It has been 160 days since the Pittsburgh Penguins last played a game. Since then, they fired their general manager, overhauled half of their roster with a new general manager and acquired a Hall of Fame defenseman. Their stars are a year older and their fans have been rejuvenated by a summer of change.
Advertisement
And now, the 2023-24 Penguins will finally hit the ice together when training camp commences Thursday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Here’s what to expect, how to watch, position battles and what I’m hearing about the team.
Will Chad Ruhwedel be the Penguins’ No. 6 defenseman? (Charles LeClaire / USA Today)Roster questions
Truthfully, there aren’t many “battles.” With a couple of potential exceptions, we know which players are going to be in the lineup against the Blackhawks on Oct. 10.
Still, some questions remain:
Who is the No. 6 defenseman?
We know the top four on the blue line. Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Ryan Graves and Marcus Pettersson will see heavy minutes and may give the Penguins one of the NHL’s best top-four units.
The third pairing figures to feature Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who had a solid enough first full NHL season. Who will play beside him?
Chad Ruhwedel, a respected veteran, may have the inside track primarily because the Penguins need some penalty killers on the blue line — that’s not a particular strength for Karlsson or Joseph.
Mark Friedman adds more of a two-way dimension and annoys the opposition.
Mark Pysyk, a right-handed, 2010 first-round pick and a veteran of 521 NHL games, is another contender. He has more offensive touch than Ruhwedel.
Ty Smith, a 2018 first-round pick whom Ron Hextall traded for more than a year ago, didn’t have a disastrous first season in Pittsburgh — well, it was primarily played in Wilkes-Barre — but he didn’t blow anyone away, either. Smith is only 23, but it’s time for the Penguins to discover what they have in him.
What to do with Jeff Carter?
Carter is a lightning rod for fans, and his play rapidly declined over the past year.
Because of his 35-plus contract, the Penguins weren’t permitted to buy him out or trade him. Whether new GM Kyle Dubas wanted to is anyone’s guess.
Coach Mike Sullivan used Carter in a high-leverage role last season, typically relying on him for defensive-zone draws and responsibilities late in games. Carter didn’t thrive in this role, and his offensive work deteriorated as well. He finished with 13 goals and 29 points in 79 games. He was a team-worst minus-16.
Advertisement
The Penguins are expected to deploy Carter on the right wing this season, minimizing his duties.
Will Drew O’Connor finally take a leap?
O’Connor is an annual training camp darling and, make no mistake, he has talent. But the 25-year-old has never completely established himself as an NHL regular. He managed five goals and 11 points in 46 games last season.
He’s big (6 feet 3 inches, 200 pounds) and fast, which the Penguins could dearly use in their bottom six. Many people in the organization believe he’s capable of becoming a 20-goal scorer in the NHL.
One problem: He is a natural center, but the Penguins typically use him on the left side because of their depth down the middle. One way or another, the Penguins would be considerably better off if O’Connor were able to take a step in his development this season. It’s time.
When healthy, who plays on the power play?
We know Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel and Karlsson will play on the power play. Who will be the fifth? The coaching staff could go with Kris Letang or Rickard Rakell. Letang would help get through the neutral zone and situate the power play. Rakell, however, was good on the left-wing half-wall last season, and Letang hasn’t seen much time in that role for more than a decade.
Guentzel is expected to miss at least the first handful of games, so Letang will start on the top unit. When Guentzel returns, things will get interesting.
It will be intriguing to see how Letang and Karlsson co-exist on the power play. Theoretically, the Penguins could also try Karlsson on the left-wing wall and leave Letang in his customary spot at the center point.
Tristan Jarry is said to be healthy. Will he be the goalie the Penguins need? (Charles LeClaire / USA Today)What I’m hearing
• Tristan Jarry is healthy. And very motivated.
Sure, Jarry said he was healthy when he spoke with reporters back in July. I’ll take him at his word. He wasn’t healthy last season, which he let be known on numerous occasions.
Advertisement
The reports from team sources on Jarry’s health are very good. While not everyone I spoke to around the organization felt comfortable giving Jarry a five-year deal, there is a growing belief that he’s going to have a strong season, so long as his health allows.
• It’s easy to be excited about Karlsson.
Rest assured, everyone I spoke to around the team is delighted about the trade that brought him to Pittsburgh.
It should also be noted, however, that the Penguins — especially Sullivan — are extremely excited about the additions of Graves and Reilly Smith. Sullivan’s eyes light up when he talks about Smith. He’s a very good, veteran player who should thrive while playing with either Crosby or Malkin.
• Don’t be shocked if Letang is on the second power play for significant chunks of the season.
The Penguins will use Letang heavily on the penalty kill this season, and they’ll have to monitor his minutes to some extent, despite his freakish conditioning levels. He is 36 now, and in Karlsson, the Penguins have a more gifted point man. Letang is a superb one-on-one defender, but Karlsson is the better power-play artist. Because of this, I wouldn’t be shocked if Letang spends some time quarterbacking the second power play this season.
• Penguins employees — from Sullivan on down — are thrilled to work with Dubas.
There is no question that Dubas has instilled an energy and confidence that has been absent in recent years. I was in Buffalo for day one of the Penguins’ prospect tournament last week. Words that Penguins employees used to describe Dubas included “genius,” “brilliant,” “fearless,” “energetic,” “sharp as a tack,” and “aggressive.”
Everyone seems to love this guy and loves what he did to the roster.
• The Penguins would love for a prospect to come out of nowhere and challenge for a roster spot.
That, however, doesn’t seem to be anyone’s expectation.
Erik Karlsson has some meshing to do. (Sergei Belski / USA Today)The biggest camp issues
• How will Karlsson fit in?
Sure, he’s great. And sure, everyone’s happy to have him. But his presence alone doesn’t make the Penguins a contender. He needs to develop chemistry with Pettersson and needs to fit in. There’s little reason to suspect it won’t happen. But it’s worth monitoring.
Advertisement
• Which Jarry will show up?
Let’s just assume he’s healthy, and for fun, let’s assume he stays reasonably healthy. Will we see the guy who reached the NHL All-Star Game twice in his young career? Or will his habit of disappointing in big games repeat? The Penguins made a huge investment in him. He’s got the talent. He’s got a terrific goalie coach in Andy Chiodo.
Jarry is under the microscope.
• Will the bottom six find some continuity?
There are plenty of new faces, chief among them Lars Eller, Matt Nieto, Noel Acciari and Rem Pitlick. Who plays with whom? Who will stick out? Camp will provide some answers.
• Are Crosby and Malkin still Crosby and Malkin?
You may scoff at this question. But Malkin is 37 and Crosby is 36. It’s fair to monitor how they look in camp to make sure no decline is evident. In Malkin, we’ve already seen some diminishment of his physical skills, though he remains a wonderful player. Any decline in Crosby’s physical attributes has been extremely minimal. He’s still one of the game’s best players. But we’re at the stage where, in training camp, we have to make sure they don’t look appreciably different.
How to watch practice
Practices are free to fans at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. If you’ve not been there, food is available for purchase and the Penguins will practice on both rinks, sometimes simultaneously.
Here’s the schedule (and keep in mind, it is subject to change):
- Thursday, Sept. 21 — 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m (scrimmage from 10-10:45 a.m.)
- Friday, Sept. 22 — 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (scrimmage from 10-10:45 a.m.)
- Saturday, Sept. 23 — 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (scrimmage from 10-10:45 a.m.)
- Sunday, Sept. 24 — Preseason games vs. Columbus at PPG Paints Arena, 1 p.m., and at Columbus, 7 p.m.; no practice in Cranberry
- Monday, Sept. 25 — Day off
- Tuesday, Sept. 26 — Morning skate in Cranberry, 10:30 a.m.; Penguins at Red Wings, 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 27 — 10:10-11:30 a.m. and 12:40-2 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 28 — Morning skate at PPG Paints Arena, 10:30 a.m.; Penguins vs. Sabres, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Sept, 29 — Practice in Cranberry at 11 a.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 30 — Day off
- Sunday, Oct. 1 — Practice in Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Monday, Oct. 2 — Morning skate in Halifax, 10:30 a.m.; Penguins vs. Ottawa in Halifax, 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 3 — Practice at noon in Cranberry
- Wednesday, Oct. 4 — Morning skate at PPG Paints Arena, 10:30 a.m.; Penguins vs. Red Wings, 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 5 — Practice at noon in Cranberry
- Friday, Oct. 6 — Morning skate in Cranberry, 10:30 a.m.; Penguins at Sabres, 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 7 — Camp breaks, no practice
(Top photo: Ben Jackson / NHLI via Getty Images)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k3FvaW9oZ3xzfJFsZmlxX2d9cLzEp56uoZ6oerW%2BwKKloqaXYrCiuc9maWlqY2J%2FcX6TaA%3D%3D