Penguins Training Camp Stock Up, Stock Down

It is the most competitive Pittsburgh Penguins training camp in memory, and it will soon be past tense as coach Mike Sullivan and president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas whittle the roster from 52 to 22, maybe 23 players in little more than a week.

The camp has raced by, with many decisions hinging on this weekend’s performances. Sullivan has a pair of games with which to insert the roster hopefuls and give them another shot at making the club.

Unfortunately for those pining for fresh faces under 25 years old, the gap between the newbies and the veterans was noticeable from the start. The best explanation for the differential came from new Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach Kirk MacDonald at the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo.

MacDonald praised Isaac Belliveau’s performance in the tournament, “You could tell he’s a professional.”

The same holds true when fighting for an NHL job. There’s just a difference between the players who have adopted structured play and know how to navigate the elevated game and those who have not yet mastered those aspects of the professional side or don’t stand out nearly as well when faced with that level of competition.

It’s a tough road from juniors or college to the NHL. It’s also tough to shed labels and preconceived notions, but that’s just what many of the players fighting for Penguins roster spots had to do.

Penguins Stock Up, Stock Down

Stock Up: Jesse Puljujarvi

Puljujarvi is moving much more freely than last season when he was still recovering from hip surgery, and as a result, he’s having a very good training camp. He dominated the intrasquad scrimmage and posted a hat trick in his first preseason game, which notably was against the Buffalo Sabers NHL lineup. Sullivan has him slotted on the third line.

Puljujarvi is a solid, 6-foot-4 winger who can play physically and chip in some offense. Perhaps he can chip in more offense than we think–the Edmonton Oilers selected him fourth overall in 2016, but he was perennially a square peg with the Edmonton round-hole system. If there was ever a time to break out, now is it.

Stock Down: Vasily Ponomarev

Don’t worry, Vasily Ponomarev’s stock hasn’t crashed, but he has failed to distinguish himself against the NHL-caliber competition during training camp. He’ll need some seasoning with the WBS Penguins and more time in the Penguins system, which should fit his skill set perfectly. He needs to be a little better with the puck, but his potential remains to be a Noel Acciari/Blake Lizotte-type player. He needs a bit more time to get there.

Stock Up: Ryan Shea

Shea was steady and quiet last season and finally broke the AHL ceiling the Dallas Stars organization had placed upon him for three seasons. Shea is poised and steady and has outplayed Sebastian Aho, putting himself in the lead for the seventh defenseman spot.

Stock Up: Jack St. Ivany

Some questioned if Aho could take the third-pairing right-side spot, but Jack St. Ivany has been very good in training camp. He’s moving all over the ice, more like an all-around defenseman rather than a stay-home defender. He’s been good with the puck, scoring a goal in the last preseason game, and he is gaining a noticeable presence on the ice. His stock is WAY up.

Stock Down: Sebastian Aho

After a few seasons with the New York Islanders, he was expected to compete for a top-six role and firmly claim the seventh defender spot. However, the adjustment to a new, aggressive system has put him behind the curve. He hasn’t yet asserted himself, while the others have. He’s still a betting favorite to make the NHL roster, but if the Penguins keep only seven defensemen, he’s probably on the outside.

Stock Down: Valtteri Puustinen

Puustinen is a scorer, but he could get lost in the shuffle. He scored five goals and 20 points in 52 games last season and occasionally ran afoul of Sullivan with soft play and laissez-faire defensive effort. At 25 years old, he’s a tweener; too good for the AHL but not good enough for a scoring role in the NHL. He needs to pick up the pace in the final weekend, be on more pucks, and show a better game away from the puck.

Stock Up: Noel Acciari

It was fair for many fans to wonder just what Dubas had purchased when Acciari posted only seven points last season. I like to think PHN readers got the inside scoop on why–Accairi plays an entirely different game as a center than he does as a wing–but this season, Acciari will be the crash-bang winger we expected last season.

As Blake Lizotte told PHN Thursday, “I wouldn’t want to play against Cookie.”

Stock Down: Joel Blomqvist

A prospect’s progression is rarely a straight line. Joel Blomqvist appears to be fighting a few parts of his game, especially absorbing pucks. He seemed to be adept at gobbling up shots when we scouted him last January, but by April, he was fighting the puck, and rebounds were everywhere. His meltdown in the first preseason game was jarring. He stopped all 11 shots in his next outing, but he took a step backward since last January. Of course, as fast as struggles arrive, they can go away, too. Don’t sell your Blomqvist stock, but you may pause buying more.

Stock UP: Anthony Beauvillier

Simply, Anthony Beauvillier has been much better than we anticipated. No matter which line Sullivan has placed him on, that line has been better. He’s kept his nose over the puck, gone to the net, shown good speed, and participated in the play. In short stints with them, he seemed to really have some chemistry with Lizotte and Beauvillier. He also held his own with the Sidney Crosby line.

The early indications are positive. Buy a few extra shares.

Stock Holding: Rutger McGroarty

If there’s any player who needs to learn a little more about the pro game, it’s McGroarty. He could play in the NHL right now, but would the team be best served by him taking his lumps at the top level or getting some education at the AHL first? He admitted he was “running around” in the defensive zone. He could also spend a moment working on his skating while he adapts to the pro game.

His hockey IQ is impressive. He will score at whatever level he plays. But the big question in the NHL would be if he could score at a rate above what he gives up. Don’t worry, he’ll be in a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform soon, but October might be too soon. If you’re investing in the Penguins’ future, buy a lot of McGroarty stock, but it’s holding steady for the moment.