Penguins Shuffle Roster

With winger Kasperi Kapanen set to make his black-and-gold debut, the Penguins have made a passel of related roster moves.

Forward Sam Lafferty was shunted to the taxi squad (more on that in a bit). Forwards Anthony Angello and Frederick Gaudreau were reassigned from the taxi squad to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. And defenseman Kevin Czuczman was recalled from the Baby Pens and placed on the taxi squad.

The taxi squad now includes two forwards (Lafferty and rookie Drew O’Connor), two defensemen (Czuczman and Pierre-Olivier Joseph) and goalies Maxime Lagace and Alex D’Orio.

Shifting gears, in my account of Sunday’s 4-3 victory over Washington, I gave coach Mike Sullivan high marks for some of his personnel decisions. Well, I’m taking back some of the nice things I wrote.

I strongly disagree with the way he’s handling Lafferty, a fast, aggressive forward who by all accounts had a terrific camp. Not to mention an excellent Phase Three camp last fall. The 25-year-old recently earned rave reviews from Pittsburgh Hockey Now, who felt the versatile forward was ready for an expanded role. But it’s awfully hard to impress when your butt’s glued to the bench.

Yes, Lafferty made a bonehead play on Sunday that led directly to the Caps’ first goal. But he also was on the ice for the Pens’ second goal…a minor miracle since Sullivan limited him to seven shifts and three minutes and change of ice time.

While we’re on the subject of sloppy play, has Sullivan been paying attention to Kris Letang’s dreadful work in his own end? Oh, that’s right. There’s a double-standard. But I digress.

Back to Lafferty. Sullivan’s treatment of the Hollidaysburg native extends back to Sam’s rookie season, when the Pens’ coach kept him on a short leash despite flashes of genuine promise. Indeed, Lafferty scored six goals and 13 points despite a lack of a set role and limited usage (9:37 ATOI), equaling Zach Aston-Reese’s output in seven less games and considerably less ice time (341 minutes to be exact).

Unfortunately, Lafferty fits the mold of guys who don’t fit Sullivan’s mold. Ergo, spirited players with a physical bent.

Too, Sullivan continues to favor veterans (Evan Rodrigues and Colton Sceviour) at the expense of developing younger players. Perhaps feeling he doesn’t have that luxury with the team wobbling out of the starting blocks. But I hope it doesn’t stunt Lafferty’s growth…and that of the other kids.

Trade Winds

Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is rumored to have his eyes on Winnipeg’s RFA center Jack Roslovic. A former first-round pick of the Jets (25^th overall in 2015), the 23-year-old Columbus native enjoyed a solid season in the Great White North in 2019-20, tallying 12 goals and 29 points while seeing mostly third-line duty.

The 6’1”, 187-pounder is reportedly seeking an expanded role with a new team. The Jets, thin on defense, are thought to be asking for a left-side defenseman.

With Winnipeg tight against the salary cap, Marcus Pettersson and his $4 million AAV might be too pricey…and an overpay for a kid who has upside potential but has yet to firmly establish himself.

Perhaps, Juuso Riikola or Pierre-Olivier Joseph might fit the bill, although the Jets are said to be looking for a more seasoned player in return.

Stay tuned.