Pens Points: The Boys are Back in Town
The weekend’s here and so are the Penguins
The Penguins are back on the ice for day three of training camp today, ahead of the first preseason game(s) of the season when they will meet Columbus at home and also on the road in some good old fashioned split squad action tomorrow for the first preseason games..For now, some Saturday reading to catch up on.
When Ron Hextall talks, it’s probably time to listen. [PensBurgh]
Tristan Jarry is feeling awesome entering training camp in a contract year. [Penguins.com]
The gang is back for a 17th year, and it’s business as usual for the Big 3. And business is boomin’. (Shoutout AB in simpler times), [Penguins.com]
Jake Guentzel has become a father and moved to the suburbs this off-season. They grow up so fast. [Twitter - PensInsideScoop]
Sidney Crosby says the Pens “have to prove ourselves again”. Ok, then. [NHL.com]
On that note, Ryan Malone makes you want to run through a brick wall when he says that he can “promise you [Sid] doesn’t think that” the younger stars of the league have surpassed 87. [The Athletic $]
Entering the last year of his contract, Patrick Kane is focused on the Blackhawks for now. Retain 50% at the deadline, trade some pieces and let’s ride? Much like Claude Giroux last year, it’ll be Kane’s call where he goes soon enough.. [NHL.com]
Old friend Brandon Tanev has done it again with his official media headshot for this season. [NHL.com]
Speaking of speedy old friends, 2-time Stanley Cup champion Carl Hagelin has a lower body injury that prevented him from participating in a fitness testing this week in Washington. Hagelin’s career was already in severe doubt after suffering a ghastly eye injury earlier in the year which robbed him of 100% vision, and he may never be cleared to play again, independent of the newly disclosed injury. [CBS Sports]
Sticking with sad injury news: it’s not looking good for the future of Flyers defender Ryan Ellis’ playing days either. It’s never a good sign when someone has severely damaged parts of his body that most people don’t even know that exist. And worse for limited answers on how to fix to get him back to skating at such a high level. Ellis is believed to be out for at least the entire season already. [Broad Street Hockey]
The Penguins enter the season ranked 11th in this power ranking, where I definitely spy a team or two that should be behind them... [NHL.com]
The defending champion Colorado Avalanche are the undisputed No. 1 entering the year, but will be starting off with a handicap after the news that captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss the start of the season with a lower body injury. Coach Jared Bednar said Gabe “won’t skate any time soon”, which doesn’t sound very reassuring. [Daily Faceoff]
Veteran defenseman Anton Stralman is headed to Boston on a tryout, which makes sense considering their multiple blueline injuries at the moment. [Stanley Cup of Chowder]
While on the topic of PTO’s: from Zach Aston-Reese to Alex Galchenyuk to Derick Brassard to Nathan Beaulieu (he counts, right?) to Daniel Sprong to Scott Harrington and James Neal, there are plenty of former Penguins that are trying out for NHL teams right now scattered across the league and trying to pull their careers off the brink. [NHL.com]
Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov had a harrowing summer trying to obtain the proper paperwork and going through a lot of channels and hurdles to jump through in order to make it back to America after returning to his native Russia this off-season with some controversy. But back in the States he is. Bill Guerin fesses up that his non-comments recently were hiding a lot of uncertainty and crazy times, and is now very relieved his star player is out of danger and able to play for the Wild. [The Athletic $]
After putting up 97 points last season, Mitch Marner has packed on more muscle for this season to try and help Toronto get over that insurmountable first round hump. [TSN]
23-year old Jason Robertson put up 41 goals and 79 points last year but Dallas hasn’t given the restricted free agent a contract offer he has been willing to sign and now he’s not in camp. [Daily Faceoff]