Penguins Training Camp Update: Big Z, Others, Making a Push…and a Statement

Over the summer, new Penguins exec Kyle Dubas received lavish praise for the work he did to revamp our bottom six. However, in light of the way some internal candidates have performed thus far in training camp and preseason games, it’s safe to say at least some of these moves are being brought into question.

To review, Dubas inked buzz-saw Noel Acciari for three years. Presumed third-line center Lars Eller and speedy defensive specialist Matt Nieto for two. Former 20-goal man Andreas Johnsson and peppery Vinnie Hinostroza each agreed to one-year deals. Rem Pitlick (and his $1.1 million cap hit) came in the Erik Karlsson blockbuster. Austin Wagner and Colin White agreed to PTOs.

Although it’s early, it’s safe to say none of these guys, save for Hinostroza and maybe White, have stood out.

You know who has? Radim Zohorna, Sam Poulin and Valtteri Puustinen. Internal candidates all.

Last night the trio took center stage during the Pens’ 4-3 loss to Detroit in the Motor City. Skating against a loaded Red Wings lineup packed with regulars, they looked downright dominant at times. Zohorna and Puustinen teamed up on a pair of beautiful goals, and Poulin scored on a power move from in tight.

It begs the question. Did Dubas error in tying us to so much veteran talent? While hindsight is always 20/20, could we have saved ourselves some coin…and a potential salary-cap logjam…by placing more value on our internal candidates?

Put another way, were they hiding in plain sight, right under our very noses?

The answer would appear to be yes…with a proviso. Although it’s natural to think of Zohorna as home grown (he signed with us as a free agent in 2020), he spent last season away from the Pens’ organization and was one of Dubas’ summertime adds. Still, someone (ahem…Mike Sullivan) consistently overlooked the fact that we had a versatile, 6’6” 220-pound power forward with hands, smarts and surprising speed right in the palm of our hand.

When we waived him last fall, “Big Z” had been on the ice for 20 goals for and only three against, 5v5, during his 25 games with the black and gold. It just seems like he should’ve been valued more than he was.

Given that Poulin missed all but a handful of games last season while dealing with personal issues, I guess our brain trust could be forgiven for not being sure about him. However, big Sam is flashing his first-round pedigree and making a strong push as well.

Ditto Puustinen, the shifty little right wing with silk-purse hands. One who’s led a poor Baby Pens team in scoring two years running. Critics tend to poke holes at his defensive play (he turned the puck over prior to the Red Wings’ game winner). That didn’t stop us from developing Jake Guentzel, who’s god-awful in the defensive zone.

Yes, we could stash these guys at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with an eye toward recalling them in case of injury. But at what point does their development begin to stall? To draw an analogy, what happens if you don’t pick a piece of fruit when it’s ripe?

It rots on the vine.

The same goes for a hockey player.

Too, there are rumblings that Zohorna may opt to return to his native Czechia if he doesn’t make the cut, following in the skate tracks of fellow Euros Kasper Bjorkqvist, Filip Hållander and Filip Lindberg. In Big Z’s case, that would be tragic.

To borrow from a popular expression, some cleanup on aisle four may be required. It wouldn’t shock me to see a handful of Dubas’ signings hit the waiver wire come the end of camp. Whether any team would claim them and provide some cap relief is anyone’s guess. But the Pens need to go against the grain of the Sullivan era (and stop digging for fossils as Other Rick is fond of saying) and start rewarding some of their younger players with opportunities.

Zohorna, Poulin and Puustinen are prime examples.