Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Penguins make FIRST CUTS as training camp battles intensify!

Episode Date: September 24, 2026

The Penguins made their first cuts of training camp, and while there were no surprises, time is running out for those battling for a spot. Patrick and Hunter begin the Thursday edition of the Locked O...n Penguins Podcast by going over the Penguins' first round of roster cuts in the 2026 training camp. While most of the players were either sent back to juniors, the minors, or overseas clubs, some of those who remain are getting a longer look than expected. (0:00) Then, the Penguins will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight in their third preseason game, and it will be a roster stacked with prospects and players who need to make an impression if they want to make the NHL roster. They go over who has the most to prove and who has the most to lose. (13:04) Finally, after some hot takes about Arturs Silovs's poor performance on Tuesday night, it's time to have a discussion about goaltending, the preseason, and expectations. (24:16) Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Butcher BoxIf you're looking for an easier way to get great meals on the table, give ButcherBox a try. Go to https://ButcherBox.com/LOCKEDONNHL to get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ribeye, New York strip, or filet mignon in every box for a year — with free shipping always.TalkiatryHead to https://Talkiatry.com/LOCKEDONNHL to complete the short assessment and get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes.  OdooGreat organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.IndeedNow, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply.KALSHIToday's episode is brought to you by Kalshi. For a limited time, Download Kalshi and use code Locked On to get $25 when you trade $25. Kalshi. Trade what’s next.FanDuelThis season, FanDuel is making the excitement go beyond what happens on the field with the all-new FanDuel Rewards Club, featuring exclusive offers, surprises, and more. Every week, check the FanDuel app to see what’s waiting for you or visit https://FANDUEL.COM  to get started.  FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1- Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 The Pittsburgh Penguins made their first round of cuts with this year's training camp. We're going to talk about who got let go, who is still here, and the rest of the preseason right after this. You're locked on penguins, your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins, part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. I'm in to the Thursday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am one of your hosts, Patrick Damp. You can find me on most social media platforms at Synonym 4 Wet. Joined as always by my co-host, the one and only Hunter Hodes. You can find Hunter on Twitter at Hunter Hodes.
Starting point is 00:00:50 You can find our show across all social media platforms on Twitter at LO underscore Penguins on Instagram at Locked On underscore Penguins and TikTok at Simply Locked on Penguins. Of course, we appreciate you making this your first listen or watch of the day. Don't forget we're free and available, wherever you get your podcasts. And with training camp in full swing, the preseason coming to a close and the regular season right around the corner, make sure you're following us on socials. Make sure you're subscribed. That way you are up to date with all.
Starting point is 00:01:28 all the latest Penguins news. On today's show, we're going to talk about the roster for preseason game number three against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Then we will talk about the expectation for the players who are going to be in that game tonight. But before we do any of that, on Wednesday, the Penguins made their first round of cuts. This training camp, the roster is now down to 58 players, as opposed to the to the initial group of 69. Nice. Among the cuts, of course, one of the biggest names is defensemen
Starting point is 00:02:07 and prospect Tomash Galvis. He was sent back to his club in Chequia, along with them. Prospect Carter Sanderson was returned to his WHL team in Calgary. Taylor Godier, the goaltender. He is on waivers. No need to panic about that, though. He is more than likely to clear, and he will head to Wilkes-Bair. After that, a bunch of AHL contracted players have been sent to Wilkeshire. That is David Brazil, Tyler Duke, Brent Johnson, Ryan Mast, Malik, McGowan, and Broughton, Sabo have all been assigned to Wilkes-Ber. Also, just a note, Batvey Nikanovich has already been sent to junior, and Florida Everblades goaltender, Cam Johnson, left camp for personal reasons. So let's start with the first one, Hunter. The Galvis reassignment to Chequia,
Starting point is 00:03:06 not surprising. He was very good in the prospects challenge. But I don't want to say that he struggled in his preseason action, but you could tell that there is still work to be done. Yeah, he simply isn't ready for the NHL. And that's not a bad thing. You and I kept saying a lot on recent podcast that We would be fairly surprised if he made the NHL roster for opening night next Wednesday against the Flyers. I'm glad that he got the opportunity here at training camp and at least one preseason game to show what he could do. He had a quiet camp, and he was kind of quiet on Tuesday, had a couple moments where he were like, okay, could use some work. And that's fine. He's still only 20 years old.
Starting point is 00:03:50 He needs to put on a little bit more weight. He needs to work on his decision making, a little bit more his net front. could be a little bit better as well. That's why you assign him back to his team in Chequio so he can work on all those things, develop for another year, come back at the end of this season, ready to go down the stretch for Wilkesbury
Starting point is 00:04:07 and end of the playoffs. And then for next season, we can have this discussion again, even though I think it's more than likely he'll probably start next season in Wilkesbury then maybe get a call up to the NHL team. But he's at least a season away, if not two.
Starting point is 00:04:22 And that's not a bad thing. He needs to keep developing. That is good. As for the rest of these, you're right about Taylor Godier. I got a couple of questions on social media asking if we should be nervous about it. No, I would be fairly surprised if anyone claimed him on waivers. I'd also be pretty sad if someone claimed him on waivers, to be honest, considering how long he has been with the organization. But I don't think that's going to happen. He'll go back to Wilkesbury where he's going to get a solid amount of starts. And then the rest of these defensemen, pretty standard. They'll go back to Wilkesbury for their training camp. And some may even go down to the Everblades in the ECA. and then Carter's Anderson back to the hitman. No surprise there. I'm excited to see. I'm excited to track him this year, I should say. For sure, that is definitely an underrated under the radar player who is worth keeping an eye on there is a lot of talent there might be kind of a dark horse prospect in the system. We will see what happens with him. One thing to note about Galvis going back to Chechia because he is 20 years old with the way the CBA is set up. The first year of,
Starting point is 00:05:26 his entry level deal is actually been burned and is in effect this year. That's nothing to do with the Penguins management, with Kyle Dubus or anything like that. That is just the reality of the CBA and the contract laws in the NHL because of his age. There was not a thing that they could do around that to keep him on a three-year deal until he gets to North America. That's just the lay of the land. But I do think overall, there aren't a ton of surprises here. We're going to talk a little bit more about this in the second and third segment. But what do you know?
Starting point is 00:06:04 We kind of called it on Wednesday's episode. Because of the injuries, because of some of the players who are out, there are a few players who are still here, including the Ruck Twins, who are going to be in the lineup tonight against the Blue Jackets. You called that more than me, by the way. I kind of just floated it out there. you were like, hey, I can definitely see it.
Starting point is 00:06:26 So I'll give you more credit than me. And I will say, maybe more reiterate what I said on yesterday's show is more just, I think the injuries open the door for them to just get a little bit more time. It doesn't mean that they're suddenly going to break camp. It doesn't mean that they're going to pull them out of junior in the NCAA and suddenly stash them in the HL for this year. It just means they've got a couple extra open spots due to injury. so you can give some of your younger players like your Marcus and Liam Rucks.
Starting point is 00:06:59 You can give some other players like, say, Gustafsson or Livanovich, a little bit more time in the NHO camp. It doesn't mean that suddenly these guys have turned into can't miss prospects who are going to surprise everybody and be ahead of schedule. it's just a good development tool to keep them around. They'll get another preseason game. They'll get another couple days in an NHL training camp to really show them not just what else has to be done, but what it's like to get this deep into an NHL training camp. Yeah, I think that's fair. And also when it comes to the Rock Twins, for example, I think they earned it.
Starting point is 00:07:44 That they played really well on Tuesday against the Red Wings they played with, you know, a decent chunk of the Penguins. veterans, especially Crosby and Malkin. I don't think they looked out of place on the fourth line with McHale O'Lean. Liam had two assists in that game. The Rucker McGrody goal was just a beautiful give and go between the Ruck Twins and Magrory. You saw Marcus pretty easy pass back over to Magrory, but again, the way that Liam played
Starting point is 00:08:08 that as well, really nice. And they were like grinning ear to ear in the locker room after they were both just taking questions from the media saying how cool was that they got to share the eyes with both Crosby. and Malkin. So the fact they played well, you know, why not reward them for at least one more game, Pat? And then in all likelihood, they'd probably go back to Medicine Head after that because the final preseason game is Saturday against the Sabres.
Starting point is 00:08:32 And you and I have been saying all week that that's probably going to be the dress rehearsal game. For example, just as a hint for the lineup, Eric Carlson's not playing in this game tonight. So pretty good indication, at least for me right now, that Saturday will be that main varsity squad because Carlson hasn't played during the preseason yet. you figure that's the game you want to get him in on. So again, I like that they're playing and I think they've earned it. And I'm curiously how they do with some of the other top prospects in the system.
Starting point is 00:08:59 And also some of these younger players, which we'll get to in a second, that are really jockeying for spots. Every one of those younger forwards that's trying to get a spot is in the lineup for this game. And the other thing I will say about keeping the Rock Twins in camp for another day in another preseason game is the other side of it. This is for as much as we're talking about the penguins having reclamation projects and guys who are looking to get more of an expanded role with a team like the penguins coming from organizations like the Maple Leafs, the Golden Knights, the Lightning. This is, it's a very serious camp and it's a very veteran camp in a sense, especially when you look at who is going to be on the penguin's main roster that we think is going to be on the main. roster. It's a nice little reminder for some of these veterans of how cool what they get to do is.
Starting point is 00:09:54 And you see these two 18 year old twins who just have stars in their eyes. They're grinning ear to ear because, oh my God, we're playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the preseason. We're at PPG Paints Arena. We're in the same locker room as Sidney Crosby and of Gany Malkin. And we've been in a camp with guys like Chris LaTang and Eric Carlson. There's something to be said for that. And that kind of mood and that kind of mentality is infectious. And it can help. I mean, not to make this segment go too long,
Starting point is 00:10:28 but you look at the way a lot of the guys last year talked about Ben Kindle, making the team at 18. It was a nice little shot of youth, a little shot of energy where they see this kid who no one expected to be on the team. And it made the locker room better. So really excited for those two, really excited for tonight's game because there's a lot of players on this roster who time is running out and they need to make a statement. We are going to talk about the roster and the expectations
Starting point is 00:11:00 for everybody involved in tonight's game against the Blue Jackets. Stick with us. We are going to get into that right after this. But first, support for today's show comes from Indeed, sponsored jobs. When workplace chaos hits and you need the right high, Indeed sponsored jobs helps connect employers with candidates who match specific needs like skills, certifications, and location. That way, less time gets spent searching and more time gets spent finding the right fit. People are finding quality hires on Indeed right now. In the time I have been talking to you, companies like yours have made 27 hires on Indeed, according to their worldwide data. One great addition can have a ripple effect.
Starting point is 00:11:50 on everyone around them. Hey, I just talked about Ben Kindle making the team last year. It was a great addition. He played a big role and you can see it up and down the lineup because they had that person who brought the right skills, the right attitude. And while he may not have had the experience, he leaned on the experiences of those around him. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all of your boxes, less stress, less time, and more results. When you need the right person to cut through all the chaos, it's a job for Indeed sponsored jobs.
Starting point is 00:12:28 Listeners of Locked on Penguins will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get their job, the premium status, it deserves at Indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed right here on Locked on Penguins. One more time, that's Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply.
Starting point is 00:12:56 Need to hire. It's a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. We're back here on the Thursday edition of Locked on Penguins. I'm Patrick Damp. That's Hunter Hodes. And we have got pre-season action tonight from Nationwide Arena. When the Penguins will take on the Columbus Blue Jack. And no real surprises here on this lineup tonight, Hunter.
Starting point is 00:13:26 But the one surprise you already talked about it, Eric Carlson, still yet to make his preseason debut. Big whoop, he's Eric Carlson. We know who he is. Just interesting that going into game three, we have yet to see an Eric Carlson appearance. But again, we know who he is. We'll probably see him this weekend against Buffalo. But here is the lineup.
Starting point is 00:13:50 We do not have lines just yet. We are recording this on Wednesday evening. So that will be out, I imagine, Thursday morning. But the forwards, Rutger McGroarty, Philip Hollander, David Gustafson, Connor Doer, Bils on and Elmer Soderblom, Tristan Brose, Liam Ruck, Tanner Howell, Velae Coivinen, Mikhail Ilyan, Marcus Ruck, Attlee Calvert, and Avery Hayes. I'm just going to start with the big one for this lineup tonight at 4th. and then I will pass it off to you.
Starting point is 00:14:22 This has got to be a big game for Villay-Coyvenin. Because he's already a little bit behind the eight ball. He has not stood out a ton throughout this camp. He's had some moments here and there. And through no fault of his own, he does get hurt by taking a puck to the face. Nothing you can really do about that. But he is going to have to make a statement here because there are a lot of players, especially jockeying for that bottom six role,
Starting point is 00:14:48 that have surpassed him in this camp. I cannot agree more with you, Pat, this is a really big game for Vali Kuyvenin. And I think for his camp, his first day was okay. He was better the final two days. He then gets hit with the puck in the face during a scrimmage,
Starting point is 00:15:06 has to sit out the second pre-season game. Stinks for him, you're right, but behind the eight ball, this is his third pre-season game. We'll have to see if he plays on Saturday against the Sabres. But he needs to go out there and have a really big game.
Starting point is 00:15:19 Like Avery Hayes, he just had a really good preseason game earlier on in the week. He is trying to make a push for this roster. Elmer Soder Blom, I've talked about his camp, I've talked about his preseason so far. He's been solid. We all know that Connor Dewar is going to make the team, but I'm not really super concerned about him playing
Starting point is 00:15:38 in this game with the other forwards or jockeying for spots. Connor Dewar is going to have a spot in the bottom six. Philip Hollander, he is right there. He's also playing in this game. He has also had a, a fantastic camp and a fantastic preseason. Rucker McGority, I thought his play was up and down on Tuesday,
Starting point is 00:15:54 gets the goal to end. That's a nice confidence boost for him. He's also going to have to go out there and play well too. But yeah, for Villy, I just need to see it from him in general. This is his really big chance before the Saturdays dress rehearsal, if he's even in the lineup to go out there and prove to the coaches and the management staff that I belong on this team and that I am one of the players that can be in every, day contributor in the bottom six.
Starting point is 00:16:20 Now, I know he's not playing with a lot of the regulars in this game, but I still want him to go out there and have a really good game because we haven't seen it. And, I mean, if he doesn't do that, I know they probably won't be afraid to put him on waivers. We all know no one's going to take him with that contract and put him down to Wilkesbury at least to start. He'll get games during the season, but it's all up to him right now to go out there and have a really good game to convince everyone that he belongs on the team. So yeah, I agree.
Starting point is 00:16:47 That's the biggest one for me. Hollander, as I said, that's another big one. Rucker McGority. I want to see him have a more consistent effort. Avery Hayes as well, at least from the forwards. Elmo Zeroblom, I'll say the same thing, but he's been having a pretty good camp in preseason, as I've said. Tristan Brose, someone who I also want to see go out there and have a pretty good game pet.
Starting point is 00:17:07 I feel like he's been kind of forgotten about a little bit, if that's the word I should use when it comes to this camp and this preseason. I think he's behind all. a lot of these players in terms of the pecking order. But if he goes out there, has a really good game, that can potentially start changing things at least a little bit as we get to that final preseason game this upcoming weekend. So forward-wise, that's really what I'm watching for in this game.
Starting point is 00:17:33 I like all of that. I do think as we sit here getting ready for Thursday night's game, Hollander to me is the leading candidate in the clubhouse, so to speak, for that final spot. He has been really good. He's been really consistent. And I honestly wouldn't have thought that going into camp simply because coming back from an injury like a blood clot is really, really difficult. But this is a kid who has been playing extremely motivated.
Starting point is 00:18:02 He's been extremely good. And if I'm Dan Mews and Kyle Dubus, that's a guy I'm looking at going into the regular season as this is someone that I want to put on my. team. And I also agree with the Magrorty part of it that at this point, in no world has he been bad this camp. I think he's worked really hard. He's been fine. But he has not stood out enough for me to sit here and say, yeah, he should make the team. It doesn't mean that suddenly he's a bust. It doesn't mean suddenly I'm giving up on him. But I will say, I was expecting and hoping for more out of McGority in this camp, him being fully healthy, him having this opportunity. He's a little bit of a victim of a numbers game just because of the way that Dubus built
Starting point is 00:18:53 forward group this summer. But at the same time, you just sometimes need to say, damn the numbers game, I'm the guy, and he hasn't been able to do that. Meanwhile, not a lot on the back end. You've got really no regulars playing in this one. we still don't know who it'll be because they do have seven listed to be playings. There will be an extra. But we have an extra forward as well.
Starting point is 00:19:22 So there's going to be a scratch in there somewhere. Could be someone who we talked about that they may decide to scratch. We just have to see how that goes once they announced the morning escape. But yes, there's going to be one of the scratches for the defense. I don't even want to guess. I'm just going to wait to see for both, honestly. But I will say, of the players who are playing Livanovich, Solov, Graves, Pickering, Pitella, Brunick, and Jones.
Starting point is 00:19:48 If I had to put my money on it, I wouldn't be surprised if Graves is the scratch just because they know what they have in Ryan Graves. You don't need to see anything more from them. Everybody else, meanwhile, you do need to get a bit of a look at. I do think the one that I would probably be watching the most going into tonight's game, is Ilya Solov. Just because pickering in Brunich have been solid together, that is more than likely going to be Wokes Bears top pairing going into the season.
Starting point is 00:20:24 Siloviov, he's battling for that seventh, maybe eighth spot, depending upon who gets it. He's been okay this camp. I thought he did all right on Tuesday night. But at this point, he is somebody that I'm going to keep an eye on because he has, his moments last year after being acquired. And I do think as far as safety blanket, seventh defensemen go, you can do a lot worse. Yeah. And so all of you have in Livonavage were paired quite a bit during training camp. So I would also not be surprised if that is one of the
Starting point is 00:20:58 defensive pairs that we get along with Pickering and Brunic, who they've been attached to the hip and they play pretty well together. It might just come down to, you know, one of the others. You know, is it going to be Ryan Graves that gets scratched? Chase P. Etola. Sorry, Chase. I mispronounced your name the other day. Pat just did here as well. We apologize. Chase Pietta, someone who has also had his last name mispronounced, I get it. So I apologize on that.
Starting point is 00:21:23 And then Caleb Jones. We haven't really seen Caleb Jones too much as well during this camp and preseason. He'll be in Wilkesbury to start the year. I don't think he's going to get a roster spot like he did at the beginning of last season before. Then, of course, Patty got hurt and has the whole suspension to end the season and all that. But he's probably going to be Wilkesbury. So it's probably going to be. one of those few between Pietala, Jones, and Graves.
Starting point is 00:21:47 I don't want to guess who exactly it'll be. I'll just say, I'll tease this. I think it's one of those three, so we'll see. That's pretty much where I am as well. And you may have noticed we've left one piece of the discussion on the roster out, and that is the goaltenders. Because we got to have a conversation about preseason, about goaltending, and everybody taking a deep breath.
Starting point is 00:22:15 So stick with us. We are going to get into that when we come back right after this. We've got one more sponsor to get to, though, and it is a new friend at Talkatry. Mental health can be complicated, and sometimes getting support means more than just simply talking through what you're experiencing. Talkatry is a 100% online psychiatry practice
Starting point is 00:22:41 providing comprehensive evaluations, diagnoses and ongoing medical management for conditions like ADHD, anxiety, depression, and more. Unlike therapy-only platforms, talketry connects you with a medical provider who can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medication when appropriate. And with 800-plus clinicians in network with major insurers, getting psychiatric care can fit into the care you already have. Getting started is designed to be straightforward, complete with a short, online assessment, get matched with clinicians who fit your needs, and schedule your first visit
Starting point is 00:23:18 in just days. As someone who has experienced mental health issues and has gone to therapy, talketry is absolutely fantastic. They meet your needs. They pair you up with the right person. And like they say, it's more than just talking it out. They help you out. They give you a plan. and if medication is necessary, they get you connected with the right doctors who can get you what you need when you need it. Head to talkatory.com slash locked on NHL to complete the short assessment and get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. That's T-A-L-K-I-A-T-R-Y dot com slash locked-on NHL to get matched in minutes.
Starting point is 00:24:07 talketry.com slash locked on NHL. closing out the Thursday edition, a game day edition, preseason game day, I should say, of Locked on Penguins. I'm Patrick Damp. As always with me is Hunter Hodes. And the goaltenders for tonight's game will be Sergey Murshov and Colin Delia. Though it appears, Sergey Murshov will play the full 60. and we got to have a bit of a discussion again after our Wednesday episode.
Starting point is 00:24:47 Everybody take a breath, relax. It is preseason, and not only is it preseason, we have an 84 game regular season to go. You can't burn yourself out in the preseason. Yes, harder she loves was not good. on Tuesday night. Archer Shilovs was also playing in front of a team that was full of fringe players, full of the defense that he is not going to have in front of him this season.
Starting point is 00:25:21 And just because Sergey Murashav is going to play the full 60, the other thing that you should keep in mind for tonight is that when you look at the roster that is in front of Sergey Murashav tonight, this is a mostly HL and prospect. full roster. So this might not be the best night for Sergey Murshov. And if it turns out to not be that, once again, it's just preseason. See, that was like a nice, long, deep breath there. I don't think I've ever heard you do that on the pod. That was actually kind of funny. Follow in the talk at triad. I got to follow what I say because I get it. There are very
Starting point is 00:26:07 People like a Jedi now and just do like some like meditation stuff on like your app or something. That's what I'm a picture you doing that. And listen, I'll I'll shut my app here in a second and let you go, Hunter. But I get it. Like there have always been concerns with Archer Shilov's game. And a lot of the concerns that we have had about Arter Shilovs cropped up in Tuesday's game. But when you have the defense in front of him that he did, you're kind of asking him to steal a game. And whether or not he can do that, let's save that discussion for when we get to the regular season.
Starting point is 00:26:44 Right. And you know, you and I were pretty critical of him on our Wednesday episode. And we, it was still justified. Like, yes, it was preseason. We're not overreacting here. But we still felt we had to come on here and analyze how we played. And it was not very good. In no way, shape or form are we saying that he is cooked and he's just flat out like all. and that he's going to have some god awful regular season. We were just saying, hey, we expect better, and we hope that he will be better come next week when I still think he is probably going to be the penguin starting netminder when they play the Flyers in Philadelphia next Wednesday. And I've been saying all along, I just want him to be a bit more consistent during the regular season.
Starting point is 00:27:27 If he can do that, I would say it is a success, even with him playing really well in the playoffs. I just don't want to overreact. I think how we analyzed it was good. We went out there, said, didn't play well, these were the problems. We want him to work on it. And heck, maybe he might get the full game on Saturday to do it. There's a very real possibility that he does,
Starting point is 00:27:52 or at least half of it. I think he might get at least half of it, depending on what other goalie they put with him, whether it's Murashav or Blumquist. He should at least play half the game on Saturday, to be honest, because of how bad he played. but in no way are we saying that he's just cooked or anything like that. So just want to make that clear.
Starting point is 00:28:10 As for this game tonight, I would be shocked if Sergey Mershov does not play the entire game. He'll get at least half, but I think he's going to get the full game. And he deserves it, especially after the way he played in the first half of Monday's preseason game, stopping all the shots that he faced. I thought he was tested a little bit more in the first half of the second period. Depending on we're recording this again, Wednesday, I don't have the Columbus lineup in front of me right now, depending on who they play.
Starting point is 00:28:37 If they put more of the regulars out there, that'll be a really good test for him, even though the Penguins don't have a lot of the regulars playing. It'll still be a really solid, again, test for him because he'll be potentially playing against regulars. We'll see what type of lineup Columbus puts out there. But this is a big opportunity for him in general to really start getting ahead of Yo-L Blumquist,
Starting point is 00:28:58 maybe even more. Again, I still think Moroshov has a slight edge right now, eyes I expected him to have. But if he goes out there and has a really good performance tonight, I think that edge grows a little bit here. So you, you and me both. And the other,
Starting point is 00:29:13 the other part of it that I look at is I can almost copy paste in a way, what we said last year about Sergey Murshov and say it about Yowell Blumquist this year. While it would be nice for Blumquist to come in and blow everybody away and have an unbelievable camp and suddenly leap his way up the depth chart, he still has to pass that test of being the guy in Wilkes Bear this year. And I think the organization understands that. They like Blumquist, they want to see what they have in him, but they want to see what they have in him when he takes on the lion's share of starts for a season with the baby penguins.
Starting point is 00:29:57 They saw what they had in Murshov last year when they gave him that job. And he just soared with flying colors last year. He was unbelievable. I don't know if Blumquist has that same ceiling or that same potential. But if he can go to Wilkes Bear this year, spend the season in the HL, maybe get a few games here and there with the big club. He will. I'm pretty confident he's going to get some games up here this year.
Starting point is 00:30:25 You and me both. but if he can spend the vast majority of the year with the baby penguins as the starting goaltender play well enough to be among the top half or even top 10 of goalies in the a HL this year, that only helps him going into next year because we know that regardless of what your take or thought is on Arter Shilovs, he's going to be a UFA at the end of the year. So if they just want to be done with Arter Shilovs and let him go on his man. way and they roll with Murshov and Blumquist after Blumquist has a big year, they can do that. So I do think at the end of the day, the slight edge is to Murshov. He will get that spot.
Starting point is 00:31:09 But he has a big opportunity tonight to go out and show that he deserves that spot. I'm with you on that. And I'm excited to see what he can do. I should correct you. She loves RFA arbitration eligible after this upcoming season. He's a UFA. the year after that. So just wanted to make sure we have everything good to go with all the facts here because that's what we're here for. But I'm with you in general. It's a big opportunity for him.
Starting point is 00:31:37 I expect him to get the whole game. And even though this is not the starting defense that he'll be playing in front of when he likely starts the season with the Penguins, I still want to go out there and see what he can do. He played really well in the preseason last year in games like this, where he wasn't playing behind a lot of the NHL regulars defensively. I have an opportunity to do it again here and prove to the coaches that he deserves to be the other goaltender on the roster because let's be real bad.
Starting point is 00:32:07 I saw some takes saying like, oh, I don't know. They could start the season with Marischoff and Blumquist. Guys, I would be flat out very stunned if they went into the year with two goalies with not a lot of NHL experience. I think she loves, despite his poor effort in that one preseason game, is 100% making the team and the battle is still down to sergey marosha or yole blumquiz i just saw too much of that and i feel like just had to nip that in the bud because i mean i'd be flat out shocked if rdhaelves did not make this team i don't know that'd be weird honestly yeah that would
Starting point is 00:32:43 be extremely weird extremely weird but penguins and blue jackets tonight at seven o'clock at nationwide arena unfortunately here in pittsburgh it will not be on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Blue Jackets, they do usually stream their preseason games on their website. So keep an eye on that. If they don't, 105.9 the X, the Penguins app, you can find the game there. But that is going to do it for the Thursday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Hunter and I will be back on Friday to recap this game and get you set for the preseason finale on Saturday as well as cover any other news that might happen between now and then. But for Hunter Hodes, I am Patrick Damp.
Starting point is 00:33:32 Thank you as always for tuning in. We will talk to you once again on Friday.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.