Penguins Camp: O’Connor Back in Familiar Spot–For Now

The deal might expire at midnight, but for one day at least, Drew O’Connor was back on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top line Wednesday during practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

It was the first time this fall that the threesome, with Sidney Crosby centering O’Connor and right winger Bryan Rust, skated together after they established some chemistry down the stretch last season.

So the band is back together?

“Yeah, I guess so. Today at least,” O’Connor said.

It’s not that he’s less than enthusiastic about the three reuniting. It’s just that it could be fleeting.

In fact, the second line of Michael Bunting, Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell also practiced together after they also established some rapport late least season.

“We went to those familiar lines that we had last year; they may change (Thursday),” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.

Don’t be shocked, however, if the top line with O’Connor, and some other familiar combinations, pop up this weekend when the Penguins play back-to-back preseason games. Sullivan indicated the team will dress more veterans and returning players after going heavily with prospects and new guys in their first two exhibition games.

Newcomer Anthony Beauvillier got some good looks on Crosby’s left flank for most of the first week of camp, but it could well be O’Connor back there for the start of the season after he has switched between center and wing and played on every line at least some so far in his career.

“At the end of the year we had a pretty good stretch together, and, hopefully, we can continue that if we play together,” O’Connor said. “It’s obviously fun. They’re really unbelievable players.”

In reality, O’Connor has no clue where he might line up on opening night. He’s just happy things have gone the way they have the past year.

Going into the 2023-24 training camp, he had some goals in mind. It’s fair to say he hit them.

“I think the mindset is regardless of where you are, you always want to get to that next level,” O’Connor said. “Last year it’s trying to move from the fourth line to the third line, third line to the top six, and stay on the team for the whole year.

“This year it’s trying to move and play in different situations and continue to find ways to elevate my game.”

Last season was the first time he stuck in the NHL the full campaign as he blossomed into an everyday player. In 79 games, he had 16 goals, 33 points.

O’Connor, 26, had some things he picked out specifically to work on in the offseason to try to continue his ascent as an NHL regular.

“I think that was a big focus for my summer, just working on my play with the puck, quick decision-making,” the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder said.

What he didn’t sign up for was being one of the few returning Penguins regulars in a lineup of mostly prospects and newcomers in the team’s opening preseason game and getting trounced 7-3 Saturday at Buffalo.

“I think you never really know what you’re going to get in preseason games,” O’Connor said. “You can use them to get your legs under you a little bit, get feeling good, get back in the system.

“At the same time, you want to compete. You don’t want to have a game where we’re down 7-1, regardless of if it’s preseason or not. It will be nice to get another opportunity soon, maybe get a little better results.”