Penguins Trim Camp Roster To 42

Alex Kirshner | Pittsburgh Penguins

Sep 19, 04:54 PM | Hype this story!

The Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned nine players from their training camp roster, the team announced today, reducing their training camp roster from 53 players to 42.

Forwards Luca Caputi, Joey Haddad, Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson and Mark Letestu were assigned to Wilkes Barre along with defenseman Jonathan D’Aversa. Alex Grant, Keven Veilleux, and Casey Pierro-Zabotel were designated for another year with their junior clubs.

The team opens preseason play Saturday night against Tampa Bay. The game will mark the Penguins debut for newcomers Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Eric Godard, as well as roster hopefuls Janne Pesonen and Bill Thomas.

Most likely, twenty more players will be sent elswehere before the regular season begins in Stockholm on October 4th, however, since the games will be played overseas, the Pens may be allowed to carry an extra player or two with them for the season opening two game set.

The Post-Gazette broke the news a short while ago.

Comments

  1. Ben Schmidt

    Sep 19, 05:26 PM

    Haddad getting reassigned to the WBS camp has got to be a good sign for him – he didn’t get outright cut, so he’s still got a chance at a contract (though potentially an AHL-only one). Good for him.

    I admit to being a bit surprised that Caputi, Jeffrey and Johnson were sent down before Henrich (just to name one example). I can only figure it’s a case of the coaching staff wanting a longer look at some players that hadn’t been to a camp before.

    I pretty much figured on Grant, Pierro-Zabotel and Veilleux getting cut today – the Junior seasons have already started, so getting them back to their Junior teams so they can play meaningful hockey makes sense.

    I am a bit surprised that the Pens will be playing both of their top two lines in tomorrow’s pre-season game. I wonder how many of the prospects who aren’t truly vying for an NHL roster spot will get into a pre-season game at all, considering how few games there are…

  2. Alex Kirshner

    Sep 19, 06:43 PM

    Ben,

    Great feeback.

    I was very disappointed though that they didn’t let Caputi and Jeffrey survive just a little longer. I was extremely excited to see them in person tomorrow night, and now I don’t get to, which is too bad.

    I was also surprised that the top six will all be in the lineup, but that’s the way HCMT wanted to play it. He says everyone will get at least 3 preseason games if all goes as planned, so they were bound to be together some time.

    It was the right move to send down those three. Veilleux and CPZ will compete for a spot next year, most likely, and Grant should within 2 or 3 years. You can look for a report on those three players among others from me in a few weeks.

  3. Eric Politowski

    Sep 19, 07:14 PM

    Alex,

    The only place that Veilleux and CPZ will be next year is in WB/S

  4. Matt Bodenschatz

    Sep 19, 07:54 PM

    Actually, Eric, they’ve been returned to their junior teams, not sent to WBS.

  5. Eric Politowski

    Sep 19, 08:08 PM

    Matt,

    I meant after next season’s training camp

  6. Alex Kirshner

    Sep 19, 11:11 PM

    Eric,

    All I said was that they would “compete” for an NHL job. I don’t think they’ll make it off the bat, but they’ll at least have the chance to make an impression on HCMT and Staff.

  7. Eric Politowski

    Sep 19, 11:15 PM

    Alex,

    You’re right.. if HCMT is still around :)

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