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Pittsburgh Penguins: Early Training Camp Notes, Kessel’s First Game

By Mike Necciai

Sergei Gonchar: rumored to be on Penguins radar.
Sergei Gonchar: rumored to be on Penguins radar. /
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Things have officially started at Pittsburgh Penguins training camp, as players arrived and Mike Johnston and Jim Rutherford answered questions for the media. We can finally say that hockey season is here.

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Already, though we have little information as of right now, there are a couple interesting things to note from what Rutherford and Johnston told the media.

Rutherford was clear in saying that he isn’t aggressively pursuing a trade right now and that there is no reason to do so. Why is that substantial? The Pens likely aren’t moving Rob Scuderi. Though many wonder how he fits in on this roster, it’s clear that Rutherford and Johnston see a role for him somewhere.  There’s always the option of waivers but we aren’t sure of the details in his no-movement clause and whether or not he has to approve something like that. Considering how secretive the Pens have been with all other moves this offseason, I wouldn’t be surprised if a trade comes out of nowhere. But, as of right now it doesn’t seem likely.

Two other quotes regarding the defense really stood out to me.

The reason these statements are so intriguing is that in a way, they contradict themselves. In order to start the season with eight defensemen, the Pittsburgh Penguins will likely need to employ both Rob Scuderi and Sergei Gonchar. So, “it’s time now” for the young defensemen to step up isn’t necessarily valid, right? Will the Pens really carry both Scuderi and Gonchar as extra defensemen to sit in the press box? Highly doubtful.

My biggest concern is pushing guys like Brian Dumoulin out of the lineup and slowing their development. The Pens may need answers if this unproven group doesn’t work out but Gonchar and Scuderi are not the answers they’ll need.

Phil Kessel to Debut With the Pittsburgh Penguins on 9/22

It’s the moment that all of Pittsburgh has been waiting for. And, to be honest, most of the hockey world in general. Kessel will make his first game appearance as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins on home ice for the team’s second preseason game.

After a trying offseason for Kessel on a personal level, he looks happier than ever in his short time with the Pens. He has been very transparent with the fact that he didn’t want to leave Toronto but understands this is a great opportunity for him. Jim Rutherford remains somewhat vanilla in answering his questions about what he expects from Kessel but that’s to be expected. There’s no reason to pile on added pressure.

We all know that Mike Johnston sees Kessel playing alongside Sidney Crosby. However, don’t be surprised when there is a large amount of line shuffling throughout camp and preseason. Johnston isn’t a fan of shuffling too much throughout the season, so we’ll likely see more consistency in that regard than 2014-15. But, camp is all about finding what fits.

Rutherford also discussed Beau Bennett‘s development, while Mike Johnston touched on the subject of Bobby Farnham and whether or not he has the ability to make the opening night roster. You can find more information on what Rutherford and Johnston had to say at TribLive, courtesy of Jason Mackey. Of course, the most important takeaway for me is that the Pens are mostly healthy coming into camp with the exception of Eric Fehr.

Next: Is There Room for Youth at Pens Training Camp?

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