Kyle Dubas' moves this summer have alleviated the pressure surrounding the Pittsburgh Penguins defensive group. The Pittsburgh Penguins take the ice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex tomorrow to kick off their 2023 training camp with no shortage of storylines. The Kyle Dubas era begins with over a dozen new faces on the camp roster [https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_q-best/prd/ywauqvakjyz78xqvoi6g]. Erik Karlsson Getting Up To Speed The reigning Norris Trophy winner is looking to follow up a year where he became the first 100-point-scoring defenseman in 31 years. Karlsson joins the Penguins in search of a Stanley Cup and will bring a new element to the top power play unit. All eyes will be on number 65 during camp as he builds chemistry with his new teammates. Karlsson is expected to begin the season on the Penguins' second pairing alongside Marcus Pettersson. With Karlsson's speed and puck control and Pettersson's stabilizing presence on the back end, that duo could become one of the top pairings in the NHL this season. Filling Jake Guentzel's Shoes The Penguins caught everyone off guard when they announced that Jake Guentzel had undergone ankle surgery at the beginning of August. Guentzel's initial recovery timeline was 12 weeks, and the Penguins expected him to miss the first handful of games of the season. His absence creates an opportunity for some of the newer names on the Penguins roster. Reilly Smith will likely be the other top-six left wing for the Penguins and could be a simple replacement for a few games. However, the Penguins may keep him with Evgeni Malkin to grow that duo's chemistry. Rem Pitlick came to Pittsburgh as part of the Erik Karlsson trade but has shown offensive upside that could mesh well alongside Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell. Position Battles Galore Possibly the biggest storyline entering camp, the Penguins potentially have six roster spots up for grabs. Penguins President of Hockey Ops and General Manager Kyle Dubas has brought in a wide variety of options on both the forward and defensive side of the puck to battle for those opportunities. On the forward side, Lars Eller, Matt Nieto, Jeff Carter, and Noel Acciari enter camp with their roster spot likely solidified, leaving three forward positions open for at least ten players. Drew O'Connor and Alex Nylander should be considered frontrunners, but a poor training camp could land both back in Wilkes-Barre. Defensively, the Penguins' top four is cemented with Karlsson, Pettersson, Kris Letang, and Ryan Graves. P.O. Joseph and Chad Ruhwedel begin the season as the incumbent third pairing, but a handful of other players will look to impress at camp and take those positions. Ty Smith will be the wild card for the Penguins again this season. Last year, he outperformed Joseph during camp but got assigned to the AHL due to his waiver exemption. With that exemption no longer in place, Smith will have more chances to stick at the NHL level this season. Pivotal First-Year Penguins Karlsson leads the class of first-year Penguins, but Dubas brought in a few other identity-changing players this summer. Ryan Graves steps in for longtime defensive lynchpin Brian Dumoulin. How quickly will he be able to mesh with franchise defenseman Kris Letang? Meanwhile, Reilly Smith brings his Stanley Cup pedigree to a team looking to get back to that level after missing the postseason in 2023. He will play next to Evgeni Malkin on the Penguins' second forward line. Coming off his fifth 20-goal season, Smith fills the hole left by Jason Zucker and will contribute in all three phases. The Penguins begin on-ice practice tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. in Cranberry. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeGUtqb_w2Q[/embed] Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Penguins Veterans Hope To Fend off Signs of Aging [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-veterans-hope-fend-aging] Study Finds Penguins Fans Among Biggest Drinkers in NHL [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/study-pittsburgh-penguins-fans-biggest-drinkers-nhl] Former Penguins Traded for Each Other [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/former-pittsburgh-penguins-traded-each-other] Penguins' Erik Karlsson Voted To Have Setback in 2023-24 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-erik-karlsson-voted-setback-2023-24] Top Penguins Prospect Could Earn NHL Roster Spot [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/top-pittsburgh-penguins-prospect-nhl-roster-spot] * undefined * undefined Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTkwMDEyNjI0OTM4MzYw/img_6014.jpg]
