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What to look for during the Penguins preseason

September 28, 2016, 11:08 AM ET [61 Comments]
Ryan Wilson
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Pittsburgh Penguins have begun their preseason schedule. There will be lots of players involved, most of whom you don't need to concern yourself with. That isn't meant to be derogatory. That is just the reality of a training camp that involves the defending champion with incredibly low roster turnover.

Now that the games are in full swing the first thing to remember is that they don't matter, at least the score. The preseason schedule is about individuals not winning and losing. Pittsburgh losing 4-2 to Detroit last night means very little. How Derrick Pouliot, Scott Wilson, and Marc-Andre Fleury did carries more weight.

So what things do we need to be on the lookout for this preseason?

Marc-Andre Fleury

I don't have much concern on this front, but it still remains to be seen how he rebounds from his dual concussions from last year. You can't say with 100% that it won't be an issue because we don't 100% fully understand the impact of brain injuries. Kari Lehtonen is one goaltender known to have dual concussions within a few months of one another. He suffered one at the end of the 2013-14 season (marked by red dot) and also during the preseason of the 2014-15 season (marked by a red dot). It has taken him a little bit of time to return to league average after playing really well leading up to the concussion. The green dot is where league average is.



This doesn't mean Fleury will have the same struggles post concussions but it is an example of a guy who went through a similar thing with less than desirable results. With Matt Murray injured it will be Fleury's net to showcase what he has.

Derrick Pouliot

He has put the work in. Will it pay off? This is a player that has potential to be an x-factor for the Penguins. He's still on a very cheap contract and when you can contribute cheaply that gives the team more options. Here is what Mike Sullivan had to say after game one of the preseason




So I have two thoughts on this. The first is that it isn't surprising he would be apprehensive with his puck decisions. He has been benched and put in the press box for every mistake he's made in his young career while others aren't held to the same standard. The "play it safe" defensemen seem to get a longer leash.

The second is that I hope the coaches stay true to what they want from him. If they truly do what him to be more assertive (and I believe that is absolutely the correct path to take) then they need to also understand that trying to aggressively push play forward does tend to lend itself to more obvious errors. You are putting yourself out there more.

Also when trying to evaluate players you need to take into consideration who they are playing with. If Pouliot gets time with NHL regulars that is going to tell me more about him than him being paired with a guy like Steve Olesky.

Scott Wilson

He is a very interesting player heading into camp. If not for suffering a season ending injury what would his role have been on last year's team? My guess is that he would have been in the lineup. He has some things going for him. He had some of the best offensive numbers in the AHL out of the young ELC guys. He also did a pretty good job on the possession front.




The possession Jesse is referencing was a Score-Adjusted Fenwick of 56.82% in 24 games played in 2015-16. That is even more impressive when you look at who is most common linemate was




Scott Wilson definitely has an opportunity to contribute to the big club this year. The question is where.

Jake Guentzel

He is probably the most interesting Penguins prospect. Daniel Sprong doesn't have a huge NHL sample but I believe most people are comfortable saying he is an NHL player at this point. Guentzel didn't enter the Penguins system as a highly drafted player, but everything he has done to this point projects to him being an NHL player. His playoff numbers with the Baby Penguins last year were amazing. I think he could certainly see some NHL action in 2016-17. I would give him extended looks with some of the better NHL players in the preseason. I would then give him all the minutes he can handle in WB/S. If he shows well in the preseason and continues to destroy the AHL this may be a diamond in the rough for Pittsburgh.

Keep these things in mind when watching the preaseason play out.

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