GDT: 2024-2025 Training Camp

[Sidney the Kidney]

Staalingrad.

Good lord, those were some awkward, dark times here. I can't remember who it was but they firmly believed the team was grooming Staal to the be 2C and that it would eventually lead to them trading off Malkin for a wing for Crosby.

They also demanded that Tangradi be given 40 games glued to Malkin's hip so that "we could see what we have". Tangradi was later traded for a 6th after a pedestrian NHL showing.

The only argument I could see to shift Malkin to wing would be a reduction of defensive burden. Problem is, with Sullivan's system and our current crop of centers, it makes ZERO sense.

Now I'm off to find Mike Comrie highlights. A mere 14 year ago we had the pleasure of watching Tangradi-Comrie-Malkin wreck the pre-season. I think this was when Comrie was still scoring with Hillary Duff as well. Good times.

@Gurglesons has a name, you know.

 

[SEALBound]

@Gurglesons has a name, you know.

I have him on ignore because it's tiring to watch cancer spread among this board.

That said, it wasn't him. I think it was JTG? Not that I'm calling him out or have anything against him for it. There was also someone who advocated pretty heavy for Shero to send Malkin to Buffalo for Vanek.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Per Taylor Haase, lines today, with my commentary. I think at this point we can read into things:

Drew O'Connor - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust - Top line
Rutger McGroarty - Vasily Ponomarev - Jesse Puljujarvi - The 4th line we want.
Anthony Beauvillier - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari - The 4th line we are going to get
Tanner Howe - Tristan Broz - Emil Bemstrom - WBS.

Matt Grzelcyk - Kris Letang - Top pair
Owen Pickering - Scooter Brickey - WBS
Ryan Shea - John Ludvig - WBS first call ups
Dan Renouf - Harrison Brunicke - Bye

Tristan Jarry - Starter
Joel Blomqvist - WBS Starter

Michael Bunting - Evgeni Malkin - Rickard Rakell- 2nd line
Kevin Hayes - Lars Eller - Cody Glass - 3rd line
Valtteri Puustinen - Joona Koppanen - Avery Hayes - WBS. Poor Puusty
Ville Koivunen - Jimmy Huntington - Sam Poulin - WBS. Poor Poulin

Ryan Graves - Jack St. Ivany - 3rd pair
Marcus Pettersson - Sebastian Aho - 2nd Pair / 7th D (Karlsson hurt)
Isaac Belliveau - Nathan Clurman - WBS
Finn Harding - Mac Hollowell - Bye

Alex Nedeljkovic - Backup
Sergei Murashov - WBS Backup

 

[SEALBound]

You focused on Brickey and not Scooter? Interesting choice.

 

[Ugene Magic]

You focused on Brickey and not Scooter? Interesting choice.

 

[SEALBound]

That looks like Sullivan showing me the opening-day lineup.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Team 2 lines and pairings:

Michael Bunting - Evgeni Malkin - Rickard Rakell
Kevin Hayes - Lars Eller - Cody Glass
Valtteri Puustinen - Joona Koppanen - Avery Hayes
Ville Koivunen - Jimmy Huntington - Sam Poulin

Ryan Graves - Jack St. Ivany
Marcus Pettersson - Sebastian Aho
Isaac Belliveau - Nathan Clurman
Finn Harding - Mac Hollowell

Alex Nedeljkovic
Sergei Murashov

And Hayes back to wing…should never happen and not with Eller lol…and poor Puusty deserves better

It's comical they have Puustinen on his off wing to keep a bloke on an AHL contract on the right side.

I don't think logic has entered the chat in Pittsburgh since the end of the 2016-17 season.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Hold up, I don't think Tangradi ever got even 10 games with Malkin, he would actually have a couple of good shifts and then Bylsma would have him down on the 4th line again, Bylsma put down the roots of how to f*** up a prospect for Sullivan to follow and evolve, the only thing he's ever evolved and adjusted in his life.

 

[SEALBound]

It's comical they have Puustinen on his off wing to keep a bloke on an AHL contract on the right side.

I don't think logic has entered the chat in Pittsburgh since the end of the 2016-17 season.

Let me tell you the tale of a guy named James "The Real Deal" Neal...

Hold up, I don't think Tangradi ever got even 10 games with Malkin, he would actually have a couple of good shifts and then Bylsma would have him down on the 4th line again, Bylsma put down the roots of how to f*** up a prospect for Sullivan to follow and evolve, the only thing he's ever evolved and adjusted in his life.

He didn't because he f***ing sucked.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Let me tell you the tale of a guy named James "The Real Deal" Neal...

Let me sing you the ballad of Jarome Iginla, the Left Winger.

Then I can sing you a lullaby of the Jared McCann, the often abused winger that just wanted to settle into a center role.

He didn't because he f***ing sucked.

Seems like a lot of factors in that situation for the failure of Tangradi as a player and prospect, something that I am not going to bother discussing with you.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Tangradi was pretty much doodoo but Gilles shattering his face for no reason kinda nailed the coffin shut on any sort of chance he'd make a career for himself imo.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

It's comical they have Puustinen on his off wing to keep a bloke on an AHL contract on the right side.

I don't think logic has entered the chat in Pittsburgh since the end of the 2016-17 season.

You can also see more proof of what this organization sees of Poulin. Now he's 4th line RW. They're not even pretending to put him in a position to see what he's got.

 

[Pancakes]

It's comical they have Puustinen on his off wing to keep a bloke on an AHL contract on the right side.

I don't think logic has entered the chat in Pittsburgh since the end of the 2016-17 season.

Sully having a huge boner for Avery Hayes - a guy who we don't even have signed to an NHL contract - is hilarious.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It's always insane to me how this team utilizes camp/pre-season. Genuinely, who gives a f***? You know what Eller, Acciari, Beau, etc. are gonna bring once the season starts. Give guys like Poulin, Puustinen, McG, etc. the reigns and let them do their thing--see what they have when given their proper positions/assignments. The games don't matter. I mean, the regular season barely f***ing matters for this team anymore, but camp/pre-season results legitimately do not matter. Get crazy with it.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Again, for the millionth time, the roles Puustinen and Poulin are being used in suggest that both of those guys are the extra forwards, nothing more. The Penguins are running with their L1-L4 along with what looks like WBS's L1 (McGroarty-Ponomarev-Puljujarvi) and L2 (Gruden-Broz-Bemstrom, although I think Gruden was missing from practice today). Unless you seriously think that Puustinen is somehow going to be on WBS's 4th line, it makes zero sense to get mad about him being on that line.

Poulin being their 3rd line RW with Koivunen and Huntington is something I don't think is necessarily impossible, but it's far more likely that he's just being used there as a placeholder for who on WBS would ultimately be sitting on that line (likely Andonovsky in Poulin's spot and probably Houde in Puustinen's spot).

 

[Kasperi kapanen]

This is so dumb honestly. I just knew boston dumbass sullivan already had his lines predetermined before camp even started and of course they are the most stale, boring, uninspiring lines possible. What happened to this so called influx of youth in the lineup?

 

[DesertPenguin]

Again, for the millionth time, the roles Puustinen and Poulin are being used in suggest that both of those guys are the extra forwards, nothing more. The Penguins are running with their L1-L4 along with what looks like WBS's L1 (McGroarty-Ponomarev-Puljujarvi) and L2 (Gruden-Broz-Bemstrom, although I think Gruden was missing from practice today). Unless you seriously think that Puustinen is somehow going to be on WBS's 4th line, it makes zero sense to get mad about him being on that line.

Poulin being their 3rd line RW with Koivunen and Huntington is something I don't think is necessarily impossible, but it's far more likely that he's just being used there as a placeholder for who on WBS would ultimately be sitting on that line (likely Andonovsky in Poulin's spot and probably Houde in Puustinen's spot).

I see your logic but I am still surprised they wouldn't at least play Poulin and Puustinen together, in their natural positions. I am also surprised that 2 games in this is already locked down, competition apparently over. Especially so because Poulin somehow won, despite not doing much to earn it.

 

[Al Smith]

Sully having a huge boner for Avery Hayes - a guy who we don't even have signed to an NHL contract - is hilarious.

I didn't see last night's game, but Hayes has looked fine against kids and AHL types. And statistically, he was OK on a offensively inept WBS team last year. He's young, so who knows where he'll end up, but yeah, he does seem like a Sully favorite type.

 

[pistolpete11]

This is so dumb honestly. I just knew boston dumbass sullivan already had his lines predetermined before camp even started and of course they are the most stale, boring, uninspiring lines possible. What happened to this so called influx of youth in the lineup?

User name checks out.

 

[The Old Master]

Looking back, I don't think that was ever true. Staal never got top 6 time over Malkin. The only top 6 time he got was in 2011 when both Sid and Malkin were injured. I wonder how we would have fared if Staal resigned that deal...?

Agree. Looking at those lines, I would guess it's Puustinen and Puljujarvi as the extras with Poulin and Bemstrom going down.


Yes, yes but how does that compare to Brayden Yager?

you'll need to wait 3-4 years to do that.

 

[Pancakes]

I didn't see last night's game, but Hayes has looked fine against kids and AHL types. And statistically, he was OK on a offensively inept WBS team last year. He's young, so who knows where he'll end up, but yeah, he does seem like a Sully favorite type.

I mean whatever let him play in WBS and if he keeps progressing sign him to an NHL contract next year.

But why is the org wasting time on this guy in training camp at the expense of players who might actually help the roster this year? I'm fine with playing him in some of these games if he's earned it but it's typical Sully with how obsessed they are with him at the expense of actually good players.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I see your logic but I am still surprised they wouldn't at least play Poulin and Puustinen together, in their natural positions. I am also surprised that 2 games in this is already locked down, competition apparently over. Especially so because Poulin somehow won, despite not doing much to earn it.

That is also the part that confuses me a bit, I would imagine that they'd have an extra line with XXXX-Poulin-Puljujarvi rather than just shoehorning them in random places on WBS lines. But yeah, I just can't see anyone else who makes sense as an extra that isn't playing on a line that makes me think "that looks like it's going to be a line in WBS".

Puustinen isn't going to be playing with Koppanen on L4 in WBS, but Puljujarvi with McGroarty and Ponomarev? That makes a ton of sense. I wouldn't rule out Poulin on that WBS 3rd line RW spot, but I just don't know who would be making the team as an extra above him. It's not going to be Puljujarvi or Bemstrom, the next tier down has guys like Gruden in it.

 

[Andy99]

Again, for the millionth time, the roles Puustinen and Poulin are being used in suggest that both of those guys are the extra forwards, nothing more. The Penguins are running with their L1-L4 along with what looks like WBS's L1 (McGroarty-Ponomarev-Puljujarvi) and L2 (Gruden-Broz-Bemstrom, although I think Gruden was missing from practice today). Unless you seriously think that Puustinen is somehow going to be on WBS's 4th line, it makes zero sense to get mad about him being on that line.

Poulin being their 3rd line RW with Koivunen and Huntington is something I don't think is necessarily impossible, but it's far more likely that he's just being used there as a placeholder for who on WBS would ultimately be sitting on that line (likely Andonovsky in Poulin's spot and probably Houde in Puustinen's spot).

Not really…DK, Taylor is saying both Poulin and Puusty worked with the non NHL group at practice today…and they have an article on Puusty saying he has to score goals to stay up on the big team lol…like why is his standard scoring when Sullivan doesn’t demand that of any his bottom six players or contenders for spots? It’s ridiculous

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“• The second portion of practice moved to a clear division of NHL guys on one sheet, depth guys and prospects on the other sheet. Worth noting that Puljujarvi, Ponomarev, St. Ivany, Aho, Ludvig, Shea were among the borderline guys to skate with the NHL group. Poulin and Puustinen were among those to skate on the other sheet. Nothing's set in stone and the groups change a little bit daily, but it's something to take note of.”

“He's a guy that has good offensive instincts," Mike Sullivan said of Puustinen. "He's shown an ability to score in the American League. The next step for him is he has to score some goals in the National League.”

Fine, should be the same with everyone else…this league is about who scores the most goals…if players can’t score goals, they shouldn’t play lol…but that’s actually not a standard Sullivan uses for other players.if it was, we wouldn’t be last in finishing lol

 

[Gurglesons]

Weird how Harkins who scored literally no goals got 40+ games and didn’t PK.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Not really…DK, Taylor is saying both Poulin and Puusty worked with the non NHL group at practice today…and they have an article on Puusty saying he has to score goals to stay up on the big team lol…like why is his standard scoring when Sullivan doesn’t demand that of any his bottom six players or contenders for spots? It’s ridiculous

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“• The second portion of practice moved to a clear division of NHL guys on one sheet, depth guys and prospects on the other sheet. Worth noting that Puljujarvi, Ponomarev, St. Ivany, Aho, Ludvig, Shea were among the borderline guys to skate with the NHL group. Poulin and Puustinen were among those to skate on the other sheet. Nothing's set in stone and the groups change a little bit daily, but it's something to take note of.”

“He's a guy that has good offensive instincts," Mike Sullivan said of Puustinen. "He's shown an ability to score in the American League. The next step for him is he has to score some goals in the National League.”

Fine, should be the same with everyone else…this league is about who scores the most goals…if players can’t score goals, they shouldn’t play lol…but that’s actually not a standard Sullivan uses for other players.if it was, we wouldn’t be last in finishing lol

Casually left out of the second part of that Sullivan quote:

""He's a guy that has good offensive instincts," Mike Sullivan said of Puustinen. "He's shown an ability to score in the American League. The next step for him is he has to score some goals in the National League. He's proven that he's capable of being an NHL player. For me, I think he needs to take the next step, and he's got to bring some finish. He's got to bring some some offensive influence to the line that he's on, and at the same time, he's got to be able to have some conscientious play away from the puck.""

If Puustinen were going to WBS, they wouldn't be playing him on a 4th liner with AHLers. If he was taking line rushes with Ponomarev or Broz regularly, that's a red flag that they view him as an AHLer. But he's not being used there, because they seem view Puljujarvi and Bemstrom for those two spots.

Now the counter argument to what I'm saying is to suggest that they're actually using Ponomarev and Puljujarvi like they would be using their 13th and 14th forwards (together in line rushes), and McGroarty being with them (who they also seem to view as really close) does indicate that is the defacto 5th line. Which I actually think has some validity to it, at least based on how they've used extra type of guys in camp in the past. But at that point, why wouldn't they be running with Poulin-Puustinen as a C-RW duo? If Puljujarvi and Ponomarev make the NHL team, then WBS' top line would be McGroarty-Poulin-Puustinen.