Penguins Practice: Intel on New Guys; ‘Not Hiding’ From Trade Rumors

LAS VEGAS — Unlike last season, when at least one high-profile player was absent (or in less than optimal shape) after an off-day in Las Vegas, all Pittsburgh Penguins were present and accounted for Thursday except injured defenseman P.O. Joseph and the newly acquired players forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Luke Schenn.

Both are expected to be with the Penguins by Friday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, assuming both are still with the team after the 3 p.m. ET deadline.

After weeks of chatter and worry, the decision times are here. In the past weeks, the team said goodbye to Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor. Wednesday, recently acquired Vincent Desharnais and scrappy winger Michael Bunting got that phone call from general manager Kyle Dubas.

Assistant coach Ty Hennes ran the skills drills and lap skating as the team sweated out any over-indulgences, which are quite common amongst visiting teams in this city.

The practice was fast-paced and lighthearted, but the players didn’t stick around long afterward. The emotion of the NHL trade deadline isn’t easy, and sometimes, we all treat the players like livestock in the ring.

“It’s not easy. This is an uneasy time for players. It always has been. It’s the business aspect of the game,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “As we say to the players all the time, this is what we sign up for. It doesn’t make it any easier, but these guys are human beings. They care a lot. It’s not just the players; it’s also families that get affected. And we get it. That’s the business, and it’s part of it … So it’s just an uneasy time for players.”

Of course, several Penguins have been mentioned within the NHL trade rumor circuit, from Rickard Rakell to Erik Karlsson and even fourth-liner Noel Acciari.

As much as players would like to avoid the public chatter, they can’t hide from it.

“I’ve kind of been both sides of it in my career. It’s a business. You know, you make friends on teams, and these things happen. Yeah, everyone knows anything can happen. So you’re ready,” Acciari said.

“You’re not going to avoid (the rumors). Everyone talks, and you get a text from friends and family, like, ‘Did you see this? You see this?’ So you’re not hiding from it. So if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. It’s out of your hands, and you are just gonna kind of roll with it. (So), show up to the rink every day. Put a smile on your face, and be happy doing what you love.”

Intel on Tommy Novak

Sullivan seemed quite happy about the Tommy Novak acquisition.

Novak is a 6-foot-1, 179-pound center who can deliver the puck to wingers and finish a few more chances than the current Penguins’ bottom-six pivots.

“I would anticipate him playing center. Obviously, that’s a position that he played in Nashville,” said Sullivan. “We’re excited about getting to know his game a little bit more closely. Obviously, our hockey operations group is really excited about this guy. He’s a younger player. He has good size. He’s had a couple of pretty good years in Nashville, maybe a little bit of a down year this year, but prior to that, he’s played pretty well.”

As the Penguins coaches learn more about Novak, he won’t be alone. He’s the fourth player who played for the Nashville Predators either this season or last.

PHN sidled up to Penguins forward Cody Glass for a scouting report. Glass and Novak played together at Milwaukee of the AHL and for a year in Nashville.

Fun fact: Novak was a member of Glass’s wedding party, but it seems Glass is the outgoing one.

“I’m a little bit biased because he’s my boy. He’s very skilled, a very great skater, very agile, very slippery,” Glass told PHN. “He’s not the biggest body, but he’s very sneaky with how skilled he is. He’s got a good shot. He’s having a tough year, but he’s getting a lot of chances. I think his analytics look really good.

“I mean, he’s a good player, and he’s very quiet. You might not know he’s doing some of these little things right. And he’s very skilled at making little plays that some players can’t make.”

The Penguins’ new players are expected to be available Friday when the Penguins face the Vegas Golden Knights.

Sullivan also dished more intel on Schenn.

“I’m really excited to get to know Luke. I’ve heard so many great things about his character and what a good teammate he is, and I think he commands a lot of respect around the league for the body of work that he’s put together. He’s played a lot of games, and he’s played a lot of years,” Sullivan said. “Kyle (Dubas) has a history with him, as you guys know, and no one knows him better than Kyle. We think he’s a guy that’s going to bring a certain dimension to our blue line. He’s going to bring a hardness, a level of physicality. He’s going to make us harder at our net front. (He has) shot-blocking capabilities.

“He should make our penalty kill better. And I think his character and his leadership with some of the young people that we have in our organization on the blue line or otherwise, I think his influence there will be difficult to quantify. Those are the types of guys that are important when you’re trying to reshape this team, and you’ve got an infusion of young players.”

Vegas also made news Thursday when they re-acquired Original Misfit and former Penguins forward Reilly Smith.