3 Most Intriguing Storylines for Penguins Training Camp

CRANBERRY, Twp — The first blades hit the ice before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, and with the sounds of finely sharpened skates cutting the ice, the Penguins’ 2024-25 season began. It will be a campaign different from most of the preceding 20 as president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas embarked upon a retool running parallel to efforts to fortify the existing NHL roster.

The resulting collision of players and ideals will be a constant balancing act on both Dubas and coach Mike Sullivan, who will also have to deal with a glut of 20 forwards and pare them down to 13 or 14 by early October.

The number of forwards grew to 20 Wednesday when winger Matt Nieto was on the ice for Day 1 of camp. Pittsburgh Hockey Now has not included him in recent tallies because he had reconstructive MCL surgery in May.

The overflowing cupboard of forwards on the roster is only one of the percolating issues.

Penguins Training Camp

1. Goalie Battle

Sullivan likely has an idea of the workload distribution between Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic. Perhaps that issue will bubble to the surface in the early part of the regular season. The more intriguing part of the goalie battle is Joel Blomqvist and Sergei Murashov.

Blomqvist is the prospect who some, including Dubas, thought might be ready for this season. Murashov is the surprise addition to the depth chart–He left Russia ahead of schedule and signed his entry-level contract in July.

Murashov didn’t leave the KHL to play in Wheeling. However, neither did free agent signee Filip Larsson, who had a standout year in the Swedish Elite League last season. Larsson, 26, posted a .920 save percentage with Leksands IF. He was the 2016 sixth-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings but spent only part of one season in North America.

Dubas quickly signed him last April. The natural assumption was Larsson would back up Blomqvist with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins or at least compete with ECHL goalie of the year Taylor Gauthier.

Which goalies get the AHL net and if Murashov can force a net-share with Blomqvist will have larger ramifications for the organization in the near future.

2. The Prospects

Who is going to break through? Rutger McGroarty is a pretty good bet to make the NHL roster because he has top-six talent waiting to be cultivated. What about forwards Vasily Ponomarev, Tristan Broz, and Tanner Howe? What about second-round pick Harrison Brunicke and 2022 first-rounder Owen Pickering?

Monday, Villie Koivunen played the right wing beside Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell. He continued to do the “Koivunen Kurl,” whereby he pulled up in the offensive zone, picked his head up, and looked for a play. That slow play doesn’t work in North America, but perhaps doing so in front of NHL coaches will bring about the necessary severe reduction of the move.

The young players are the first wave of talent in the Penguins system since Bryan Rust, Connor Sheary, and Jake Guentzel grew like daisies through the sidewalk eight years ago.

It won’t be easy to crack the lineup, but a little desperation and desire could go a long way.

3. The Herd

It was immediately obvious Wednesday that forward Jesse Puljujarvi is deep on the depth chart. He and a handful of minor-league players were assigned green jerseys.

However, in the scrimmage, Puljujarvi was flying. Such efforts are part of the hustle of training camp. Puljujarvi must beat 6 or seven other players to make a comeback as an NHL regular.

Anthony Beauvillier took the left wing on Sidney Crosby’s line, with Bryan Rust on the right.

Nieto, Valtteri Puustinen, Cody Glass, Blake Lizotte, and Sam Poulin are the other players with NHL experience who could or should be considered. How exactly will coach Mike Sullivan find room to evaluate everyone without giving a few a free pass or the short shrift?

It’s going to be a Battle Royal, but one thing to remember about Sullivan is that he doesn’t always tip his hand. For example, former Penguins defenseman Juuso Riikola played in every preseason game, often getting prime minutes with what seemed to be his regular partner. Still, he didn’t make the team (to his surprise and ours).

So, one cannot read too much into Beauvillier playing beside Crosby or Koivunen beside Malkin other than Sullivan wanted a good look.