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Penguins Make First 12 Roster Cuts

The Pittsburgh Penguins made their first training camp cuts today, re-assigning 12 players and whittling their camp roster down to 43.  Over the next 2 weeks, the Penguins will need to skinny the roster down by another 20 players to arrive at the 23 players required by September 30th for the start of the regular season.  General Manager Ray Shero announced that 10 players would be heading to the AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.  This includes forwards Aaron Boogaard, Zack Sill, Joey Haddad, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Nick Petersen and Keven Veilleux.  Also heading to the AHL are defensemen Lane Caffaro, Brian Strait and Alex Grant and goaltender Jordan Parise.  The Penguins also re-assigned Nathan Moon to the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey league and released defenseman Jamie Hunt.  The roster moves leave the Penguins with 26 forwards, 13 defensemen and four goaltenders.

The entire Penguins team will head to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Thursday night to participate in a Black and Gold intra-squad game at Wachovia Arena.  The Stanley Cup will be in attendance as a team of Penguins headed up by Sidney Crosby will take on another team of Penguins headed up by Evgeni Malkin.  The game is sold out and proceeds will be donated to charity.  The Penguins will then return home to face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday evening at Mellon Arena, before taking their pre-season on the road.

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TK on Malkin’s Wing for Day 1 of Practice

On-ice practice began this morning at Mellon Arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins 2009/10 Training Camp.  The most notable news from today is that Tyler Kennedy was the first player to be paired up with Evgeni Malkin and Ruslan Fedotenko.  I am sure that this is just one of many pairings that will be evaluated on that line over the next few weeks after the departure of Petr Sykora/Miroslav Satan and the absence of Max Talbot while he is recovering from off-season surgery.  Coach Dan Bylsma noted that he is looking for a tenacious player that can add a “forechecking and puck-pursuit presence” to the Malkin line.  Based on what we saw from Tyler Kennedy last season, he would seem to be a natural fit.  He certainly brought those skills to the Staal line last season, where his development was quite noteworthy.  Pascal Dupuis back-filled Kennedy’s normal spot on the Staal line.

New acquisition Mike Rupp played on a potential fourth line with Craig Adams and Eric Godard.  Eric Tangradi played on a line with Wyatt Smith and Chris Connor, while Luca Caputi was on a line with Mark Letestu and Nick Johnson.  Free Agent Left Wing Ryan Bayda (formerly of the Carolina Hurricanes) was invited to camp/practice as a tryout.  Also at camp on a tryout is former UND goaltender Jordan Parise, Zach Parise’s older brother.   

As far as top defensive pairings, it was Mark Eaton – Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik – Sergei Gonchar, and Jay McKee – Alex Goligoski.  Ben Lovejoy was paired with Brian Strait.

Here are the full training camp team lineups as reported by Sam Kasan on the 2009 Training Camp Blog (click name for player profile):

TEAM A
Forwards:
Ruslan Fedotenko – Evgeni Malkin – Tyler Kennedy
Mike Rupp – Craig Adams – Eric Godard
Joey Haddad – Casey Pierro-Zabotel – Nick Petersen
Ryan Bayda – Zach Sill

Defensemen:
Mark Eaton – Kris Letang
Chris Lee - Deryk Engelland
Jonathan D’Aversa

Goaltenders:
Brent Johnson
Jordan Parise

TEAM B
Forwards:
Matt Cooke – Jordan Staal – Pascal Dupuis
Eric Tangradi – Wyatt Smith – Chris Connor
Wade Brookbank – Joe Vitale – Keven Veilleux
Nathan Moon

Defensemen:
Brooks Orpik – Sergei Gonchar
Brian Strait – Ben Lovejoy
Simon Despres – Robert Bortuzzo

Goaltenders:
Marc-Andre Fleury
Brad Thiessen

TEAM C
Forwards:
Chris Kunitz – Sidney Crosby – Bill Guerin
Luca Caputi – Mark Letestu – Nick Johnson
Paul Bissonnette – Dustin Jeffrey – Tim Wallace
Aaron Boogard

Defensemen:
Jay McKee – Alex Goligoski
Lane Caffaro – Nathan Guenin
Jamie Hunt – Alex Grant

Goaltenders:
John Curry

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Penguins’ Training Camp – Roster Cut by 9

With the shortened training camp, the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects are getting very little time to show their skills as they contend for the few potentially available spots on the roster, most likely 2 or 3 wing positions and possibly a defenseman.  This afternoon, following Day 3 of training camp, the coaching staff made 9 cuts, sending 6 players to the AHL and 3 more to the juniors.  The cuts whittled the training camp roster down to 42 players as the team prepares for the first pre-season game on Saturday night at Mellon Arena against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Heading to Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate, the WIlkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, are forwards Luca Caputi (LW), Joey Haddad (LW), Dustin Jeffrey (C), Nick Johnson (RW), Mark Letestu (C), and Defenseman Jonathan D’Aversa (D).  The Penguins sent 2 players to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).  Defensemen Alex Grant (D) was sent to the Saint John Sea Dogs and forward Keven Veilleux (C) was sent to Rimouski Oceanic.  Finally, forward Casey Pierro-Zabotel (C) was sent to the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL). 

Jesse Marshall over at the Faceoff-Factor has done a tremendous job of putting out detailed daily reports from training camp, and the Penguins website provides nice video coverage of daily scrimmages, practice, and locker room interviews.  You can use the following links to track the progress of the team through camp:

• Training Camp Day 1 – Wednesday, 17 Sep 08
  • Report:  Faceoff-Factor Report
  • On-Ice Video:  Scrimmage, Group A Practice, Group B Practice
  • Locker Room Interviews:  Miroslav Satan, Jordan Staal, Sidney Crosby, Ruslan Fedotenko, Hal Gill, Marc-Andre Fleury
• Training Camp Day 2 – Thursday, 18 Sep 08
  • Report:  Faceoff-Factor Report
  • On-Ice Video:  Scrimmage Video, Group A Practice, Group B Practice
  • Locker Room Interviews:  Dany Sabourin, Pascal Dupuis, Eric Goddard, Sidney Crosby, Sergei Gonchar, Darryl Sydor
• Training Camp Day 3 – Friday, 19 Sep 08
  • Report:  Faceoff-Factor Report
  • On-Ice Video:  Group A Practice, Group B Practice
  • Locker Room Interviews:  Max Talbot, Sidney Crosby

The first round of cuts leaves 42 players in camp, to include 24 forwards, 14 defensemen, and 4 goaltenders.  The current roster includes the following players (by natural position,  not necessarily the position they are being played)

• Left Wing
  • Ruslan Fedotenko
  • Jeff Taffe
  • Matt Cooke
  • Janne Pesonen
  • Ryan Stone
  • Paul Bissonnette (Converted from D)
  • Adam Henrich
  • Chris Minard
  • Connor James
  • David Gove
• Center
  • Sidney Crosby
  • Evgeni Malkin
  • Jordan Staal
  • Tyler Kennedy
  • Max Talbot
  • Kris Beech
• Right Wing
  • Miroslav Satan
  • Petr Sykora
  • Pascal Dupuis
  • Eric Goddard
  • Aaron Boogard
  • Jonathan Filewich
  • William Thomas
  • Tim Wallace
• Defense
  • Sergei Gonchar
  • Ryan Whitney
  • Mark Eaton
  • Hal Gill
  • Kris Letang
  • Brooks Orpik
  • Darryl Sydor
  • Rob Scuderi 
  • Deryk Engelland
  • Alex Goligoski
  • TJ Kemp
  • Ben Lovejoy
  • Joey Mormina
  • Danny Richmond
• Goal
  • Marc-Andre Fleury
  • Dany Sabourin
  • David Brown
  • John Curry

On Thursday night, the Penguins held a Town Hall for Season Ticket Holders that included a Q&A session with several players (Orpik, Malkin, Whitney, Fleury, Talbot, Crosby).  It was covered in a video over at the Penguins website on Pens TV.

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Pittsburgh Penguins 2008 Training Camp Preview

After a short summer break, the Pittsburgh Penguins are ready to hit the ice again as they get back to training camp this week.  Over the summer, the team saw some significant complexion changes with the exodus of some key role players.  Yet, despite the loss of Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Ty Conklin, Jarkko Ruutu, Georges Laraque and Adam Hall, the Penguins have kept their young core of stars intact and have back-filled the losses with some quality, proven role players.  Among the new player acquisitions are Miroslov Satan (RW), Ruslan Fedetenko (LW), Matt Cooke (LW) and Eric Godard (RW).   The Penguins also have depth in their organizational talent pool and added to it by bringing in some new prospects to include Janne Pesonen, last season’s leading scorer in the Finnish Elite League.  So as the Penguins head into training camp, what should you look for in terms of new talent on the team?

Goaltending

There is no doubt who holds the top spot for the Penguins in net, as Marc-Andre Fleury silenced the critics last season with an outstanding run after returning from his extended high ankle injury.  The question will be how soon he finds his form this season, as he has historically had slow starts.  The big surprise last season was the play of Ty Conklin, claiming the #2 spot away from Dany Sabourin after Fleury went on the injured reserve for a couple of months.  To his credit, Dany Sabourin didn’t play all that bad, but Conklin was flat out spectacular and stole the stage from Sabourin.  One could even argue that Conklin’s play was partially responsible for Fleury ratcheting up his game to re-establish his top spot upon his return.  With Ty Conklin now off the roster, Dany Sabourin has the opportunity to re-establish himself as the backup netminder.  But the Penguins will likely be evaluating their options during camp with some netminding depth in the system.  In my opinion, the only potential challenger for Sabourin would be John Curry.  Curry stepped into the void left by Ty Conklin in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and put together an impressive 24-12 run in the regular season.  He went on to backstop the baby Penguins’ 14-9 run into the Calder Cup Finals.  I expect Sabourin will prevail out of camp, but don’t be surpised if Curry finds his way into an NHL game later in the season.

Defense 

The Penguins defensive corps is the one area that remains largely unchanged from last season.  The Penguins have been handed a significant challenge, however, with Ryan Whitney leaving the lineup for a minimum of 3-months (possibly up to 5 months) as he recovers from off-season foot surgery.  Whitney’s role as an offensive defensemen will be missed, and will likely be an area that the Penguins look to address in training camp.  The Penguins will be getting Mark Eaton back into the lineup after missing most of last season with a torn ACL, but Eaton’s forte is in defense and not in offensive production.  There may also be some lingering questions about his durability after 2 back-to-back injury shortened seasons.  Perhaps Kris Letang will find this as an opportunity to increase his offensive game, but he still needs to focus on perfecting his defensive game.  Perhaps Darryl Sydor, rumored to be seeking a trade out of Pittsburgh, will be able to find the niche he was looking for by stepping up his offensive game.  However, I still expect the veteran to leave Pittsburgh at some point this season.  The most likely scenario in my mind will be for Alex Goligoski to find his way into the lineup coming out of training camp.  Goligoski had an impressive year with Wilkes-Barre last season posting 38-points (10G, 28A) in 70 games with a +15 rating.  He also netted 28-points (4G, 24A) in 23 playoff games with a +5 rating.  He also made his NHL debut last season, getting 2-assists in his 3 outings.   Other defensemen to watch at camp would be Alex Grant, TJ Kemp, Deryk Engelland, and Ben Lovejoy.

Offense

The Penguins offense remains strong despite the loss of wingers Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone.  In particular, they are rock solid down the center with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Maxime Talbot.  With Hossa and Malone out of the lineup, along with Roberts, Hall, Laraque, and Ruutu, the Penguins will use training camp to assess and shore up the wings.  They will look to off-season acqusitions Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedetenko to fill the void in the top lines.  It remains to be seen how well they will mesh with the talented Penguins’ centermen or how long it will take for the chemistry to develop, but it seems likely that they will flourish alongside Crosby and/or Malkin.  Elsewhere on wing, the Penguins have retained Petr Sykora, Jeff Taffe, Pascal Dupuis, and Tyler Kennedy, and have added newcomers Eric Godard and Matt Cooke.  The latter two were acquired to backfill the loss of Georges Laraque and Jarkko Ruutu.  Look for the Penguins management to really test out the combinations in camp, and to evaluate the talent they have within the system to find a set of wingers that work.  Perhaps the biggest and most anticipated wild card is Janne Pesonen, the Left Wing top scorer from the Finnish Elite League.  He will likely be the center of much attention and speculation as to a potential bid in the lineup.  The Penguins also have several NHL-tested prospects as a result of last season’s extensive injuries that will have a viable opportunity to break into the lineup.  This includes Connor James, Jonathan Filewich, Chris Minard, and Ryan Stone.  I would expect as many as 2-3 lower line wing positions in play going into training camp, with the burden being on the prospects to prove their case for being in the lineup. 

After last season’s challenges and ultimate success, I anxiously look forward to the start of the season.  The changes in the complexion of this team add to the excitement and uncertainty of what the new season will bring.  Training Camp will be the first, short glimpse before the season starts in just 3-quick weeks.  This coming season is sure to be exciting and will answer all of our current questions.  WIll Sidney Crosby be 100% recovered from the high ankle injury of last season?  Will Evgeni Malkin power back to the top of the points race after recharging his batteries in the off-season?  Will Jordan Staal ditch the sophomore slump and have a breakout year?  Will Marc-Andre Fleury shake off any early season jitters and will he be able to build on last year’s spectacular playoff run?  How will Miroslav Satan and Rusty Fedotenko fit in and produce?  Who will step up offensively on defense?  Will someone break into the lineup and be an enexpected force this season?  Who will be the enforcer?  Will the Penguins start slow and finish strong?  So many questions that will only be answerd in time!  Hockey is upon us!  Let’s Go Penguins!

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Penguins’ Rookies Beat Toronto 5-2

The 2008 rookie tournament got underway in Kitchener, Ontario, on Saturday with the Penguins’ young talent putting up a decisive win against the Toronto Maple Leafs rookies in their own back yard.  Center Mark Letestu, signed as an undrafted free agent in March 2007, racked up 4 points (1G, 3A) in the win.  Right Winger Jean-Michel Daoust, a friend of Max Talbot’s who signed a tryout contract in Wilkes Barre/Scranton in January, picked up 3-points (1G, 2A).  Huge defenseman Ben Lovejoy added a power play goal in the 5-2 win.  Defenseman Jon D’Aversa and Left Winger Joey Haddad picked up the other two goals.  Defensemen Alex Goligoski (2A), Alex Grant (1A) and Winger Aaron Boogard (1A) also got on the scoresheet.

Scoring opened at 3:31 of the first period with Daoust chipping a loose puck past Maple Leafs netminder James Reimer.  Just 2-minutes later, Ben Lovejoy came down the right wing on the power play and re-directed a Letestu pass into the net.  Jon D’Aversa and Joey Haddad added the 3rd and 4th goals mid-way through the second period.  Mark Letestu picked up his 4th point on the night in the final minutes of the second to finish the scoring.  6′3, 220lb Aaron Boogaard threw in with a fight and handily beat the Leafs’ Joe Cooper.  Rookie netminder John Curry stopped 20 shots to pick up the win.

The Penguins rookie team will face off against the Florida Panthers at 2:00pm today, and take on the Ottawa Senators on Monday at 2:00pm.  Last year, the Penguins’ rookie team went 3-1 and won the Tournament Championship in Kitchener. 

In other news, the Pittsburgh Penguins official training camp opens with physicals on Tuesday.  In their first official meeting of the new season, the players will spend Tuesday going through a spate of physicals, testing and meetings at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) facility on the South Side.  On Wednesday, 17 September, the players will assemble at Mellon Arena at 9AM for their first on-ice practice session.  They will continue to meet daily at Mellon Arena from 9AM-1PM through Friday, 19 September, before heading into 5 pre-season games.  All practice sessions will be open to the public and free of charge, with entry through Gate #1 opening at 8:45 AM.

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