2024 Rookie/Training Camp Thread

[Pitts]

If Pulju doesn't make the lineup - something stinks.

[KG]

Taylor Haase
11:29 AM - October 7, 2024 Cranberry, Pa.
Penguins' lines and defense pairings in practice, which seem to indicate Harrison Brunicke not sticking around:

Drew O'Connor - Sidney Crosby - Anthony Beauvillier
Michael Bunting - Evgeni Malkin - Rickard Rakell
Rutger McGroarty - Lars Eller - Jesse Puljujarvi/Valtteri Puustinen
Kevin Hayes - Cody Glass - Noel Acciari

Matt Grzelcyk - Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson - Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves - Jack St. Ivany
Ryan Shea - Harrison Brunick

[KG]

Brunicke sent back to WHL. Great first camp by him!

[largegarlic]

I guess that might mean no Rust for opening night?

[Puck-Lurker]

When Rust returns, Beauvilier will bump to 3LW and McGroarty is out of the lineup and in the AHL. Until then, he may be about to make his NHL debut.

Lizotte returning only impacts the 4th line, and which spare forward stays up.

Great first impression left by Brunicke who is a good deal closer than people thought. Still it's WHL or NHL for this season and next. Starting 2026-27 he's eligible to play for WBS.

Be interesting to see how they massage the cap to squeeze 23 players in and allow for the injuries.

[DelPen]

When Rust returns, Beauvilier will bump to 3LW and McGroarty is out of the lineup and in the AHL. Until then, he may be about to make his NHL debut.

Lizotte returning only impacts the 4th line, and which spare forward stays up.

Great first impression left by Brunicke who is a good deal closer than people thought. Still it's WHL or NHL for this season and next. Starting 2026-27 he's eligible to play for WBS.

Be interesting to see how they massage the cap to squeeze 23 players in and allow for the injuries.

They send St. Ivany, Blomqvist and McGroarty down then do LTIR for Nieto and Ned, add Lizotte to regular IR if needed then call them back up.

Looks like we are just $821k over and only have an extra goalie so we actually don’t even need to send all three guys down. Easiest is send down Blomqvist as that one move gets us to a maximum roster and as close to the upper limit before LTIR anyone which is what you want to do because I think you can bank cap at that point.

[KG]

No waiver claims for the Pens. Aho and Imama clear:

[KG]

Taylor Haase
2:15 PM - October 7, 2024 Cranberry, Pa.
The season-opening roster is here. Blake Lizotte, Bryan Rust, Alex Nedeljkovic go on injured reserve. Matt Nieto goes to long-term injured reserve. Vasily Ponomarev is injured non-roster. Boko Imama and Sebastian Aho were sent to Wilkes-Barre.

Everyone else made it. So, Rutger McGroarty is here. Still possible to make moves before the season starts, but right now it appears he's made the roster.

https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/pengu ... m_medium=x

[FLPensFan]

Thread on Dubas presser here: viewtopic.php?t=70187

[Badamski9]

I sure hope Beauvillier doesn’t play over McGroarty when Rust comes back. He’s done nothing to push that kid out of the lineup.

[Puck-Lurker]

I sure hope Beauvillier doesn’t play over McGroarty when Rust comes back. He’s done nothing to push that kid out of the lineup.

I'm perfectly fine with Beauvillier getting a shot first. UFA signing, it's bad for business to not at least test him for a while yet; especially when looking at future UFAs. If they know they don't get a couple of games, why would they even sign here.

It doesn't hurt RMG to play in Wilkes-Barre. It's his first pro season and to be honest, without the injuries to Rust and Lizotte, he was going to be sent down anyway.

If it turns out RMG is #12F on the depth chart and Beauvillier, Lizotte and Hayes suck or some suck and others are injured, that's when he comes back up.

I'll also disagree that Beauvillier has done nothing to earn a spot over RMG. There are some clear issues with RMGs game that can and should be addressed, and maybe Pittsburgh is not the place for it.

As it stands, both can play and probably will. Exciting times.

[KG]

Seems to be the lineup for game 1 tomorrow.

[Coffey Break]

Seems to be the lineup for game 1 tomorrow.

I think the DOC-Sid-Beau line has some sneaky positive vibes. Sid usually thrives with speed and tenacity on his wings. It feels a little bit like the Great Value version of Kunitz and Dupuis flanking Sid in terms of speed and forechecking to create some open space for 87 to do his thing.

[DelPen]

So with Nieto the only person put on LTIR for cap relief, everyone else fits pretty much. For Nieto to come off we just need to move $821k to WBS and both McGroarty and Blomqvist make more than that so if Ned isn’t ready to play before Nieto is I would think they could reclassify him as LTIR and he could come off any time but I doubt that happens.

Then we would still need two forwards to move off the roster to activate both Rust and Lizotte. depending who that is, that should give us a nice buffer of just under $2 million. It’s been a while to not have to worry about cap issues and not being able to make hockey moves if available.

[Badamski9]

I sure hope Beauvillier doesn’t play over McGroarty when Rust comes back. He’s done nothing to push that kid out of the lineup.

I'm perfectly fine with Beauvillier getting a shot first. UFA signing, it's bad for business to not at least test him for a while yet; especially when looking at future UFAs. If they know they don't get a couple of games, why would they even sign here.

It doesn't hurt RMG to play in Wilkes-Barre. It's his first pro season and to be honest, without the injuries to Rust and Lizotte, he was going to be sent down anyway.

If it turns out RMG is #12F on the depth chart and Beauvillier, Lizotte and Hayes suck or some suck and others are injured, that's when he comes back up.

I'll also disagree that Beauvillier has done nothing to earn a spot over RMG. There are some clear issues with RMGs game that can and should be addressed, and maybe Pittsburgh is not the place for it.

As it stands, both can play and probably will. Exciting times.

I’m excited for them to infuse some young talent into the lineup. I know Beauvillier is only 27, but his hands look washed.

I get the UFA reference, but let’s be real, this was/is Beauvillier’s last shot. When he’s cast aside by us his NHL career is over.

Much rather watch McGroarty develop with NHL talent than be down in WB.

[FLPensFan]

I sure hope Beauvillier doesn’t play over McGroarty when Rust comes back. He’s done nothing to push that kid out of the lineup.

I'm perfectly fine with Beauvillier getting a shot first. UFA signing, it's bad for business to not at least test him for a while yet; especially when looking at future UFAs. If they know they don't get a couple of games, why would they even sign here.

It doesn't hurt RMG to play in Wilkes-Barre. It's his first pro season and to be honest, without the injuries to Rust and Lizotte, he was going to be sent down anyway.

If it turns out RMG is #12F on the depth chart and Beauvillier, Lizotte and Hayes suck or some suck and others are injured, that's when he comes back up.

I'll also disagree that Beauvillier has done nothing to earn a spot over RMG. There are some clear issues with RMGs game that can and should be addressed, and maybe Pittsburgh is not the place for it.

As it stands, both can play and probably will. Exciting times.

I’m excited for them to infuse some young talent into the lineup. I know Beauvillier is only 27, but his hands look washed.

I get the UFA reference, but let’s be real, this was/is Beauvillier’s last shot. When he’s cast aside by us his NHL career is over.

Much rather watch McGroarty develop with NHL talent than be down in WB.

I don't think Beauvillier is that bad. He's a victim of getting signed to a growth contract but not improving.
--He just turned 27 this summer.
--In 20-21, he had 15 goals, 28 points in only 48 games. He had 18 goals in each of the prior 2 seasons.
--In the summer of 20-21, he was just turning 23 years old. After seasons of 15, 18, and 18 goals, Lou signed him to a 3 year deal worth 4.15M AAV.
--Beauvillier's numbers went down the next 2 years, so the Isles dumped his contract to Vancouver, then Vancouver dumped him to Chicago the next season, and Chicago dumped him to Nashville before the season was over.

He showed promise, but I don't know what happened. His minutes didn't drop too much. I don't recall if the Isles changed coaches around this time, or if he clicked with someone in particular and got moved away from them...but he had solid numbers for 3 years.

I think he may surprise people, depending on how he is used.

[Pens4Life]

I agree on Beau, also he can play up and down the roster pretty much on all lines.. I think he can be solid bottom 6 guy,after Rusty returns.

I think it will be more between McGro, Lizotte and Glass who loses the spot in lineup,when all healthy.

Beauvillier - Eller - Puljujarvi can be very solid 3rd line
Lizotte - Hayes - Acciari 4th with Glass as X

McGroarty getting 1st line minutes in AHL for majority of season will be fine, so he can improve on skating etc.

Guys like McGroarty - Broz - Koivunen - Ponomarev - Howe - A.Hayes is a good "problem" to have in WBS for F spots.

[Puck-Lurker]

I agree on Beau, also he can play up and down the roster pretty much on all lines.. I think he can be solid bottom 6 guy,after Rusty returns.

I think it will be more between McGro, Lizotte and Glass who loses the spot in lineup,when all healthy.

Beauvillier - Eller - Puljujarvi can be very solid 3rd line
Lizotte - Hayes - Acciari 4th with Glass as X

McGroarty getting 1st line minutes in AHL for majority of season will be fine, so he can improve on skating etc.

Guys like McGroarty - Broz - Koivunen - Ponomarev - Howe - A.Hayes is a good "problem" to have in WBS for F spots.

Gotta think Avery Hayes gets an NHL deal eventually, even if it's two-way. Not going to be a first batch call up player, but he's got some uses.