PTOs Add Heat To Penguins' Training Camp
Three PTO's signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins should all add to the battles set to take place at training camp.
The Pittsburgh Penguins already had a boat load of roster battles with training camp just around the corner, but Kyle Dubas decided to add more heat to the fire.
With camp a little under a month away, the Penguins signed three players to professional tryout offers and each of them will add to the competition.
Defensemen Mark Pysyk and Libor Hajek and forward Austin Wagner will all join camp in Pittsburgh and look to steal roster spots at the NHL level.
It may be a long shot for Hajek and Wagner, but Pysyk has a legitimate chance of cracking the Penguins’ lineup as the third-line, right-shot defenseman.
Adding Pysyk to training camp turns up the heat for guys like Chad Ruhwedel, Ty Smith, and Mark Friedman who were already going to duke it out for that spot.
Heading into the camp, Ruhwedel may have had the upper-hand, but now all bets are off and the spot is completely up for grabs.
Hajek settles in as a left shot defender and likely won’t crack an NHL role; P.O. Joseph is the odds on favorite to maintain his third line role, while Smith and Will Butcher could battle as depth options.
That’s not to say Hajek won’t find a contract, however, as Dubas has put a lot of emphasis on making the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a competitive team again.
The defensive depth at the AHL level is lacking and Hajek could bring a solid skillset to WBS.
As for Wagner, the surplus of depth forwards might already be too large for him to really compete.
Much like Hajek, Wagner still has his uses and can be beneficial to the team one day, but he may have to stew in the AHL for a season.
There is no doubt that all three of Pysyk, Hajek, and Wagner add to the competition and intensity of the upcoming training camp, but can they cut it with the orgnaziation?
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