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It’s here, the start of training camp. While the players will not be hitting the ice today, they have all arrived in Pittsburgh.
With the arrival of training camp we can start looking for some clarity on some of the issues we have been discussing for the past couple of months. We get to see how the bottom pairing on defense will look, we will get to see the bottom 6 line combos shape up, and we will also get a look into how the goaltenders will be used.
Dan Bylsma spoke to the media today and he touched on a few items that I will address.
There are two forward spots and one defense spot open
With a majority of the team locked into place there will be some fierce competition to fill the last remaining 3 spots. The defense spot is really interesting because we don’t know for sure if Bylsma is assuming Niskanen will be on the roster, or if he will be traded. If he is under the assumption that Niskanen will be gone, that would most likely mean Despres is a lock for the team. If Niskanen is still around, well then it gets a little cloudy.
As far as the forwards go those two spots are going to be in the bottom 6. I believe one spot is for the third line and one is for the fourth line. Chuck Kobasew has recently been thrown into the mix, but I don't think he will be a factor (more on that later)
We hope to win 70 percent of our regular season games again.
I think that is a realistic goal for the Penguins but will not be surprised if they fall a little bit short of that. Playing a home and home against every team in the Western Conference is a welcomed addition to the schedule from where I stand, but it should also make the schedule a little bit tougher considering the travel that the Penguins were accustomed to last year.
Bortuzzo will "get more of an opportunity"
I don’t think that there is any surprise with that news. Ray Shero just extended him for two more years. If the Penguins did not think he would be able to compete for a spot on the roster they would not have wasted their time. However, it remains to be seen if Bortuzzo can earn that spot, there will be heavy competition from a number of potentially good options. It will be up to Bortuzzo to seize the moment and earn his spot. It looks more and more like Engelland's time with Pittsburgh is coming to an end, and that is probably not going to hurt the Penguins.
Vokoun's playoff performance won't change how "best tandem in the league" is used. Fleury will get majority of starts
I bet I have your attention now. Honestly, I do believe that the Penguins have one of the best goalie tandems in the NHL, whether or not it is actually
the best is a subjective argument, and one that I don't think is necessary. The only thing that matters is that the Penguins receive quality goaltending, and they will in the regular season.
I understand why they would want to give Fleury the workload, but I would probably go into the season with Vokoun as my #1 guy. Clearly the decision makers in Pittsburgh have a different perception than I do. For the regular season it should work out fine regardless of who gets the lion’s share of the starts. The playoffs? well...
Jokinen and Bennett will get a chance to play with Malkin in camp and Bennett might get an opportunity to play with Crosby at times during season.
I think that is what we all expected, except for the little tidbit at the end. This is the first time I can remember Bylsma opening the door for Bennett to potentially get a chance to skate with 87. One of Jokinen, Bennett, or Dupuis would find their way onto the third line in that scenario and that is fine by me. I think that all are capable of that role. I think that the players from that trio who are playing best deserve a spot in the top 6, regardless of their cap hit. Beau Bennett is going to get a legit look at the top 6 this year and he will go as far as his quality of play takes him, that is a great thing.
Ray Shero has extended a pro tryout to former Bruins/Wild/Avalanche forward Chuck Kobasew. Kobasew will be competing for one of the open line spots in the bottom 6. This is good in the sense that Shero has brought in an NHL caliber player who has (3) twenty goal seasons to his name. This should make for good competition and further push each player to be at their very best.
With that said, is Chuck Kobasew still that 20 goal kind of guy. Let’s look at the numbers.
Kobasew has not scored 20 goals since the 2008-2009 season with Boston. Since then he has seen his offensive production cut in half. Some of that has to do with the fact he has been forced to transition into more of a defensive role player.
You can see from the chart that he has been a poor possession player throughout his career. He has faced different levels of competition along the way but his possession numbers are always in the negative. The most alarming spot on the chart for me is that he faced the easiest competition on the entire Avs roster last year yet was still very bad managing the puck. His offensive numbers are also not anything to write home about.
There is no harm in bringing in Kobasew for a PTO but I don’t see how he could help a Stanley Cup contender like the Penguins.
That is all for now, it’s great to have the team back in Pittsburgh.
Thanks for reading!
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