As roster decisions get announced by the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team has made some shocking moves. Injuries have been the constant enemy of the club early in this portion of the calendar where they ramp up for the regular season ahead.
They lost a handful of impactful players to their NHL club due to injury, but despite the new vacancies to fill, they sent away some promising players from training camp.
Although there were no real earth-shattering decisions made by the Penguins when it came to their roster, there were some surprises. Maybe they weren't close to chasing down a roster spot, but these players certainly gave some others within the organization a run for their money at training camp. Pittsburgh shouldn't look past these skaters as potential role players for the team this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins roster decisions to end training camp have some scratching their heads
Avery Hayes
He might have been the most puzzling subtraction from the roster. Avery Hayes was one of the early cuts from the big club, which was a surprise. He has NHL experience and is someone who can fill multiple roles on the team. It's starting to become worrisome that the Penguins don't feel an urgency to play some of their best young talent in the NHL.
Expect Hayes to eventually play big league minutes this season.
It's a numbers game and Hayes lost out to the likes of Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen to start the season. The Penguins need their young forwards to come alive, but McGroarty and Koivunen got the nod over Hayes because the organization has more invested into that pair. Hayes is a rough and tumble type of player, and someone the team could rely on as the campaign progresses.
Owen Pickering
There has to be a time where a young defenseman gets the nod to take over one of the Penguins defensive pairings on the left side. With an unbalanced defensive group this year, the team could see massive struggles defending their own net. Owen Pickering showed a lot of positive signs at training camp and seems ready for NHL action.
Pittsburgh's top decision makers don't seem to have the same train of thought.
Pickering isn't someone in high regard among the Penguins prospect pool despite him being a former first round pick and potentially a solution to their problems. He is a defender who will struggle to make the big-league club moving forward, but there is hope. Pickering had a strong training camp and is a defenseman with a pathway onto the Penguins roster if he performs well in the AHL.
Joel Blomqvist
Not much of a surprise to see a goaltending tandem of Sergei Murashov and Arturs Silovs, but it's not as iron clad as before. Silovs showed signs of struggle at training camp and during some exhibition games. His spot on the roster appears relatively safe going into the season, but that shouldn't be the case. Joel Blomqvist is a prospect the organization is excited about and could dethrone Silovs.
No one expected Blomqvist to push Silovs or Murashov for a roster spot, but he's now in the conversation. Although he won't be on the NHL roster when the campaign begins, he could certainly get back into the mix. With a strong start to the AHL season, Blomqvist could replace Silovs. He is a netminder who the Penguins believe has a strong future, and he could arrive sooner than expected.
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