Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman P.O. Joseph discusses his injury from blocking his brother Mathieu's shot at the Nova Scotia Showdown. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Drew O’Connor is sure to make the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup to start the 2023-24 season, but not many expected this kind of growth. O’Connor exceeded expectations last year finally breaking through as an NHL regular, but this time around he’s primed to be a breakout player for the Penguins. With the regular season right around the corner, O’Connor is proving to be as versatile a player as possible. After starting camp on a promising third line with Lars Eller and Rickard Rakell, O’Connor played the final preseason game alongside Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust on the top line. While O’Connor has looked good all over the lineup, he put a lot of people on notice on the first line. With a pair of goals in the 7-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres, O’Connor capped off a productive preseason. In four exhibition matches, O’Connor tallied four goals and an assist for five total points. During the 2022-23 season, O’Connor proved to be an NHL regular, but this time around he might set himself apart as a real threat. “I think I feel a little bit more established at this level,” O’Connor said. “Looking to continue to evolve my game.” O’Connor is looking forward to whatever opportunity that may come this year and is sure to be one of the more important members of the Penguins lineup. “I feel good after the preseason and ready to go for the regular season.” Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Penguins Power Play Wakes up in Victory in Preseason Finale [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/breaking-news/pittsburgh-penguins-power-play-victory-preseason-finale] Three Penguins Clear Waivers, Assigned to AHL [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/breaking-news/pittsburgh-penguins-clear-waivers-assigned-ahl] Multiple Penguins' Last Chance at First Impression [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/multiple-pittsburgh-penguins-last-chance-first-impression] Penguins Have Confidence in Improving Power Play [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-confidence-improving-power-play] WHL Team Fires Former Penguins Coach Following Suspension [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/breaking-news/whl-team-fires-pittsburgh-penguins-kevin-constantine] * undefined * undefined Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTkwMDEyNjI0OTM4MzYw/img_6014.jpg]
