GDT: 2024-2025 Training Camp

[Honour Over Glory]

I feel like most people here consider both Sullivan and Hextall to be at fault for the current state of the team.

And also JR before him.

And now Dubas.

It's weird how across those 3 Gms, there's one bloke that remains that these Gms keep making moves to make it "his team" so the coach can thrive.

And he doesn't.

So we see blame on the Gms instead. Meanwhile JR left likely seeing the writing on the wall with Sullivan and his power and is thriving in Vancouver with Allvin. Hextall got blamed for so much shit that just borders on ridiculous really, and now Dubas is stuck having to get more veterans and pretend like these young players have a spot to win in camp while trying to retool.

It wouldn't even shock me if Sullivan suggested Graves to begin with. He did want Jack Johnson afterall. Then used him in awful situations that made him look even worse.

Now in this camp, who are we kidding here, the names were already picked for the opening roster.

Players like Puustinen, Puljujarvi, etc were never getting a fair shot. McGroarty won't make the roster either, he's wbs bound. It's funny how they're so desperate to find young players from other teams but won't give a shot to the ones they already have for some reason.

Oh I guess because of "draft pedigree" or some dumb shit. By that logic it makes sense why they gave a decent rope to Colin White and Jansen Harkins. It should piss everyone off if that's how they truly think. Because it's the dumbest f***ing way to award players opportunities. There's irony in the fact that White was a former first, got 11 games which is more than Poulin has ever had on this team and it's likely because he was a former first.

Like I said, some of us watch the camp just to see the Pens actually play youth. This is as exciting as it'll get for us under this coach.

 

[eXile3]

People need to stop saying we’re bad at drafting. We’re bad at keeping picks, there’s a difference.

This isn’t the NFL. If you have all your picks and get two NHL players out of a draft you did well. We’ve consistently traded picks in the first three rounds, the most important ones.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

People need to stop saying we’re bad at drafting. We’re bad at keeping picks, there’s a difference.

This isn’t the NFL. If you have all your picks and get two NHL players out of a draft you did well. We’ve consistently traded picks in the first three rounds, the most important ones.

It's funny how many impact players this team has had that were lower picks. It's a mix of both.

Yeah you can draft high and take advantage of high ceiling prospects but some are late bloomers and are drafted lower - Jake, Rust, etc. It's a matter of putting them in positions to succeed that is the problem. It'd make our prospect pool look good on those charts but during the cup run we had a lot of drafted players that played huge roles and I wonder where the Pens were ranked by these analysts for the pool around 2013-2015: Wilson, Kuhnhackl, Murray, Jarry, Rust, Guentzel, Dumoulin, Maatta, Sheary, etc all played a part in those two cups. Some were prospects they traded for and developed or signed as free agents out of college. I bet most weren't ranked high enough or considered NHL Material. All it takes is giving them a chance to succeed.

It's cool to sign these undrafted prospects from college or juniors but it's also idiotic to not give drafted and developed prospects a fair shot like - Puustinen, Hallander, etc.

That latter part is the biggest issue with this team. There was absolutely zero reason to bring back Archibald when they did, or sign a PTO like Colin White or even keep Jansen Harkins as long as they did. All that did was block players that deserved those chances from within. Gruden could have played half the games Harkins did and grown into a better 4th liner that kills penalties.

Hallander could have played a lot more before he decided he wasn't going to get a fair shot and went over seas and he wasn't wrong. It's gotten worse since. Pens had injuries last year where playing Doc up the line up was fine but the same couldn't be said for Puustinen for some reason.

So our prospects look like shit on the outside and by a lot of narrow minded fans here that just don't like prospects for size, draft status, or some bizarre shit. I'm all for more Doc types to be signed as long as Puustinen, Hallander, Gruden etc types are also taken into consideration with the same chances.

It's just annoying to see them keep Bemstrom but then add Glass, Lizotte, etc. While also not moving Acciari and now Nieto might actually play this season. On top of that they added Beauvillier as a signing and traded for Hayes. So they've taken away chances from players to take the next step in their development. Puustinen is likely not getting a fair shot yet again. Doc might actually get f***ed over by Beauvillier and some blokes here are in for a surprise with that one and Glass, he is best served as a C but will be used as a RW. Then you'll hear the narrative all year - Penguins are old, it's Dubas' fault, no spots for youth. Well the coach has never wanted spots for youth.

 

[ThosePuckingPenguins]

This Karlsson injury is going to go from ‘day to day’ to week to week here soon. Can just feel it.

 

[Andy99]

So, watching the game, I think McG will be a NHL player but he’s not going to be special…he does a lot well, just nothing great…I would rather have kept Yager because he has a special shot and, while he may not have as high a floor, if you hit on him, he can really score…I don’t see McG as becoming anything more than an average scorer…disappointing we couldn’t find a way to trade for him without giving up Yager…anyway, he should start the season in the A unless Sullivan has predetermined things, as he usually does lol…on to what I think should be the starting lines so far (caveat: there’s still a lot of the preseason left)

DOC-Sid-Rust
Bunting-G-Rakell
Beau-Hayes-Glass/Puusty/PoolParty
Lizotte-Eller-Acciari
the other 2 guys who don’t make top 12

Petts-Karl
Gryz-Letang
Graves-St Ivanvy
Aho

It’s a shame w Sullivan’s love of PKers that Acciari is going to get a lineup spot…I’d rather see Glass or PoolParty on L4 in his place…ditto that we don’t have anyone to challenge Graves’ lineup spot either lol

I hope the Hayes experiment on wing is over…he should be a center, period

 

[Malkinstheman]

Team 1 in practice:

Drew O'Connor - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Rutger McGroarty - Vasily Ponomarev - Jesse Puljujarvi
Anthony Beauvillier - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari
Tanner Howe - Tristan Broz - Emil Bemstrom

Matt Grzelcyk - Kris Letang
Owen Pickering - Scooter Brickey
Ryan Shea - John Ludvig
Dan Renouf - Harrison Brunicke

Tristan Jarry
Joel Blomqvist

That second line seems like it will be the top line in WBS.

That 3rd line could be fun it was anyone but Acciari on RW. He seems to be cooked

 

[Andy99]

From Taylor on today’s practice…

Drew O'Connor - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Rutger McGroarty - Vasily Ponomarev - Jesse Puljujarvi
Anthony Beauvillier - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari
Tanner Howe - Tristan Broz - Emil Bemstrom

Matt Grzelcyk - Kris Letang
Owen Pickering - Scooter Brickey
Ryan Shea - John Ludvig
Dan Renouf - Harrison Brunicke

Tristan Jarry
Joel Blomqvist

Team 1 in practice:

Drew O'Connor - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Rutger McGroarty - Vasily Ponomarev - Jesse Puljujarvi
Anthony Beauvillier - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari
Tanner Howe - Tristan Broz - Emil Bemstrom

Matt Grzelcyk - Kris Letang
Owen Pickering - Scooter Brickey
Ryan Shea - John Ludvig
Dan Renouf - Harrison Brunicke

Tristan Jarry
Joel Blomqvist

That second line seems like it will be the top line in WBS.

That 3rd line could be fun it was anyone but Acciari on RW. He seems to be cooked

PoolParty should take Acciari’s place on L4

 

[Andy99]

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