Browsing: camp

It’s been almost three months since the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Benjamin Kindel with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Kindel was one of the top players in the entire CHL last year, finishing with 35 goals and 99 points in 64 games with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. He’s a really underrated goal scorer and has great vision in the offensive zone, but the best aspect of his game is his hockey IQ. He’s always out-thinking the opposition while he’s on the ice and is always in the right position.

He got to play in the Penguins’ first two preseason games and was noticeable in both. He showcased his skating during Monday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens and got a few good chances against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, including a breakaway, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Even though Kindel is expected to play for the Hitmen again this season, he may have earned himself another preseason game after his efforts on Wednesday. He’s also really enjoying training camp thus far and found the first skate last Thursday to be “very competitive.”

“Yeah, first day, I think it’s a great environment,” Kindel said. “A lot of great leaders and older guys showing the young guys how to work, and I think it was a very competitive first skate, and it was a lot of fun.”

Kindel isn’t the only player to describe this year’s camp as competitive. Just ask Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

“I thought the pace of practice was really good, and a lot of competition within that, so that’s what you expect from training camp,” Crosby said after the September 18 practice.

Kindel is also super impressed with Muse and the rest of the Penguins’ coaching staff.

Training Camp Proves Penguins Have More Talent Than You Realize
When Kyle Dubas took over as president of hockey operations – and, eventually, general manager – of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the summer of 2023, the prospect pool looked quite different than it does now.

“I’m really excited to continue working with them. They seem like great coaches and great people. They want to see all of us do our best, and try and get the best out of all of us, so I’m really excited to keep working with them,” Kindel said.

Kindel will be at Penguins’ training camp for another practice on Friday as they get set for back-to-back preseason games. He won’t be in the lineup against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, which could be a sign that he will play on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It would be pretty big for Kindel to play in that game since it’s expected that a lot of the Penguins’ top players will play due to Marc-Andre Fleury’s return. Kindel may not be ready for the NHL yet, but his time is coming.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins held their first scrimmage of training camp on Wednesday.

The scrimmage lasted approximately an hour, with one 25-minute period held at the Covestro Rink and the other at the FedEx Rink. Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, and Avery Hayes were on the top line for Team Black, while Evgeni Malkin, Anthony Mantha, and Danton Heinen were on the top line for Team White.

Team White won the scrimmage by two, 5-3, thanks to a hat trick from Kris Letang. He was everywhere on the ice, skating methodically and showcasing his shot throughout. After Sam Poulin opened the scoring for Team Black, Letang scored the next two goals to give Team White a 2-1 lead.

Letang’s second goal was especially impressive, beating Jarry with a one-timer that went in and out of the net in what felt like a millisecond. He later got a hat trick on a penalty shot after getting tripped near the boards. Letang was paired with Ryan Graves for most of the scrimmage and skated fluidly throughout.

Outside of Letang, let’s look at a few other players who stood out during the scrimmage.

The entire Heinen-Malkin-Mantha line

Evgeni Malkin was on the top line for Team White and his line was living in the offensive zone during the scrimmage. He set up Danton Heinen with a sick behind-the-back pass near the boards for a mini breakaway and Heinen buried the puck to give his team a 3-2 lead.

Letang would later get the eventual game-winning goal, but Anthony Mantha would put the exclamation point on the game at the end of the second period with a snipe past Maxim Pavlenko to make it 5-3. Pavlenko played the entire secon period after Tristan Jarry played the first.

Training camp has only been going for a week, but due to the chemistry that Malkin and Mantha already have, it would be a surprise if they didn’t start the season together on the second line.

Sam Poulin

Poulin opened the scoring for Team with a nice shot that beat Sergei Murashov five-hole in the opening period. Outside of that, he played a methodical game and was on a line with Gabe Klassen and Boko Imama.

Even though it was only a scrimmage, Poulin needed a performance like this since he looked rough during Monday’s preseason game against the Canadiens. He now needs it to translate to other preseason games since he’s still likely on the outside looking in for a full-time roster spot.

Sergei Murashov

After he was arguably the Penguins’ best player during Monday’s preseason game, Murashov carried that momentum into Wednesday’s scrimmage.

He played the entire scrimmage since Joel Blomqvist is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and made a tremendous save on Crosby when it looked like he had a sure goal from about 10-15 feet out. Murashov flashed the glove on Crosby, which drew some nice cheers from the crowd that was on hand to watch the scrimmage. His positioning was also rock-solid during both periods.

Murashov continues to be the best goaltender at training camp, but it remains to be seen if he crack the opening night roster. This isn’t a prospect that the Penguins want to rush.

The Penguins will play their second preseason game on Wednesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Puck drop will be at 7 p.m. ET, and fans can watch the game live on the Penguins’ official website.

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TORONTO — Tuesday night marked the Toronto Maple Leafs†first hockey game at Scotiabank Arena since they were booed off their own ice in Game 7.

A sneak preview of hockey night in Toronto sans Mitch Marner.

And although the result — a 3-2 exhibition overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators — was a smidge less significant than the last time the team performed in this arena, weâ€ll be observing all these contests with a question in mind.

Can a new top-six winger emerge from the ranks? (Matias Maccelli, you get first crack.) Or will Brad Treliving need to go fetch one?

Itâ€s a void the general manager tried filling in free agency and via a quiet summer trade market.

“Itâ€s not been from a lack of trying,†Treliving said. “Thereâ€s just not a lot of them out there that everybodyâ€s willing to hand over to you, right? So, I think today is no different than yesterday and the day before. Itâ€s going to be tomorrow. Youâ€re always looking to try to improve your team.â€

The worst-kept secret leading up to July 1 was that veteran two-way game-breaker Brad Marchand may very well have signed with the Maple Leafs, his favourite boyhood team, had the Florida Panthers not made the money work.

Leafs D-man Brandon Carlo, a former teammate of Marchandâ€s in Boston, told Sportsnet.ca that he tried nudging his friend “a bunch†to sign north.

“I had talked to him, and there had been conversations there, and I felt like he definitely had that interest to come here. Ultimately, it didnâ€t end up that way. But that would have been fantastic,†Carlo said. “Now weâ€re just gonna have to compete against him and hopefully beat him here soon.â€

Carlo wasnâ€t surprised in the least that Marchand celebrated his second Stanley Cup more fiercely than the first. Judging by the photographic evidence, at least.

“I knew it would be that way, for sure. I know that he had a conversation with Bergy (Patrice Bergeron) that if they ever won again, they would go all out with the partying. So, I’m glad he had a lot of fun. It’s a reset now — and hopefully we can emulate some of those videos on our own this year.â€

Establishing another top-six producer would go a long way toward that goal.

Matthews puts moratorium on Marner queries

When a reporter asked Matthews over the weekend how his pre-game ritual might change now that his warmup buddy of nine years was gone, the captain glanced at his watch.

“You got two more weeks and then weâ€re done with these questions,†Matthews replied.

Maccelli may be a shifty, pass-first wingman. But, beyond his initials, no one is confusing him for Marner 2.0.

And projected first-line winger Max Domi had his camp set back by a lower-body injury.

The onus will fall on a healthy and determined Matthews to drive Line 1, likely with less give-and-go and more puck carrying on his own.

“I see him more engaged,†coach Craig Berube observes. “Heâ€s feeling good, so heâ€s more engaged and heavier and harder on pucks and things like that. You can see a little bit of a difference, for sure.â€

Matthews†O-zone starts fell to a career-low 53.9 per cent last season. Expect a jump in that department. And expect his offence to look different. More direct.

That said, Matthews†strike Tuesday did come off a nifty give-and-go with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Maccelli did register a pair of secondary assists.

“Auston might take another step and start hanging onto pucks and beating people himself one-on-one,†Berube said. “Defensively, itâ€s about finding the guy that can fill the role, too. With Mitch on that line, he was a good defensive player, and so itâ€s just going to take some time. Weâ€ll see where it ends up.â€

Whatâ€s old feels new again for Dakota Joshua, whose first two NHL seasons were preceded by Berube training camps in St. Louis.

The coach hasnâ€t changed much in how he preps his players for the 82-game grind.

“It feels hard. Feels hard again,†the power forward says. “Just competing and just making sure that youâ€re going at one each other hard. Thatâ€s what he wants to see. Thatâ€s been consistent.â€

From Day One, the Maple Leafs have made small-area, close-contact battle drills a staple. Clearing pucks and winning the walls, boxing out and gaining net-front position are of priority in the coachâ€s mind.

A couple players have already suffered minor tweaks (Nicolas Roy, Simon Benoit), but Berube loves the internal intensity.

“You gotta be smart. We don’t want to be putting our guys into the boards from behind. But at the same time, itâ€s important to get those battles in training camp,†Berube explains.

“They skate a lot throughout the summer and in August with the team, but theyâ€re not really doing those types of things. And itâ€s hard to just jump in there and do them.

“Those are the things you got to work on in training camp so theyâ€re ready to go.â€

One-Timers: Matthew Knies missed about half a period in Tuesdayâ€s tilt after getting tripped up on rush, but did return to the game…. Dennis Hildeby posted a 23-save clean sheet in two periods of work. A fine start to what just became a more important camp for the goaltender…. Easton Cowan continues to impress. “He has abilities out there, with making plays and things like that — which he showed me tonight — but they were the right plays at the right time, which is important,†Berube said post-game…. Bobby McMann found the back of the net for the first time since March 25. Canâ€t hurt his confidence.

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VANCOUVER — Whatever noise eventually surrounds Quinn Hughes this season, the Vancouver Canucks defenceman is determined that his play and on-ice focus wonâ€t be part of it.

Entering a season when there will be conjecture everywhere the Canucks travel in the National Hockey League about Hughes†future and whether he will want to play with his American brothers in New Jersey rather than re-sign in Vancouver next summer, the 26-year-old defenceman has looked in training camp fiercely focussed on playing for — and leading — his current team.

Whatever happens, no one is going to be able to accuse the captain of not giving everything he has to the Canucks and trying to help them win.

“Yeah, that’s probably my biggest stress,†Hughes said Tuesday, “where I put so much pressure on myself — making sure that I do everything that I’m supposed to do for the team. And not having a year where Iâ€m not doing the things that I want to do. That’s like my biggest fear, anyone’s biggest fear. But that’s what always keeps me pushing and keeps me hungry. You know, I never think I’m good enough, so that’s always driving me.â€

As with many of the most skilled and dynamic players in the game, Hughes†competitiveness is often underrated. But it has been overt since the Canucks training camp opened in Penticton on Thursday.

It was evident in the only scrimmage of camp, on Saturday, when Hughes actually waved away a line change to stay on the ice after one dominant offensive shift ended with a scoring chance and a faceoff. And it was obvious again Tuesday, after a team day off, in the way Hughes competed physically in small-area battle drills that ended both split-squad practices at the University of B.C.

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Taking almost every shift since camp opened with his regular blue-line partner, Hughes and Filip Hronek have been leading by example, helping set the tone for intensity.

“I don’t even know if I was trying to set a tone,†Hughes said of his scrimmage doubleshift. “I just want to make sure that I’m ready to go. And if I’m ready to go, then that helps the team. Just like, you know, if Brock (Boeser) is ready to go, that helps the team. I didn’t do any scrimmaging during the summer because I was working on some other things, so that’s where I just wanted to make sure I’m getting reps and my energy felt good. Iâ€m trying to push myself.

“I mean, I think we have a lot of competitive guys that want to have good years. We have some really good players here as well, and I think that helps just driving the skates. And then we have young guys competing (for a spot) — a guy like Linus Karlsson that’s been right there for a couple years. We have lots of guys like that. And I just think that makes a competitive camp.â€

Head coach Adam Foote and general manager Patrik Allvin have spoken in general terms about how pleased theyâ€ve been with players†summer preparation and their readiness to work and compete at camp and in the pre-season.

Not many were saying that a year ago when off-season (or pre-season) injuries affected several key players and undermined preparation for a regular season that became one of the most fractured and disappointing in franchise history — even as the team under departed head coach Rick Tocchet finished with 90 points and stayed in the playoff race until the second-to-last week of the regular season.

Foote, who was Tocchetâ€s top assistant, stressed in summer Zoom meetings with his leadership group that players needed to take responsibility for team culture and hold each other accountable.

In an interview three weeks ago with Sportsnet, Hughes said Foote “can teach us and bring us closer. We can have a team. I mean, you look at Florida and they have a ton of talent, but theyâ€re a team. And thatâ€s something we can be.â€

On Tuesday, after five days of official practices, Hughes said the Canucks are moving towards that key goal.

“Obviously, we’re not as talented as some teams, but we do have good talent,†he said. “And, I mean, we can make guys better within the group, and Footy can make guys better. We really don’t know what we are until we see. But as far as us being a team, I think that that’s definitely something we can control. It’s early, but it’s been a good start to that.

“I just think that we have probably more of a connected group now. Everyone’s on the same page, and I think that we’re excited to get going. Everyone knew it was a long summer and wanted to be ready to go. I mean, I’m looking forward to playing some exhibition games and kind of getting back that (competitive) feeling and getting my mind right. And I know other guys are as well.â€

And what about that “noise†that Hughes warned us about earlier this month, when he vowed not to be distracted by conjecture about his future?

Actually, he said Tuesday, the only real noise so far was caused by his younger brother, Jack, who said during the NHL media summit in Las Vegas two weeks ago that, of course, heâ€d love to play with Quinn.

“We didnâ€t even talk after he said that,†Hughes smiled. “The noise hasnâ€t been much. I don’t really think that that will be the noise (around the team). I think the noise will be if we lose three in a row, or we lose the first two games of the season. We’re going to have to remain mentally strong. For myself, I’m going to have to remain mentally strong. I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself and putting a lot of pressure on this team to have the year I think we can have.â€

ICE CHIPS – Vancouver plays its second of six pre-season games Wednesday in Abbotsford, B.C., against the Calgary Flames, icing another young lineup that will include three centres trying to push their way up the NHL from the Canucks†AHL championship team, as well as the organizationâ€s three best defence prospects: Elias Pettersson (Junior), Victor Mancini and Tom Willander. Defencemen Tyler Myers and Marcus Pettersson are the key veterans, but the playing group that practised Tuesday also included starting goalie Thatcher Demko. . . Winger Conor Garland sat out Tuesdayâ€s practices. Foote called it precautionary, part of planning for an Olympic season that has condensed the NHL schedule, and said Garland would be playing if it was the season-opener. . . The Canucks†second practice group Tuesday featured what could be the first-unit power play: Hughes at the point, with Boeser in the bumper and Jake DeBrusk at the netfront, centre Elias Pettersson making plays on from his off-wing and newcomer Evander Kane skating downhill from the left flank. This practice group is expected to provide the bulk of the lineup for Fridayâ€s game against the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Arena.

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It was a busy day on Tuesday at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale as training camp continues for the Florida Panthers.

On Wednesday, the Panthers will head up to Raleigh for a preseason matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center.

Making the trip to North Carolina for the Cats will be group that will not feature any of the teamâ€s returning NHL regulars, a similar situation as to over the weekend when Florida played a preseason doubleheader in Nashville against the Predators on Sunday.

The players who will participate on Wednesday in Raleigh were on the ice for a formal camp practice Tuesday afternoon.

For many, itâ€s all about trying to make a good impression and prepare yourself for the season to come, but at the end of the day, as long as the effort is there, the coaching staff understands that itâ€s a long road to the NHL.

“That’s really what I’m looking for,†said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “If any of these young guys that came out and, let’s say, I thought they were all fine, you know, real good idea of, like, either why we drafted them or why we brought them to camp. But if they’re young, and they had a tough camp, I won’t think about them again. I won’t assess them, because theyâ€ve got years before (theyâ€re expected at the NHL level). So if a guy had a tough camp, that doesn’t mean his career is over at all. He’s just got to go back to play junior, or if itâ€s his first year pro, or whatever that is, get another year, and then you come in. So you really do go through the stages here, especially because we haven’t drafted a high, first round pick that comes in has a legitimate chance to make our team. We don’t have those players. All our first-round picks are playing on our team.â€

Roster-wise, it will be a similar situation when Floridaâ€s next road preseason game arrives, which will be next Tuesday when Florida faces the Tampa Bay Lightning in Orlando.

For that game, expect the Panthers to bring another mostly-young group to the neutral site showdown with Tampa.

However, the night before, when Florida hosts Carolina on Monday night in Sunrise, weâ€ll get our first look at some of the NHLers expected to be on the Opening Night roster.

Itâ€s all part of the process and Maurice and his staff evaluate everyone, new and returning, to see exactly where everyone shapes up as they prepare to mold a new roster for the upcoming season.

“All of the new guys, I’m just trying to learn their game, trying to find out what I think they do for a living,†said Maurice. “What are they good at? That’s a really important question to ask. What’s that guy good at? How do I fit him in? The returning players that we’ve had year over year, I’m just trying to anecdotally measure how much better they are. Do I think they’re fitter? Are they stronger? Are they grasping what we’ve done? We’re looking for progression and trying to measure that. And then there are a band of players that you’re looking at saying, okay, that guy’s a potential call-up, how would I play him? First of all, can I make him better? Can I help him get better? Early on, I just want them to learn our game, try to play it, and see if you can, and then we’ll shape you a little bit. You’ve got to be more physical. You can be less physical. You’re running around. We need to get the little details, where you take each individual player and try to shape them into our team.â€

Before Tuesdayâ€s formal workout in Fort Lauderdale, a large group of the Opening Night Panthers held a skate and scrimmage.

On the ice were Brad Marchand, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Bennett, Eetu Luostarinen, Dmitry Kulikov, Sasha Barkov, Niko Mikkola, Seth Jones, Anton Lundell, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Uvis Balinskis, Mackie Samoskevich, Carter Verhaeghe, A.J. Greer, Gus Forsling, Jesper Boqvist and Jeff Petry.

They are all expected to join the regular camp practices later this week ahead of Monday’s game against Carolina.

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Photo caption: Sep 19, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice speaks to center Gracyn Sawchyn (59), forward Tyler Motte (14) and forward Noah Gregor (18) during training camp at Baptist Health IcePlex. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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Heading into the second week of Philadelphia Flyers training camp, a number of key players have boosted their stocks and chances of making the NHL roster. Others? Not so much.

Predictably, newer players like Nikita Grebenkin, Trevor Zegras, and Matvei Michkov have been all the rage in training camp, and they’ve earned the hype.

Michkov looks every bit the dangerous, chippy playmaker he was last season, while the other two figure to give him a better supporting cast than he had last year.

The trio combined to form a line in the first preseason game against the New York Islanders, and while they did not produce a goal or an assist, their chemistry grew as the game went on, and each player made some pretty special plays throughout.

Stock Up: Trevor Zegras and Nikita Grebenkin

I wrote about this after the game as well, but I am fully convinced that Trevor Zegras is an NHL center. It’s only preseason, but his details looked to be fully there against the Islanders on Sunday night.

Flyers Training Camp: Potential Defensive Changes Could Be for the Best
If the first few days of training camp are anything to go by, the Philadelphia Flyers could have a new-look defense under first-year head coach Rick Tocchet.

He, Michkov, and Grebenkin weren’t exactly making magic happen out there, but they were surprisingly menacing in puck possession.

I was particularly impressed by Zegras’s willingness to get in on the forecheck, chip and chase, come low to support in his own zone, and insert himself right into the middle of puck battles along the walls.

The same is true for Grebenkin, who has proven to be a surprisingly effective zone entry player using his legs, too.

Grebenkin, for me, has enough soft skills, size, and snarl to play up and down the lineup, which is going to work in his favor come October.

He’ll get a long look as training camp progresses further, but I’d be stunned if he winds up missing out on this Flyers roster.

Stock Down: Noah Juulsen

In training camp so far, defenseman Noah Juulsen has very much looked like a guy who is coming off a season-ending hernia.

That’s not necessarily his fault as he shakes off rust, but the poor skating has stood out so far. Juulsen did help his cause by laying a crushing hit on Islanders youngster Kashawn Aitcheson in the first preseason game, but that was about all he did on the night.

The rugged right-shot defenseman didn’t pick up a point in 35 games with the Vancouver Canucks last year, and was basically never an NHLer before playing for Rick Tocchet there; 89 of his 157 career games have come in the last two seasons, and he’s now 28 years old.

Flyers Training Camp: Healthy Jett Luchanko Focused on the Present
With an uncertain future ahead, top Philadelphia Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko is keeping everything in perspective in front of him during training camp.

I think Juulsen will be a valuable veteran presence to have, especially as someone who knows Tocchet’s systems, but I have a hard time believing he’ll beat out players like Emil Andrae and Helge Grans.

The Flyers have too much competition at this position with options with far greater upside looking for opportunities, and Juulsen has so far been more negative than a neutral or positive impact.

Stock Up: Aleksei Kolosov

The last year and a half has seen nearly everyone throw in the towel on Aleksei Kolosov, but the Flyers brought him back and effectively made him the No. 3 goalie after the Ivan Fedotov trade.

Fighting for an NHL future, Kolosov delivered an inspired performance against the Islanders on Sunday night, making a number of spectacular saves that really showed off his trademark athleticism.

A final statline of 15 saves on 17 shots (.882) isn’t the greatest ever, but Kolosov was let down by his teammates on the two goals he did concede. I felt this was often the case last season, but Kolosov had his share of bloopers that contributed to the overwhelmingly negative sentiment around the Flyers’ goaltending, too.

I suspect Kolosov will see plenty of action in the preseason and in the AHL this year, but if he wants to turn the page on the last year, he’s off to a good start.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Belarusian can really develop and put himself back in the picture for the Flyers, who also have Carson Bjarnason and Egor Zavragin in the mix long-term.

Stock Down: Devin Kaplan and Samu Tuomaala

Neither Devin Kaplan nor Samu Tuomaala stood out against the Islanders the way I hoped they would.

Kaplan, who made his NHL debut for the Flyers in Game 82 against Buffalo last season, finished the game with no points, no penalties, and no shots on goal in 11:13.

The lines were out of whack due to the Lane Pederson injury, but Kaplan was kind of just there in that game and didn’t do much of anything, which is a shame.

I really liked Kaplan’s game during rookie camp, but the drawback for him right now seems to be consistency. Sometimes he pulls some crazy stickhandles and creative passes out of nowhere, and other times he can’t get on the puck.

Tuomaala, too, didn’t find a way to make much of an impact against the Islanders, and he might need a strong preseason more than anyone not named Adam Ginning.

The Finn did at least record a shot on goal and was chosen to shoot in the shootout, though his attempt against old Lehigh Valley Phantoms teammate Parker Gahagen was unsuccessful.

These two players should get plenty of run in the preseason as we move along, but the uneventful start to proceedings won’t help them in their quest to make the Flyers’ NHL roster this fall.

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Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Quinn Beauchesne is one of the Penguins’ 2025 NHL Draft picks participating in this year’s training camp.

Beauchesne, picked in the fifth round of the draft, is a brilliant skater and showcased that skill during development camp, and especially the Prospects Challenge earlier this month. He also showed that he has some snarl and was a goal away from getting a Gordie Howe hat trick in one of the Prospect Challenge games.

He’s participating in Group C during training camp, and is getting to learn from some longtime NHL veterans, including Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. Beauchesne has had a lot of fun at camp thus far, but knows he has a lot to prove going forward.

“I’ve got a lot to prove,” Beauchesne said. “Obviously, not being necessarily a high-round draft pick, just trying to put everything into every single day, every practice, every game. I don’t look too far ahead, but yeah, obviously, the main goal is trying to get signed, trying to make the team coming out of here. I think I have abilities to play in the NHL, whether that’s soon or in a couple of years down the road, but just trying to do absolutely everything I can.”

His skating is definitely NHL-caliber, and he has a good first-pass coming out of his own zone. If he can add a little more offensive tools to his game, there’s a chance he could be a well-rounded defenseman once he potentially comes up to the NHL.

Beauchesne is set to spend the 2025-26 season with the OHL’s Guelph Storm, and it will be his third season with them. He finished the 2024-25 season with six goals and 24 points in 49 games.

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On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins officially opened training camp for the 2024-25 season. And through three days, there has been a lot of action.

There has already been an injury, as forward Kevin Hayes went down in Friday’s practice with an upper-body injury and will miss the start of the regular season. There is a new coaching staff that is starting to make its mark on the team and the direction. And there are some young players already poised to make decisios tough for GM and POHO Kyle Dubas and company.

Here are five observations from the first three days of training camp.

Sidney Crosby: “It was pretty loud out there. There was a lot of stick banging, that sort of thing.”

Kris Letang: “You could feel it. The energy is through the roof.”

Bryan Rust: “The energy out there was great. It was contagious. [The coaches] were all very vocal, they were all banging their sticks, they were all trying to motivate guys, trying to get guys going.”

Evgeni Malkin: â€œThis [Friday] is the second day. Really hard. But I like it. I feel fine.”

If there was one consistent theme throughout the first three days of camp – and something that seems as though it’s going to stick – it’s that new head coach Dan Muse and the rest of his staff are loud. Very, very loud.

Muse barely had a voice left for all three media availabilities at the end of each day. Assistant coach Mike Stothers was yelling left and right and banging sticks up against the glass not-so-lightly, halfway frightening the fans in attendance on the other side. Muse even joked Saturday that we all may have to play a guessing game at the beginning of every practice to predict how many sticks Stothers will break that day.

But the “loudness” and vocality of practice isn’t for naught. There is a noticeable intensity and energy that has, honestly, been a bit lacking over the last several years of camp. The pace is constantly pushed. Guys are tired. The coaching staff is making them work and work very hard.

‘The Energy Is Through The Roof’: Competition The Focus In Dan Muse’s First NHL Training Camp
By the time day one of Pittsburgh Penguins’ training camp concluded, new head coach Dan Muse had nearly lost his voice.

And it’s contributing to a big energy that’s palpable both when witnessing practice and when entering the locker room.

“That’s what you want,” Crosby said. “You want the enthusiasm and passion. I thought the pace of practice was really good, and a lot of competition within that, so that’s what you expect from training camp.”

It’s hard to argue who has been the standout through three days at training camp.

Ville Koivunen has consistently been skating on a line with Crosby and Justin Brazeau, and he looks good. Really good. His skating looks much-improved from the end of last season, as his first step is giving him an extra boost to stay one step ahead of defenders. He’s cutting through people like a knife, scoring goals left and right, and displaying seamless and effortless chemitry with Crosby.

The injury to Rutger McGroarty is an unfortunate one, as he was more than likely going to be Koivunen’s main competition as far as the young guys at camp. But, with the way Koivunen is performing up to this point, I’m not sure him being in the picture would have mattered much.

He very much seems primed to secure a spot on this roster. Quite frankly, if he can show up this way in the exhibition games, too, I’d be surprised if he’s left off this roster at the end of camp. He’s been impressive.

Penguins’ Training Camp: Observations From Day Three
Group C kicked off Saturday’s training camp session, and there wasn’t as much systems work compared to Friday’s session. Instead, we got to see a fair amount of line rushes and a lot of odd-man rush opportunities.

With the injury to Hayes, the Penguins aren’t just down a veteran. They’re also down a center.

There is a little bit of center depth on the roster as-is. Tommy Novak has good two-way prowess. Blake Lizotte has been a solid fourth-line center for the Penguins. Noel Acciari is capable of manning the middle, and even Rickard Rakell was forced to play center at one point last season.

But don’t count out Filip Hallander.

Hallander, 25, is on his second stint in the Penguins’ organization after being named SHL Forward of the Year in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) last season with 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games. He has a reputation for his solid two-way play, and he has potential as a third-line center at the NHL level.

He’s consistently centered a line with Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell as his wingers, and he has been able to keep up with both of them in practice. He will not be in the lineup against the Montreal Canadiens in the first pre-season matchup of the season Monday, which could bode well for him in terms of, perhaps, getting to skate with some of the bigger guys in the following games.

Keep an eye on him. Aside from Koivunen, he probably has the most inside track to make the roster as a younger player – especially after crossing an ocean this summer to sign back with the Penguins.

Penguins Announce Roster For First Preseason Game Against Canadiens
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced their roster for their first preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.

Honestly, it’s hard to evaluate goaltending outside of exhibition games in training camp.

But, one thing is for certain: Sergei Murashov has, far and away, been the best goaltender at this year’s camp so far.

I have said before that I am, by no means, a goaltending expert. But I have eyes. And Murashov’s talent is clear as day. He doesn’t panic. He’s ridiculously athletic and moves post-to-post quicker than I’ve seen any Penguins’ goaltender in recent memory – maybe since the legend who signed a PTO to retire a Penguin. He makes simple saves look like clockwork and difficult saves look effortless.

And when he does have to make a gargantuan effort due to a rogue rebound or fast-unfolding play in front of him? He rarely loses those battles, too.

‘The Young Guys Are Coming’: 3 Observations From Dubas’s Pre-Season Press Conference
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins opened their 2025 training camp with a few words from general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas.

Arturs Silovs and Tristan Jarry have been solid, too, and they likely have the inside track at the NHL roster despite Dubas’s declaration at the beginning of camp that the two goaltending spots were up for grabs. Joel Blomqvist has looked fine enough, and he will be the other goaltender – along with Murashov – against Montreal.

Realistically, Murashov needs a full season under his belt at the AHL level, where he dominated in a stint last season. But I am curious to see how he looks in exhibition games. If he looks anywhere close to how he does in practice, he might make the Penguins rethink a few things if Dubas’s words are to be taken at face value.

Reading too much into lines, pairings, and deployment on the first three days of training camp is often a futile exercise. There are three teams with clear NHL veterans and roster locks spread across them, and a lot changes as the rosters get cut and the teams get reduced.

That said, it’s not a nothing burger that Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke have remained a pairing throughout camp – and it’s not a coincidence who they’ve been sharing their five-on-five reps with.

Pickering and Brunicke – both of whom have looked pretty solid in camp so far, Pickering especially – have consistently seen ice time with Crosby, Koivunen, and Brazeau, which may not seem like much on the surface.

Except that known offensive play-driving, future Hall-of-Fame defenseman Erik Karlsson is in the same group and is always tasked with defending against them, and vice versa.

Within each group, there is – to some extent – a “these guys probably won’t make the roster” group on one end of the ice and a “these guys will either make it or come close to making it” group on the other end. It speaks volumes that Pickering and Brunicke are given the minutes with Crosby – not even against him – and that Brunicke, in particular, has often been tasked with shutting down Karlsson one-on-one.

There’s a high likelihood that both players will stick through the end of camp until final cuts, even if their chances of cracking the roster may be slim due to the defensive logjam, especially on Brunicke’s right side. And it’s possible that the Penguins keep Brunicke around as long as possible to see if the AHL/CHL rule change allowing one 19-year-old CHL player to play in the AHL gets a last-minute green light for the 2025-26 season, as he is likely to be assigned to the AHL in that case.

Regardless, the Penguins clearly see potential in this pairing. And they absolutely should. Both look like they belong, and both will have the chance to prove that in game action starting Monday in Montreal.

Top-20 Penguins’ Prospects 2025: Defenseman Exceeds Expectations, Eyes NHL Roster Spot
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

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