GDT: 2024-2025 Training Camp

[SEALBound]

The biggest problem with Mike Sullivan's teams is that nobody earns shit during training camp, so we just send the younger players down and keep the middling players up for no logical reason and with no foresight or plan intact.

Cody Glass isn't earning a roster spot. Anthony Beauvillier isn't earning a roster spot. Vinny Hinostroza did not earn one last year.

The coach has a dictatorship going on here, and we peasants merely need to grin and bear it.

Hinostranza didn't start the year with the Penguins. He got little playing time.

Beauvillier, and Hayes and Lizotte for that matter, have already earned the benefit of the doubt by being productive players for multiple seasons. Not saying I like any of them nor doing I think Poulin in or out over any of them makes any difference (sans Beauvillier), but I can certainly understand why they would all have a spot over Poulin.

Why should Poulin get a spot over Beauvillier?

This isn't Sullivan wanting to play Tanner Glass over Jake Guenztel here.

 

[Pancakes]

Hinostranza didn't start the year with the Penguins. He got little playing time.

Beauvillier, and Hayes and Lizotte for that matter, have already earned the benefit of the doubt by being productive players for multiple seasons. Not saying I like any of them nor doing I think Poulin in or out over any of them makes any difference (sans Beauvillier), but I can certainly understand why they would all have a spot over Poulin.

Why should Poulin get a spot over Beauvillier?

This isn't Sullivan wanting to play Tanner Glass over Jake Guenztel here.

Cody Glass also has a proven NHL track record.

People just want young prospects shoved into the lineup because everyone wants the Pens to get younger ASAP but most of the kids we have at camp either aren't that good or need more time in WBS to develop before they get called up.

It's not a failing for these kids to not make the team out of camp. There will be injuries. There will be call ups. When the Pens had the youth wave in 2016 that lead to a cup it was only after giving Rust, Kuhnhackl, Wilson, etc time to marinate a little in the minors. Not one of those guys made it right out of camp.

The thing that frustrates me with Sullivan won't be him not giving guys like Poulin or McGroarty spots immediately. It will be when an actual good NHL ready player in Puustinen is cast aside in favor of other players.

McGroarty going to the minors so that Beauvillier can play instead? Not a problem to me. McGroarty needs time anyways. Someone like Noel Acciari being kept and played over Puustinen? Yeah that sucks, because Puusy is actually ready and productive and should be in the lineup.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840129718386893075

 

[Gurglesons]

Cody Glass also has a proven NHL track record.

People just want young prospects shoved into the lineup because everyone wants the Pens to get younger ASAP but most of the kids we have at camp either aren't that good or need more time in WBS to develop before they get called up.

It's not a failing for these kids to not make the team out of camp. There will be injuries. There will be call ups. When the Pens had the youth wave in 2016 that lead to a cup it was only after giving Rust, Kuhnhackl, Wilson, etc time to marinate a little in the minors. Not one of those guys made it right out of camp.

The thing that frustrates me with Sullivan won't be him not giving guys like Poulin or McGroarty spots immediately. It will be when an actual good NHL ready player in Puustinen is cast aside in favor of other players.

McGroarty going to the minors so that Beauvillier can play instead? Not a problem to me. McGroarty needs time anyways. Someone like Noel Acciari being kept and played over Puustinen? Yeah that sucks, because Puusy is actually ready and productive and should be in the lineup.

I mean the other issue is that we are being fed a story about how Sid and Malkin will help usher in the next gen from Kindergarten Kyle and then they don’t even get a chance with them in preseason.

That could change tomorrow.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Cody Glass also has a proven NHL track record.

People just want young prospects shoved into the lineup because everyone wants the Pens to get younger ASAP but most of the kids we have at camp either aren't that good or need more time in WBS to develop before they get called up.

It's not a failing for these kids to not make the team out of camp. There will be injuries. There will be call ups. When the Pens had the youth wave in 2016 that lead to a cup it was only after giving Rust, Kuhnhackl, Wilson, etc time to marinate a little in the minors. Not one of those guys made it right out of camp.

The thing that frustrates me with Sullivan won't be him not giving guys like Poulin or McGroarty spots immediately. It will be when an actual good NHL ready player in Puustinen is cast aside in favor of other players.

McGroarty going to the minors so that Beauvillier can play instead? Not a problem to me. McGroarty needs time anyways. Someone like Noel Acciari being kept and played over Puustinen? Yeah that sucks, because Puusy is actually ready and productive and should be in the lineup.

I just want some accountability and logic with the roster decisions. Forcing a young guy into the lineup based purely on "he's a former 1st round pick" is no different than Sullivan forcing these shitty depth guys into the lineup based purely on "he can kill penalties". They need to make the lineup with their best 12 forwards and 6 defenseman while putting them in the best positions to help the team.

How Sullivan is handling Puustinen makes no sense to me, I understand Sullivan's thought about Puustinen needing to score in the NHL (let's be real, 5 goals in 50 games is simply not good) but I didn't see any sort of major issues with his all-around game outside of his offense. I don't see what is wrong with Puustinen's game that makes Sullivan think that his performance last year wasn't acceptable. But beyond that, I don't have any issues with the lines and D pairs that Sullivan has set up. Graves is dogshit of course but they kinda have to play him on the 3rd pair and hope.

It would be one thing if someone like McGroarty was dominating in camp and was getting screwed over, but that simply isn't happening. McGroarty looks good and I think he's NHL ready, but he's not outperforming the other forwards in camp and would definitely benefit from half a season in the AHL. Ponomarev is in a similar boat but he has been less noticeable than McGroarty. Poulin's last pre-season game was him having a bad turnover leading to a goal against and him taking 2 boneheaded penalties. Broz and Koivunen clearly need more AHL time. What young guy isn't being given a fair shake here? It's just none of them are good enough yet, and that's completely okay.

 

[DearDiary]

I hate how Sullivan isn't giving chances to W.Smith, Michkov or Gauthier and instead leaning on worse veteran players.