Oh No! Not Another 2019 – 2020 Penguins Camp Preview

If you are like me, you have read tons of Penguins’ training camp previews already. You know what they say about opinions. On top of all of that social media allows us to ensure that everyone has access to ours.

We are now down to hours until our favorite flightless fowl open their 2019 – 2020 training camp. So having said that, you gentle reader, will be subjected to yet another know-it-alls preview;

Everyone has been trying to tell us who we should be watching this training camp. I am  not going to do that. I will just tell you that which I will be paying attention.

The General Manager (GM)

One place no one has tried to direct my attention so far has been GM Jim Rutherford. Rutherford should have been GM under former Penguins’ owner, Howard Baldwin. The two of them really know/knew how to throw money around. I am not saying that our GM has put the team up against the Cap for another year. No, the team isn’t against the Cap, they are on the wrong side of it.

Teams are allowed to spend $81,500,000 on players this coming season. With today’s announcement that GM Rutherford has signed Restricted Free Agent (RFA) Defenseman Marcus Pettersson to a 1 year, 1 way deal for $875,125, the team has a salary of $82,531,625.

Don’t worry, it is worse than that. Our Penguins are carrying a $132,500 penalty for exceeding last year’s Cap space, after performance bonuses were paid out. And this year the team could have to add an additional $2,850,000 more in performance bonuses this year.

So, I will be paying attention to see how our soon to be Hall-of-Fame enshrine extricates himself from the corner he has painted himself into.

The Centers

As usual the Penguins will be their strongest at Center. Even though they are now in their 30s, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still two of the best Centers in the league. Nick Bjugstad and Teddy Blueger have shown that they too will acquit themselves quite well. However, I will be keeping my eyes on Jordy Bellerive, Sam Lafferty, and Oula Palve. If any of these 3 players show that they are ready for the next step it could free up Rutherford to possibly trade Bjugstad.

I am not trying to say anything negative about Bjugstad. He played very well during his honeymoon phase, after coming to Pittsburgh with Jared McCann for Derrick Brassard. However, since Rutherford seems not to be able to grasp the reality of Cap complications and Bjugstad is a $4.1 million Cap hit, Rutherford could trade Bjugstad to get out of the Laurel and Hardy fine mess he has the team in.

If you have been reading other writers, the ones covering the Prospects Challenge, you may have read that most of them were high on Lafferty but seemed disenchanted with Bellerive. I must admit I too liked what I saw from Lafferty. Although I only watched game 3, I thought Bellerive, who had 1 goal and an assist, played very well. However, they only played against other teams prospects; how they play against NHL players could be very different.

Palve, is also an unknown quantity. He tied for 6th place in the scoring race of the Finnish League Liiga with the Right Handed Defenseman (RHD) that I wanted the Penguins to sign, Oliwer Kaski.

Unfortunately, like Bellerive and Lafferty, Palve hasn’t played against NHL caliber players, under NHL rules. So, I will be following these 3 players during camp. However, I am not holding my breath. Let’s face it, there is a big difference in talent they have faced and that of the NHL and even if they do show they are ready, Coach Mike Sullivan doesn’t always give out ice-time based on merit. Which means I will no doubt be following these 3 while they play in Wilkes Barre Scranton.

The Right Wing (RW)

On RW I will be looking to see if Sullivan is going to continue giving Dominik Simon unearned ice time.

I will also be watching Anthony Angello and Kasper Bjorkqvist.

Why? You ask.

First of all, the Phil Kessel trade has left a huge void on RW. Like him or hate him, Kessel is a legitimate number 1 RW. Now there are no true number 1’s on this roster. Alex Galchenyuk, Dominik Kahun, and McCann have all been suggest as potential RWs and so has, Sullivan favorite, Simon . However, all of these players are either natural Centers or LWs. Furthermore, of those players only Galchenyuk has shown a portion of the goal scoring over a full season (not really the play making and his defense is just as suspect as Kessel’s). Therefore it is not all that unreasonable to wonder if Bjorkqvist could outplay any of them

Second, as I mentioned above, Rutherford has put the team in a tough spot within the Cap. There still has to be some changes and Bryan Rust’s name has been kicked around as a possible export. Should Rust be traded to free up Cap space, then one of these players may be able to force themselves onto the roster.

Finally, with the number of injuries Patric Hornqvist had last year and how hard he plays, one of these 2 guys may need to be pressed into service at least while Hornqvist is out. And in the case of Angello, I can’t help but think even without injury, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Penguins’ power play feature the 6’-5” 210lb frame of Angello down low, in front of the net.

The Left Wing (LW)

With the log-jam of natural LWs and left-handed Centers converted to Wing, I am not all that sure any LW prospects have a chance of moving up, particularly since several of the potential LWs were either just signed or traded for.

Having said that, I will be watching Adam Johnson and Sam Miletic. I will be watching Johnson, because from what I have seen so far, he may be a great choice to hold down Malkin’s port side. I will be watching Miletic to see if like Bellerie, he can get back to the flashes he showed that earned him a contract 2-years ago.

The Defense

The only Defenseman that I will be watching with any interest at the beginning of camp is John Marino. Marino did seem to be a standout in the Prospects Challenge. Not only did he show he had some offensive ability, but unlike the other prospects he looked to me to be the only one who understood when to step up and when to drop back, as well as what to do in his own end.

I am not one of the Erik Gudbranson haters. I like what he brings to the team. I am sick and tired of watching opposing forwards taking liberties with the Penguins’ Goalies. No other Defenseman left on this team seem to have that will.

However, again, the recurring theme of the salary Cap predicament comes up. Gudbranson may be the sacrificial goat to get the team back under the cap. Chad Ruhwedel may be a serviceable 7th Defenseman but he hasn’t shown the ability to play in the NHL game after game. I would be more inclined to try Zach Trotman as Gudbranson’s replacement.

In the end, if Marino doesn’t fold against NHL competition, he may get his shot.

The Goalies

The Goalie position is a mess. Both Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry will have to clear waivers to be demoted. Trying to waive either of these players will be a great risk. The Penguins could lose either of them and get nothing in return. Rutherford may have to trade one of them to prevent that loss.

Making matters worse, Matt Murray is in the last year of his contract and is as of yet unsigned to a new contract. Furthermore, with the Cap trouble once more rearing their head, they may not be able to sign him.

Furthermore, as much as I like Murray, honestly, unless the team starts getting legitimate NHL Defenseman on the team I wouldn’t sign with them at any price.

To that end, I will be watching with interest to see if Alex D’Orio has turned the corner after a very bad season last year and if Emil Larmi can adjust to NHL hockey. D’Orio did have an outstanding game in the Prospect Challenge and Larmi was a top notch goalie in the Finnish leagues. Now the question is, can they make it here, in the world’s top league if called on this year, or at least position themselves next year, if Murray walks.

Today is the start to the Penguins‘ future.

Let’s go Pens!!!!