Penguins Camp: Karlsson Injured, New Guys Speak

CRANBERRY, Twp — Free agent signee Anthony Beauvillier got a primetime spot that could alter the Penguins lineup projections. Coach Mike Sullivan also slipped a talented prospect who isn’t quite ready for primetime with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell.

Day 1 of the Penguins’ training camp was a long day that began at 7:30 a.m. and didn’t wrap until the final group left the ice at 1:30 p.m. The Penguins invited 69 players and had to create a fourth group for their young invitees to get some face-time with coaches.

It’s a little early to begin making prognostications and way too early to make any judgments. Still, Sidney Crosby bowled over Malkin during the first of the daily scrimmages.

Hey, Crosby said it was going to be a competitive camp.

Penguins Notes, Lines & New Guys

*Defenseman Erik Karlsson is day-to-day with an injury. It does not sound like it’s a serious injury. Coach Mike Sullivan said he had not yet checked on Karlsson’s status. Sullivan added that, so early in training camp, the team is being overly cautious about injuries.

*Noel Acciari skated with the young invitees early Monday morning because he’s a few days behind after missing the last few days of informal skates. Later Wednesday afternoon, the team let slip why he missed the last few days: Acciari and his wife welcomed the birth of Quinton Steel Acciari, who is 21 inches and eight pounds.

*Anthony Beauvillier, who signed a one-year deal worth $1.25 million on July 1, skated on the top line with Crosby and Bryan Rust. Last season, Beauvillier bounced around the league, from Vancouver to Chicago and then to Nashville, splitting his season almost equally between the three.

*The LA Kings did not qualify Blake Lizotte, thus making him a free agent on July 1. The Penguins snapped him up with a two-year, $3.6 million contract. He’s a gritty, fast, penalty-killer type who should know how to help the Penguins hold a few leads.

“Summer hockey is over for sure, which is good, but we’ve got a real competitive group that that wants to get better, and I think that’s clear with day one,” Lizotte told Pittsburgh Hockey Now. “There wasn’t anybody out there taking half strides. So I think that’s what you want out of a group that’s looking to be competitive. And I think it’s a good start.”

*Villie Koivunen, one of the prospects acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade, skated on Malkin’s left wing. He’s not yet ready for the NHL, but he has plenty of skill. Koivunen scored 22 goals with 56 points in 59 games for Karpat of the Finnish Elite League.

*Kevin Hayes was the Penguins’ first trade acquisition of the offseason, as the Penguins received a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick for accepting 100% of his salary cap hit, which is slightly above $3.5 million.

Although coaches have not yet schooled the players on the system, their first impressions universally cited the organization’s quality.

“I’ve been there for about three weeks. You can tell right away it’s a top-notch organization. The people that work here and the facilities are really nice. I mean, other teams have been great, too, but this is a really nice facility. There’s just such a standard from the players that have been here for so long,” Hayes told PHN. “I know when teams go from year to year, the hard thing is sticking to the standard. And in Pittsburgh, it’s pretty obvious what (the standard) is. And it hasn’t changed a long time.”

After the trade, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said he envisioned Hayes as a center. However, Hayes lined up on the left wing with Lizotte in the middle. AHL contract forward Avery Hayes, who had a spiffy Prospects Challenge, including a hat trick Monday, was on the right wing.

It’s an interesting note for Hayes to start on the wing, but it makes sense, given Lizotte’s speed. Hayes has played nine seasons in the Metro Division, so he’s not unfamiliar with the Penguins core, but this has been his first impression from the inside. He seemed to appreciate the lofty expectations.

*Another newbie forward is Cody Glass, who the Penguins also acquired because the Nashville Predators included a third-round pick to accept his $2.5 million salary, which expires after this season.

Glass was the Vegas Golden Knights‘ first draft pick but never stuck in the veteran-heavy lineup. Two years ago, Vegas traded him to Nashville for 2017 second-overall pick Nolan Patrick, who has since retired. Glass’s first season went fairly well, with 14 goals and 35 points in 72 games, but his second season was marred by injury and ineffectiveness, leading to the Penguins trade.

Glass was also immediately impressed by the Penguins’ gravitas.

“Here, just when you walk into the rink, it’s a winning mindset. It’s a championship mindset,” said Glass. “I see the banners everywhere. You’re surrounded by Sid and Geno, guys who have done everything to win. It’s a very special locker room, and it’s very cool to have players and pick their brains.”

Glass formed what very well could be a third line with Lars Eller and Michael Bunting, though Bunting figures to claim the spot beside Malkin when training camp ends.