Young Penguins Could Force Kyle Dubas' Hand
Three Pittsburgh Penguins' forwards shining early in NHL preseason.
Competition is heating up for head coach Mike Sullivan's team almost a week into Pittsburgh Penguins training camp. The Penguins entered camp with three forward positions up for grabs and over a dozen players ready to battle to stay in Pittsburgh to begin the season.
Through the first three preseason games, a few younger Penguins have stepped up and stood out, culminating in a tremendous performance in the team's 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday evening.
While the Red Wings iced most of their NHL roster, the Penguins countered with a lineup of primarily prospects. The first line of Vinnie Hinostroza, Radim Zohorna, and Valtteri Puustinen made their presence felt early and often.
Puustinen had performed well through the opening weekend of camp but had yet to stand out in preseason contests. That changed in Detroit on Tuesday. Puustinen and Zohorna combined for two goals in the first period.
2019 first-round pick Sam Poulin continued his terrific preseason performance as well. Poulin showed his more physical side early in the second period, getting into a scrap with a Red Wings' forward behind the Penguins' net. A few minutes later, Poulin potted his second goal this preseason on a sweet short-side move in tight against James Reimer.
Puustinen and Poulin entered camp on the outside, looking into the Penguins' bottom six. However, their performance in week one of camp has raised eyebrows and inserted them into the conversation.
Penguins' President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas has been open about his feelings towards using waivers. "We aren't afraid to use waivers to get flexibility," Dubas said. "We need to continue to have competition."
The duo of 2019 draft picks may force Dubas to utilize waivers earlier than he expected, but now is when the competition will begin to heat up. According to Mike Sullivan, the Penguins will work in veteran players tomorrow against the Buffalo Sabres.
These young players have made an impact and stood out through the opening games of the preseason, but they have received most of the opportunities, playing on the top two forward lines and the first power play unit. With veterans joining in on the preseason action, Poulin and Puustinen need to show they can impact the game in a lesser role.
Fortunately for the Penguins, they aren't the only bottom-six candidates having an impressive start this season. Players like Alex Nylander, Radim Zohorna, Drew O'Connor, and Vinnie Hinostroza have staked their claim for those few open spots.
It may not be time for these young Penguins to make the NHL team out of camp, but their performance this fall has opened the door for them to be among the first names for Dubas to call up throughout the season.
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