Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Three Penguins forwards continuing to push for final roster spots!

Episode Date: October 1, 2024

The preseason battle for the last roster spot or two is heating up and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon! Hunter and Patrick discuss how Jesse Puljujjarvi, Valtteri Puustinen, and Cody Glass are all showing that they belong on the opening night roster, but who is going to win out? Will this go all the way until the end? After that, they discuss some of the other standout performances from this game, including Drew O'Connor, Lars Eller, and Noel Acciari. They dive into how DOC has taken the top six job and run with it during the preseason while giving Eller and Acciari their flowers for how they played. Finally, they get you set for the Penguins' third preseason game in three days on Tuesday as they'll play the Red Wings once again.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelPlace your first FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - guaranteed ! Visit 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), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There is a big time battle brewing for the Penguins forward group, and it's going to lead to some very tough decisions for Mike Sullivan and Kyle Dubus. Hunter and I are going to talk about all that and more on this edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Your Locked-on Penguins, your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello, and welcome back to another edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Patrick Damp. You can follow me on Twitter at Synonym 4Wet.

Joined as always by my incredible co-host, the one and only Hunter Hodes. You can follow him on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. You can give our show's account a follow at L.O. underscore Penguins. And of course, we appreciate you making this part of your daily routine. Don't forget that we are free and available wherever you get your podcasts, as well as YouTube. And before we dive in today, today's episode is brought to

to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code locked on NHL for $20 off of your first purchase. So Hunter, a great performance from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night, getting a five to one victory over the Detroit Red Wings. And before we talk about the game as a whole, we got to dive right into this because it's a discussion that you and I have been having for multiple episodes at this point. And it's the fact that there is a serious battle brewing for the Penguins forward group right now. And it's between three players. It is between Baltari Pustin, Yessie Pooley-R-V, and Cody Glass.

And again last night, they have not risen their stock or pulled away at all. And I don't say that in a negative way because all three of them so far for the last week have been checking in with fantastic. fantastic performances in really making a case to be on the opening night roster. Now, the one thing that we do have to add, the caveat we have to add to this, is that, yes, it is preseason. There are a lot of factors that we have to consider. And that's one on both ends of the ice, whether it's your own team or your opponent, a lot of players that are not going to be on an NHL roster in about a week or so.

they're either going to be back to juniors, they're going to be sent to the minor leagues, and so on. Also, one of the bigger factors, it is preseason. There are no real stakes other than figuring out who's going to be on your roster. There's no standings points involved. The competition is a little bit lesser because you're not playing at full strength. So you don't want to overweight these performances. But as you and I always say, when you're watching preseason hockey, you're not watching it to

see who wins and who loses. You're seeing, you're watching it to see who stands out, who doesn't, who's making improvements, and who is making a case to be on the roster. And in the case of Houston and Puyarvi in Glass, at this point, I don't know what Kyle Dubus and Mike Sullivan are going to decide here because at this point, it feels like there is no wrong decision right now because all three of them have been making serious cases to be on this team's roster when they open up next week against the Rangers. Yeah, I do not envy Sullivan or Dubus at all right now because this is very, very close in terms of who is going to get that last spot in the top 12 or the last, honestly,

two spots overall. A night after Cody Glass goes out there and has another really good preseason game, you see the same thing with Yassie Poo-Yarvey yet again after getting the hat trick. he has a really nice assist on one of Achari's goals last night. Great job by him to go in there, forecheck along the boards. Pin is a defender to the boards as well. The Fox is able to go around. He's able to get it back up at the point.

And then it leads to Achari getting the goal right in front of the net. It was just a beautiful play overall from Puyarvi and shows how good he is still as a forechecker and as a playmaker. Yes, I understand it is the preseason. But that was a really nice play from him overall. And then you have Voluntary Pustin, a really nice assist on Drew O'Connor's goal last night, just threaded the needle beautifully with that pass. And that was, I felt, Pustin's best game of the preseason to date.

I was kind of waiting for, again, I'll keep saying it on the show, that quote-unquote wow moment, and I got it last night from Puston. He is very much involved in this competition. And I really don't know which way it's going to go right now. This is one of the better competitions that I can recall in recent memory for the Penguins training camp, at least for the bottom six forwards. And this is going to go down until the very end, like the end of this week, honestly. The margins are so close. I don't think any one of these three players have pulled away. In all honestly, they're kind of just trading haymakers with one another.

I'm going to have a great game. No, I'm going to have a great game. No, I'm going to have a great game and show the coaching staff that I deserve to be on the open night roster. And I just love that these young players are going at it and trying to show the coaching staff and the front office that they deserve to be on this team come next week when this team opens the season against the Rangers. It's a lot of fun to see and you're going to see it again tonight too. I also thought Rucker McGroorty had another really good game last night. And so I still think he is also at least a little bit involved. I thought Ponomera also had a good game last night. It's the empty net goal a little later. So again, I continue to be just what's the word I'm

looking for excited. I would say impressed or excited. And to build upon what you're saying about them, you know, just proverbially trading haymakers for making their case to make the roster, I think at this point from an intangible standpoint when you're looking at it, this is what you want from a team like this, where they are at this point in their franchise. you want to have a group of guys who are just going to show you night after night that if you put me in the lineup, I'm going to play well and I'm going to compete and I'm going to

do everything I can to make this team succeed. And we haven't really had that for the last few years. The roster has pretty much been set from start to finish, from the opening of camp to the end of camp. You get a few surprises, a few guys who stand out and you think, oh, you know what, maybe later this season, that guy could be an option. But right now, you're looking at a roster that has, like we've been saying, three guys who I don't think there's a wrong decision here. You know, I know a lot of people really love the potential of Valteri Pustinen, myself among them, but you look at the way Paul Yarvey's been playing. You look at the way Glass has been playing.

and I don't think it would be the worst decision to choose one of the two of them over Pustin and vice versa. I don't think it would be the worst thing if Baltary Pustin and won the job. But I think at this point you're looking at it like we have three guys who can very much fit on to this NHL roster. I understand that people don't want to lose Pustin to waivers. I don't either. I think that would be definitely a bit annoying if they did. But he's still got to go out there and beat out pull Yarvey. glass who aren't making it easy on him. They're also playing their tails off trying to make this

team. So again, it's good for competition. Again, I don't want to lose him to waivers either. I liked what he did last year. And I also know that he still needs to beat out these other two players at least who are also having really good camps and preseason. It's good. They are. And we're going to get more into some of the individual performances in the second segment because there are a lot of them to talk about once again, but we wanted to get that big three-person battle out of the way right away because, again, great performances from all three over the past couple of days. The couple other things that I noticed last night was one, Drew O'Connor's first goal, power play goal, and again, it's what you and I have been saying this power play is missing.

There was puck movement, there was body movement, and they worked it to the point where, yes, great pass by Valteri Pustin and to set up that goal, but that is the exact mismatch you're looking for, where you have him coming out of the corner, he sees the mismatch to where Drew O'Connor's in front, and you can make that play because you moved the puck and you moved around long enough to where you opened up that option. We rarely saw that last year where guys just went to a spot.

They stood there, like you have said, they played patty cake with the puck, and the defenders just went, If you want to have the perimeter, the perimeter is all yours and we're just going to bleed this clock out until the penalty is killed. And along with that, it goes into also what you were saying about Paul Jarvie's forecheck. I'm seeing a nice little adjustment here from Mike Sullivan in the way he's putting his forwards out there, the way he is executing this forecheck because it's reminiscent of the two Stanley Cups in that it's, a relentless forecheck, but instead of it being all gas, no breaks, it's more methodical.

They're getting through the neutral zone. They're taking what the defenders give them. And once they put it into the offensive zone, they are relentless on the puck. They are putting the defenders under duress right away. They're making them make decisions. And rather than it being a, we're going to possess the puck and we're going to hold on to the puck and make you come get it, they're full. flipping that on its head and making it so we're going to make the defenders screw up

and then we're going to take advantage of them screwing up or coughing up the puck. And that is a really encouraging sign to me. And in turn, where was that goal score, Pat? Just ask. Right in front. Yep. Right in front of the net. More net front play, which is what we both have been asking for for this new look power

play throughout camp in the preseason. David Quinn has very much, at least in my opinion, put an emphasis. on that to every single power play unit. Got to have someone right there to clean up the loose change or to just have someone there for, you know, not even cleaning up loose change, just to be like that Chris Crider type player where you can get deflection just goals in front,

et cetera, et cetera. And you've seen that throughout the preseason. You know, Crosby, he's been right around the front of the net. You've seen bunting there. Now you saw Drew O'Connor there. And we'll get to Drew O'Connor a little bit more in the second segment off of his ridiculous pass to Lars Eller, earlier in the game.

But that's still something that I will continue to be happy about. More net front play is very much a positive for me on the power play. Yeah. And that again is the one last thing I'll add before we throw to break here, is that the Penguins did something last night that I think they're, and this is going to sound painfully obvious, I know, but something that will lead to success for them this season. They won the special teams battle.

their power play goes one for three. They kill off five of the six penalties they took. Now, they got to clean up the penalties. You cannot take six penalties in a game once we start playing for real here. But the fact that they go five for six on the PK, one for three on the power play, that's an encouraging sign. If you're going to win the special teams battle, most nights, you are going to win the game. Right.

100%. And you need, again, both units to at least be. I would say average throughout the season. I mean, you can get by with one unit being good and one unit kind of being below average, but you can't get by with both units just being below average to flat out terrible. In a perfect world, I want both units above average, you know, maybe even in the top 10, but that's maybe a little bit optimistic, but I don't want both units being in the tank overall. No, you really don't. And last thing real quick here, I will say this. In the Mike Sullivan era, the Penguins have always had a. sneaky good penalty kill. Yes. And I think that is also going to continue into this year just because of what we were talking about.

So it needs to be a bit more aggressive, but that is very true. With the battle they have brewing here for the forward group, that's going to help the penalty kill because that is a way to make your mark and make the roster. But we're going to keep the discussion going on last night's preseason victory. We're going to dive a little bit more into the individual performances that we liked last night and a little bit more. But we will do that when we come back. right after this.

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I'm Patrick Damp. That's Hunter Hodes. And we're going to keep the discussion rolling here on last night's 5-1 victory for the penguins over the Detroit Red Wings. who they will see once again tonight for another game, but we'll preview that a little bit later. Let's kick it off with one of the players that you and I have had our eye on pretty much all summer long, and that's Rutger McGroarkey. And I kind of said this yesterday about a guy like Owen Pickering,

about a guy like Harrison Brunich. He's checking a lot of the boxes that he needs to check. He was very involved in the game last night. had an assist. He was relentless on the forecheck, which I really like to see. That's always kind of something that worries you with a younger prospect. Are they going to get involved? Are they going to be a little bit more, a little less physical than you would like

just because they're getting used to the NHL game? But that has not appeared to be an issue with Rutger McGority. But I will say this. In a same vein as guys like Pickering and Brunich, I don't think he's quite ready to make the jump. to the NHL roster. I will say, again, the way I have been viewing his preseason is this. He looks like he's ready to be an NHL player, but they don't want him to be on the third

line, on the fourth line, sometimes a healthy scratch. They want him to play. And I think at this point, combine it with another guy we're going to talk about here in a little bit, Drew O'Connor, he probably isn't going to end up on one of those top two lines yet. So you tell him, hey, listen, first couple months, you're going to Wilkes-Bair, but you are going to be on the top line, you're going to be on the top power play. Your development is best served to play 15, 16, 17, 18 minutes a night, score a bunch of points. And when you get the call, you're getting the call.

You're not just coming up to have a cup of coffee. You're coming up, you're staying up, and you're playing. Right. And we discussed that a little bit during the Monday episode. that if that does happen and he gets sent to Wilkesbury and he starts lighting it up down there to start the season and eventually does get the call, it's probably going to be for the rest of the season.

I don't think you're going to see them alternating him between Wilkesbury and the main roster, just because I think that's going to stall his development a little bit. You've got to get the development part right. If he doesn't make the opening night roster of the Penguins, it's not the end of the world. He'll get playing time, a whole bunch of it, in Wilkesbury on the top line with whoever Wilkesbury decides to put him with overall.

That said, I will say his underlying numbers again were really good in this game against the Red Wings, almost 11 minutes of five on five ice time. When he was on the ice, the Penguins had about 50% of the shot attempts. They also had a 77.5% expected goals for rate, eight scoring chances for four, four scoring chances against, two goals for, no goals against on the ice. Also, five high danger chances for one high danger chance again. His underlying numbers throughout the preseason have also been excellent as a whole. And that's what you want to see from your top prospect.

You want to see him playing well in these preseason games and giving Mike Sullivan and Kyle Dubas a lot to think about. And I'm sure, again, that they are very much considering him for a spot on the main team for this season. But you have to get it right. As you said, you don't want him playing seven, eight minutes tonight. I don't really think that's going to do anything. if you have him on the third line, I don't think that's the end of the world, especially if you give him 12, 13 minutes a game.

But if you don't want to do that and you want to have him to start in Wilkesbury where he's getting top line minutes and he's producing, I'm also totally fine with that because I also think that will help his development as a whole. I think no matter what they should get this situation, right?

I have faith in them to get this right. So we'll just have to see with only a few more pre-seasy games remaining. But again, I still think he's, He's had a really good camp. Will it be enough? We'll have to see, but he still had a good camp. Drew O'Connor was also great in that preseason game against the Red Wings.

I mean, that pass to Lars Eller comes down the right side in the offensive zone, just kind of pulls up. It looked like he almost fired a no look past to Elear. Like he knew Elear was going to be right there, and then Ellerh finishes it off. Really nice finish there from Eller, by the way. Achari gets two goals. We've been talking a lot about the younger players on this show, making run at it. Let's not forget about the veterans.

I mean, Achari and Eller both show. knowing that, you know, they also, you know, deserve to have roster spots in the bottom section. I expect, you know, Achari, he's going to be on this team, of course, bearing a trade. And Eller, same thing, borrowing a trade. I expect him on this roster as well. I know throughout the offseason, when they were acquiring all these wards, I was like, okay, something's going to have to give here with the trade. Now with almost a week to go, I'm not so sure that's going to happen.

They might just play the waiver wire game at this point. But again, long way to go. We'll have to see. but it's good to see the veterans in the bottom six also playing well in preseason games. This is also the part of making the team younger that doesn't get discussed as much because we're all guilty of it. You and I are guilty of it. Fans are guilty of it. You get these younger players, these shiny new toys and you think, oh, we're going to plug them right into the lineup and they're going to play.

But there's another value there for it. The other value is that they are going to push the veterans because, they're going to have to look over their shoulder. They're going to have to know that there's a guy waiting in Wilkes Bear or there's a guy they brought in this offseason who not only wants my job, but could take my job. So guys like Eller, guys like Achari, they have to step up their game and they have to show that they still belong on an NHL roster because there's somebody now realistically, not just, hey, there's a prospect we like because it's a barren system that we want to play just because they're young.

These are guys who can come in and theoretically take their jobs. So that doesn't get discussed as much when you talk about getting this team younger because it's going to push those veterans to raise their level and show that they still should be on an NHL roster. As for DOC, I mean, what an absolute development success this is for the Penguins. You look at some of the plays he made last night away from just scoring a goal and getting that great assist for Lars Eller's shorthanded goal. You can see that he is becoming more comfortable with being a top six player. There were times a couple years ago where he would make the very simple play, whether it's put it deep or just fire the puck on net, or he would get the puck off his stick a second or two sooner. and now he looks like a player who is, for all intents and purposes,

to keep the theme going, saying, you're going to have to pry me out of this top six with your cold dead, off my cold dead hands because he played so well last night in the last couple of games that he now looks like a player who has solidified himself as a top six winger on this team. I think he's locked it up. I know there's eight days to go until the opening game against the Rangers, but I think right now he has locked up that spot and I'm not sure he's going to give it up over these next eight days. I don't expect him to with the way he's playing right now.

And I expect big things from him again this year. After almost getting 20 goals this past season, I expect him to hit the 20 goal mark this year, especially if he's with Crosby the entire season. I think he definitely will hit somewhere in the range of 20 to 25 goals. Maybe he gets, you know, 50 to 55 points. But I expect big things out of DOC this year with the way he developed. last year, I think it's going to continue this year. It's been really fun to see him develop into a good NHL player.

I mean, when he first came to this team, he looked like an AHL-E-C-H-L player, excuse me, right when he first came here. And then, fast-forward a few years, he's looking like a top option to play on Cindy Crossley's wing, if not the top option to play on Crossley's wing. Again, I don't expect him to give it up. So it's been a lot of fun seeing him develop over these. last few seasons. It's been great. And one last quick note before we had to break and get you set for game three in three days for the Penguins tonight against Red Wings. Alex Nadelcovic did leave the game

a few minutes into the first period with what Mike Sullivan has described as a lower body injury that's being evaluated. Joe L. Blumquist took over him for him. Great performance from him. Stops 20 of 21. Had a couple of absolutely marvelous saves, which you love to see from him. bouncing back from a very rough start in the Penguins first preseason game against Buffalo. So we will see what happens with Ned and what happens moving forward. But let's not forget the way this team played against the Red Wings regulars in that game. They outclass them in every way. And yeah, again, I know.

It's preseason. I mean, I saw Patrick Kane take a one-timer look like it was going 30 miles an hour. He did not look like he gave a damn out there about that game. And neither did any of the other Red Wings regulars. but it was still cool to see a team full of, you know, some HL players, some players fighting for spots to go out there and beat the Red Wings regulars overall. Hopefully the Penguins regulars don't have that happen to them tonight, but it was still at least good to see, I think.

Yeah, for sure. And we will preview that game when we come back for the final segment of the Tuesday edition of the Locked on Penguins podcast. But before we do that, we're going to tell you about our next sponsor. and that is game time. We're in the absolute best part of the sports calendar. NHL season gets going next week. The NBA right around the corner, college football in full swing,

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welcome back to the locked on penguins podcast. I'm Patrick Damp. That's Hunter Hodes. And if you like hockey, buddy, these last three days have been just fantastic because our cup runneth over. For the third straight day,

the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to play a preseason game. We've got another matchup with the Detroit Red Wings tonight at PPG Paints Arena. And as Hunter was saying, just before we went to break there, last night, saw a lot of the guys who were battling for spots, a lot of the minor league guys.

Tonight, we're going to see a lot more of the regulars from our pal Matt Vensel. These were the lines at morning skate. Sidney Crosby, centering Brian Rust and Anthony Bavillier, Evgeny Malkin, centering Ricard Raquel and Michael Bunting.

We've got Hayes, centering Glass and Magrory. Ponomerev, centering Gruden and Coivinen. And on defense, we've got Matt Grisleck, Chris Latang, Marcus Pedersen, Harrison, Brunich, Owen Pickering, and Clerman on the third pair. So a lot of regulars here tonight, and there was one that stood out to you that once I saw these lines stood out to me as well. It's got nothing to do with forwards, even though we've been focusing on forwards.

It's on defense. Marcus Pedersen and Harrison Brunick. Now, some of that is the continued recovery of Eric Carlson, who, according to our pal Rob Rossi at the athletic, did skate today, appears to be making some progress. We don't know how much. We'll keep an eye on that. But Harrison Brunich getting another shot and not just getting put on the third pairing to get some looks. He's going to get some serious looks tonight next to Marcus Patterson. And we also should say that Mike Sullivan confirmed Rossi's report, spoke to the media,

day. He said Eric Carlson is gated, said he had a really good day on the ice, so he is making some progress. So that is good news with eight days to go until the first game of regular season. Hopefully he will be ready over the next week to play when the regular season starts next week. Again, good news there. But yes, Harrison Brunick getting another look with Marcus Pereson. And I think I speak for you with this as well. I think we're both still skeptical that Brunick is going to get a nine-game trial with the Penguins to open this season. I mean, I don't think Anyone was going to see that coming or has seen or was going to see Brunick getting this much of a runway, I think, with Pedersen in training camp in the preseason.

But it is interesting that he continues to get more looks with Pedersen. At least to me, they're potentially thinking about it depending on Carlson's health. And with the way that Brunick has played throughout camp in the preseason, why not give him another shot out there with Pedersen to see what. he can do with the lineup full of regulars. I thought outside of that opening goal against the Senators, he was great against Ottawa, great in all three zones. He's been great throughout the preseason as a whole.

He loves having the puck on his stick. He's really solid in his own zone. He's way ahead of schedule at this point, which is all you can ask for. I still think, and I know you agree, it's way more likely that he returns to junior before the regular season starts. But they're at least. kind of maybe thinking about a small trial, especially if Carlson isn't ready to go next week,

but I still don't think he's going to get it as of this time. That said, if he goes out there, plays his tail off, has another really good game, I might start to change my opinion a little bit on that and be like, okay, maybe there is a small chance that he gets a trial to open the season. But they're definitely, at least to me, considering it a little bit,

if he's continuing to get minutes with Marcus Patterson. Yeah, and I think the health of Pedersen is the big question mark for Harrison. Of course. I think if he is good to go come opening night, I think they'll send him back to Junior. But if he's not, I could definitely see him maybe getting a little bit of a look in the regular season just to see what they have here when the games get real. And while they wait for Carlson to be available. that said, if Carlson is available to start the regular season, they probably send him back and it's not even an indictment on him.

He has played very well and not at all looked out of place, but he would just be a victim of a numbers game just because it would make things very messy to bring him into the fold and burn a year of his ELC, just with where their salary cap is, where their contract numbers are. and then you add in how many defensemen they have vying for spots, you don't want to put him in a position where you give him his ELC, you keep him on the club,

but you can't send him down to the minors, and that just completely handcuffs his development. So a lot of that for me really is contingent on what happens with Eric Carlson, but very curious, see what he does tonight in an elevated role. Again, another thing I want to see keeping an eye on the defense is, I think there's something there with Grizzlic Latang. I think that could be a very solid pairing. I thought they were very good at Hockeyville together.

And I want to see what they do again tonight at PPG Paints Arena. So very curious, see what happens there. Other than that, I mean, you just want to see the regulars have some jump in their step like they did against Ottawa. You want to see them show that, hey, we're still good to go. We still got it here. And then as for the bottom six, they got to make contributions. tonight. It's another opportunity for Glass to show that he wants to be on the roster. And then outside of that, you just want to see overall this forward group find some

cohesion and look like they're ready to go going into the regular season. And did over McGority as well. It's another opportunity for him to show that he could potentially make this team out of camp. He's playing with Kevin Hayes and Cody Glass. It looks like based off the Lions, which is a fascinating third line overall. I'll be curiously how he does with Kevin Hayes. and glass together. We all know what the second line is. We all know that's going to be the second line to start the regular season. I want to see just more chemistry with those three overall. And with Anthony Bovilliers. I don't think Bovilliers has been talked enough about during the

preseasoning camp. I actually think he's had a really good camp in preseason to date. And I do think if injuries arise during the regular season, you could see Bovillier playing with Crosby and Rust at times. It's no secret why Sullivan put Bovillier in Crosby together, at least to start a camp, because he wanted those two to build some chemistry together. Well, you're going to see it again tonight potentially. And I like the makings of that line just if they have no other choice but to use it. I think is my way of looking at it. You know, you got to have Crosby build chemistry with other players in case injuries arise. That's the case here, I think, with Bavilliers, because I don't think he's obviously going to start

the season in the top six. And then with Pondamara, he had a really good game on Monday. I want to see that continue tonight. And I also am excited to get another glimpse of Covenant. I don't think he's ready to make the team at this point, but I do think he's going to be a good player in Wilkesbury this year. And I'm excited to see what he can do with the regulars tonight. For Bavillier, you can see that there is something there as a good depth option to move up in case of injury or underperformance.

A lot of jump in his step plays the kind of game that usually meshes well with Sidney Crosby. so there could be something there. Very curious to see what he does tonight. But that is probably going to do it here for the Tuesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Penguins and Red Wings at PPG Paints Arena tonight at 7 o'clock. You can catch that on SportsNet, Pittsburgh, as well as 105-9, if you're not in the area

and you want to listen in. But that is going to do it for Hunter and I on this edition of Locked-on Penguins. We'll be back tomorrow with a recap of the game and anything else that may have. happen between now and then in training camp. But for now, for Hunter Hodes, I am Patrick Damp. Thank you, as always, for tuning in. And we'll be back in your ears with a new episode on Wednesday.