NHL Training Camp Preview: Penguins, Kraken Eyeing Strong Playoff Runs

The National Hockey League will begin its 106^th season in early October, with a number of clubs looking to unseat the Colorado Avalanche after their Stanley Cup victory earlier this summer, while others are preparing to make a run at getting the best odds to select presumptive first overall pick, Connor Bedard.

With the NHL salary cap going up only $1 million, many clubs had to make difficult roster decisions. Nearly half the league is currently over the $82.5 million limit and will be using LTIR (long-term injured reserve) to get under the cap, while budget clubs used their cap space to add draft capital.

Here is the preview of a perennial Stanley Cup contender who chose to keep the gang together for one or two more runs at a championship and an expansion club slowly building their franchise to be competitive in the next few years.

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Pittsburgh Penguins (46-25-11 – 3rd place in the Metropolitan Division – Lost to New York Rangers in the First Round)

Who’s Out – Evan Rodrigues, Mike Matheson, John Marino, Brian Boyle

Who’s In – Jeff Petry, Ty Smith, Ryan Poehling, Jan Rutta

After running into injury problems in goal and losing in seven games to the Rangers, GM Ron Hextall did the unexpected and re-signed veterans Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell (acquired from Anaheim at the deadline). The Penguins were also busy on the trade and free agent market, moving Marino to New Jersey for young blueliner Smith, Matheson to Montreal for veteran Petry and Poehling, and signing two-time Cup winner Rutta away from Tampa Bay. With most of their core group over 30, the Pens may have one or two more kicks at the can before having to rebuild.

2022-23 Potential impact prospects

W – Samuel Poulin

D – Owen Pickering

G – Joel Blomqvist

Poulin is one of the few first-round picks that Pittsburgh kept over the last decade and could challenge for an NHL job after scoring 16 goals in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season. Pickering is a big defenseman from Swift Current of the WHL selected 21^st overall at the 2022 Draft in Montreal. Blomqvist could be Pittsburgh’s goalie of the future, as the 2020 second-rounder posted a microscopic 1.32 GAA in 20 games with Karpat of the Finnish SM-liiga.

Seattle Kraken (27-49-6 – 8th place in the Pacific Division)

Who’s Out –  Victor Rask, Riley Sheahan

Who’s In –  Oliver Bjorkstrand, Andre Burakovsky, Justin Schultz, Martin Jones

Unlike their expansion counterpart in Vegas, the Kraken struggled in their first season and are hoping that a combination of young prospects, free agents, and opportunistic trade acquisitions will make them more competitive in their sophomore campaign. GM Ron Francis acquired draft capital by trading expiring contracts at the trade deadline and used his available cap space to sign Burakovsky away from Colorado and Schultz away from Washington.

Seattle benefited from the Blue Jacket surprise signing of Johnny Gaudreau, as Columbus jettisoned Bjorkstrand’s $5.4 million cap hit and only received a pair of mid-round picks in return.

2022-23 Potential impact prospects

C – Matty Beniers

C – Shane Wright

W – Jagger Firkus

Beniers was selected second after University of Michigan teammate Owen Power in 2021 and scored nine points in 10 NHL games after turning pro in April. After scoring 94 points with Kingston (OHL), Wright was expected to be the top pick at the 2022 Draft but slipped to Seattle’s pick at #4. Firkus is a smallish sniper with a big shot who scored 36 goals for Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League.