in time to play on opening night against the Coyotes. Only time will tell what the finalized Penguins' blue line will be, but one thing is certain, more roster moves are on the horizon. 

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