Pittsburgh Penguins Training Camp Questions: Which Prospect Makes the Cut?
By Mike Necciai
At this point it’s clear that the Pittsburgh Penguins have little faith in their prospect pool. If they did, they would have been much less aggressive this summer and entrusted in youth to fill the bottom-six.
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Unfortunately, the Pens are 100% correct in their assessment of organization depth. They really don’t have much. At one point it seemed that cap space would require the Penguins to stand pat with just one or two minor additions. However, a few savvy moves by Jim Rutherford changed the fate of this team and allowed him to add Phil Kessel, Eric Fehr, Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen.
More than any of the other moves, the Cullen signing made that lack of faith quite obvious. But despite the additions made this summer, there’s still room for youth to find its way into the lineup.
If the season were to start today, I’d bet on things shaking out as follows…
Chris Kunitz – Sidney Crosby – Phil Kessel
David Perron – Evgeni Malkin – Patric Hornqvist
Sergei Plotnikov – Nick Bonino – Pascal Dupuis
Player TBD – Matt Cullen – Beau Bennett
When Eric Fehr returns, there will obviously be shifts. And, it isn’t out of the question that there will already be injuries. So, there’s still a chance that whoever steps up and makes the team out of camp will be around for a while. Who’s likely to do it?
It’s safe to say that the favorites to make this roster are Oskar Sundqvist, Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust, Scott Wilson or Bobby Farnham. Some like the idea of more skill in the bottom-six, while others would love to see Farnham slotted in as an energy guy. Let’s look at a couple of scenarios that would occur for each of these youngsters.
Can the Pittsburgh Penguins Add Another Center?
When you consider the group mentioned above, the most NHL-ready forward, at least according to his performance in camp last fall, is Sundqvist. He isn’t poised to set the league ablaze with insurmountable offense but he looks like the prototypical bottom-six center the Pens have been lacking.
The issue here is that if he were to make the team, newly acquired veteran Matt Cullen would need to find a home outside of the center position. I’ve alluded to the fact that Cullen is looked at as a versatile center numerous times but let’s be honest, when’s the last time we actually saw him play left-wing?
I don’t believe that Cullen means Sundqvist is completely overshadowed and unable to make the NHL roster. But, I do believe that he’ll have a lot to prove over the next six weeks in order to claim that spot. The other scenario is Cullen would be a great thirteenth forward but it’s up to Sundqvist to make that happen.
With Room for Error to Open the Season, We Could See a Revolving Door
Let’s be honest, the first two months of the season is more about trial and error than sitting atop your division. While it’s important that you don’t dig yourself a hole and find yourself clawing back into the playoff race, the Pens have proved year after year that a hot start doesn’t mean anything is guaranteed after the new year.
With that logic, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a revolving door of wingers on the fourth line, at least until Fehr returns and the lineup starts taking long-term form. I admittedly don’t see a spot for Farnham in the NHL, as I’d rather fill these voids with players that may be able to produce offensively. Scott Wilson isn’t an offensive force by any means but he does provide a pretty solid two-way game.
However, my money is on either Conor Sheary or Bryan Rust starting the season on the NHL roster, with Rust as the favorite. He brings a lot of speed with a combination of skill that could prove to be beneficial in that role. The Pens aren’t looking for someone to score 30 goals on the fourth line (though they surely wouldn’t mind it), they’re simply looking for someone to keep defensive match-ups honest and ensure that all four lines can be effective on the score sheet if needed.
I’m curious to gather your opinions as well. Who do you think will make the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL roster to open 2015-16? If you believe there’s another name that fits the bill, vote other and let us know in the comments below.
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