The Pittsburgh Penguins will open training camp next week and there is more excitement this time than in any season in recent memory. Let’s take a look at the way the team is shaping up.

 

Goal: GM Andy brought in Alvaro Montoya in a recent trade with New York. Montoya is expected to get a lot of work behind a very young defense. He has the ability to steal games and he’ll have to do just that if the Pens have any chance at the postseason.

 

Montoya’s backup will probably be veteran Maxime Daigneault.

 

Defense: Though extremely young (the six projected starters’ averages 21.3 years old) the blueline corps is good. Heavy on stay at home types, (Matthias Thivierge, Sam Brincka, Ambrosz Shovajsa and rookie Kevin Shattenkirk) coach Koivu will look to rookie Yannick Weber to contribute offensively.

 

Offense:

The projected first line will consist of young Dick Axelsson centering Patrice Charbonneau and Ivan Pugachev. Charbonneau,  who led the team in scoring last year, has been entrusted to help develop Axelsson into the star he is predicted to be. Pugachev, only 19 years old, already has 2 PTHL seasons under his belt.

 

The second line will feature Alex Cherapanov centering Jeff Verner and Vas Schekarev. Cherapanov will look to build on a disappointing rookie season in which he scored only 19 points in 77 games.

 

The third line will act as a shut-down line with defensive forward Stan Petrizelik centering Leo Frolander and Elias Martensson. The key for this group is to be able to get on the scoresheet while keeping the opposition’s 1^st line off it.

 

The fourth line will be an intriguing one. If things break well, the trio of Bryan Little, Daniel Esche, and Manfred Koubek could become one of the most offensive 4^th lines in the league.

 

Prospects: The team has yet to make any announcements, but it appears that they are ready to use their three underage farm roster spots on last year’s #2 overall pick Oystein Johannessen, the #25 pick Alex Burrows, and the previous draft’s #20 pick Jakub Voracek.