After practice on Friday morning, the Penguins cut their training camp roster pretty sizably, using both assignments and waivers to do so.
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The team assigned forwards Corey Andonovski, Tristan Broz, and Ville Koivunen, and defenseman Owen Pickering, to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
In addition, they placed the following players on waivers:
Defensemen
– Nathan Clurman
– Filip Kral
– John Ludvig
Forwards
– Emil Bemstrom
– Jonathan Gruden
– Joona Koppanen
– Sam Poulin
Most notable on this list is Poulin, a first-round pick of the Penguins in 2019. Between 2022-24, Poulin appeared in only six NHL games, registering an assist. He took some time away from the game in 2022-23 to focus on his mental health, and untimely injuries prevented him from getting a lot of traction in terms of NHL playing time with the Penguins.
Of the players on this list, Poulin is, probably, the player most likely to get claimed. Ludvig may be of interest to some teams as well who are seeking a young left defense option.
As a reminder, teams have 24 hours to claim a player off waivers from another team. If a player clears waivers without being claimed, they are eligible to be sent to the AHL.
On the flip side, there are only a few “fringe” players who remain with the NHL club in Pittsburgh. Rosters need to be cut to 23 before the puck drops on Oct. 9, and teams also need to be cap-compliant. This means that at least seven other players will not be part of the NHL roster on opening night since the Penguins still have 30 players.
Related: Tough Roster Decisions Loom as Penguins Defeat Red Wings in Preseason Matchup
The players left in camp are as follows:
Defensemen
– Matt Grzelcyk
– Kris Letang
– Erik Karlsson
– Marcus Pettersson
– Ryan Graves
– Jack St. Ivany
– Harrison Brunicke
– Ryan Shea
– Sebastian Aho
Forwards
– Sidney Crosby
– Evgeni Malkin
– Bryan Rust
– Rickard Rakell
– Michael Bunting
– Drew O’Connor
– Lars Eller
– Kevin Hayes
– Noel Acciari
– Jesse Puljujarvi
– Anthony Beauvillier
– Cody Glass
– Blake Lizotte
– Valtteri Puustinen
– Boko Imama
– Rutger McGroarty
– Vasily Ponomarev
Goaltenders
– Tristan Jarry
– Joel Blomqvist
– Alex Nedeljkovic
– Filip Larsson
Related: Here’s What the Final Penguins’ Roster Will Probably Look Like
Bear in mind that Nedeljkovic is week-to-week with a lower-body injury and could see time on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). Lizotte is out indefinitely with a concussion, Karlsson and Ponomarev are day-to-day with upper-body injuries, and Rust is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets will be crucial for players such as McGroarty, Puustinen, Imama, and Brunicke, who are all, presumably, fighting for the last spot or two on the NHL roster.
The Penguins and Blue Jackets face off at 7:00 p.m. tonight at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
Related: Penguins’ Top Prospect McGroarty Carving Out New Role
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