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The Penguins concluded their exhibition season last night by defeating the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. Pittsburgh iced a lineup that is pretty close to what they will be rolling with during the regular season while Detroit went with the bare bones approach.
The Penguins effort level was much improved over the last game and when combined with the talent discrepancy on the ice it made for the lopsided result. The top line for Pittsburgh combined for 3 goals and 6 points on the night, including two really impressive goals by Kunitz, which displayed his quality skill level.
Some thoughts I took away from the game/preseason:
I think Robert Bortuzzo has locked up that 6th and final defense spot. His play so far in the preseason has been simplistic and solid, exactly what you want out of your 6th guy. Bortuzzo has the size and willingness to play physical as Engelland but is a better skater and has better puck skills.
It is looking more and more like it is close to the end of the line for Engelland as a regular on the Penguins, and no offense to him but that is a good thing if the Penguins are going to be a serious Stanley Cup contender. Engelland’s main asset is his ability to eat a few minutes on defense while providing an enforcer role. Obviously Engelland is way better than the one dimensional goons like Steve MacIntyre and John Scott, but I think that there are better hockey options available now and the Penguins should take them.
I also believe that the odds of Simon Despres being sent down to WB/S are increasingly likely. If the reports are true that the Penguins are closer to cap compliance than originally thought, then Matt Niskanen might not be traded after all. Given Bortuzzo’s preseason and Despres’ waiver status, things would seem to lend itself towards a Despres demotion.
This will upset some fans but I don’t see any other way if Niskanen is still around. And if we are being honest, it is a pretty good thing to have Niskanen around in a bottom pairing if the cap numbers can work out for it.
Here is a good example of why having Niskanen in the bottom pairing is a good thing. This is a still shot of his pass that freed up Jussi Jokinen for his nice breakaway goal last night. Not all bottom pairing d men could pass a guy open like he did, much like a QB passes his receiver open.
As far as the forward group, there are still a lot of questions and a lot of different directions Ray Shero can go. The third line right wing position is still not set in stone and you could argue there are two spots available for the 4th line.
The third line will be moving forward with Brandon Sutter and Bennett/Jokinen on the left side. Matt D’Agostini was the favorite to land the third line right wing position when camp started, however since then he has welcomed a new child and suffered a minor injury, both causing him to miss time and allow others to show their stuff. The guy who has taken most advantage of his opportunity to this point has been Chuck Kobasew. Kobasew entered camp on a pro tryout but might be leaving camp with a contract. He had a quiet game against Detroit last night but the rest of his sample size has been a positive.
Kobasew just might be the guy who comes out on top.
The only absolute guarantee for the 4th line right now is Craig Adams. Joe Vitale has familiarity and experience on his side and will most likely earn one of the remaining two spots. Who gets the final spot? Your guess is as good as mine. Guys like Kobasew (if they keep D’Agostini), Zolnierczyk, Jeffrey, and Glass all could lay a claim to that spot.
I know this isn’t a ground breaking opinion but I have seen enough of Tanner Glass and I do not feel that his quality of play or his salary makes him a justified selection. The trick for Shero will be finding a way to get rid of his salary if they choose to not use him (
see salary cap loophole from previous blog).
On a team that has many defined roles, Dustin Jeffrey is a player with no role. Jeffrey has had a pretty good training camp but I just don’t see a fit for him on the Penguins. This is similar how things were with Mark Letestu. It isn’t necessarily a knock on Jeffrey but sometimes you can’t keep just trying to jam a square peg into a round hole. Jeffrey is not a 4th line kind of player and that is really the only spot available to him in Pittsburgh. While he would be a nice depth guy to keep around I think Shero should allow Jeffrey to seek out other options so that he can try and jump start his career.
The Penguins will cut their roster down to 25 when they head to West Point to conclude their preseason activities. There should be some decisions coming shortly and it will provide the opportunity for more discussion and analysis. For right now, we sit and wait while the higher ups make their final decisions.
Pierre LeBrun has laid out his own personal timeline for when a lot of the league’s roster moves will take place
There is always the possibility that the Penguins could go with a guy who gets put on waivers that none of us thought would be a possibility. The lower cap this year is going to cause a lot of players to hit waivers that otherwise would never be exposed. Should be interesting indeed.
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Yesterday I said that I was going to try and take the opportunity to go see the Baby Penguins play the Amerks as the game was in Rochester. I did attend the game, but not for long. I arrived after the 1st period after a prior obligation and because I still have a dumb phone, I did not have access to the lineups. Both the WB/S and Rochester lineups left much to be desired (to put it nicely). I felt my time was better spent watching the Detroit game so I went home to do that. Sorry for those of you that wanted some updates on the prospects, but none of them were playing.
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