Penguins development camp Wrap up

Penguins development camp Wrap up

8:16am - Sunday, July 18th, 2010 by DePaoli

Development Camp Wrap up

Photo: David Hague - Inside Pittsburgh Sports

The Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 development camp in the books. A group of 25+ prospects went through five days of off-ice workouts, meetings, team building exercises and four on-ice sessions.

Members of the Penguins hockey operations staff called the camp a success.

Day 5 of the camp concluded with a three period scrimmage.

Among the standouts in the camp were top prospects Eric Tangradi and Simon Despres along with Dustin Jeffrey, Keven Veilleux, Alex Smigelski, Zack Sill and Brian Strait.

Scrimmage Recap

Black Team: Top two lines and D-Pairs

1st Line | Tangradi - Veilleux - Smigelski

2nd Line | Hanowski - Sill - Thompson

Strait - Grant

Velischek - Rogalski/Lamb

Gray Team: Top two lines and D-Pairs

1st Line | Jeffrey - Pierro Zabotel - Bennett/Petersen

2nd line | Hadadd - Gibbons - Kuehnhackl

D-Pairs: Despres - Bortuzzo

McNeil - Sneep

Scoring Summary

1. Zack Sill - Black Team

1. Joey Hadadd - Gray Team

2. Nick Petersen - Gray Team (game winner in third period)

Player evaluations and observations

*Center Zack Sill (6-0, 200) was among the standouts in the scrimmage. Drove to the net hard and created a number of excellent scoring chances throughout the game. Score the lone goal for the black team off the rush and used his speed very well to the outside.

Sill, 22, appeared in 54 games last season with Wilkes Barre.

*The offensive skills of 2010 1st round pick Beau Bennett were on display earlier in the week but the talented winger struggled in Saturday's scrimmage. He made a nice set up on a 2-on-1 opportunity in the second period but was very quiet for the most part.

His lack of strength and ability to get knocked off the puck was highly noticeable. He struggled winning puck battles in the corners and got caught with his head down a few times in the neutral zone.

Tremendous offensive skill but he's at least three years away which has been the consensus among scouts since the Penguins drafted the 6-foot-1, 173 pound forward.

*Undrafted free agent Alex Smigelski (6-2, 195) had an excellent camp and didn't hurt himself one bit in Saturday's scrimmage on trying to earn a contract. Smigelski has excellent speed to the outside and had a very strong first period, creating a lot of early chances with Eric Tangradi and Keven Veilleux.

Based on a few conversations with Pens' officials this week, it would be surprising if Smigelski doesn't earn a contract. Pens' scouts liked him coming into the camp.

*2006 third round pick Brian Strait is a player I believe that will play 8-to-10 years in the NHL. Carl Sneep, the team's 2nd round pick in 2006, might be the more talented player but Strait has all the qualities of a defensive defenseman who will have a regular role in the NHL.

*Top defenseman prospect Robert Bortuzzo did not have a good camp in the eyes of team evaluators I spoke with Saturday afternoon. However, the Penguins love where his development is at this point.

*2010 fourth round pick Tom Kuehnhackl got better as the camp went on. He's not a player whose going to stand out in skilled drills but he did some good things in Saturday's scrimmage.

He's a smart two way player with good instincts in the defensive zone. Kuehnhackl was excellent off the boards on the breakout chipping the puck out of the zone or finding a streaking centerman for an outlet pass.

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Comments

rkrichter

Good stuff D. I really wanted to go to the scrimmage, but couldn't find anyone to go with. Everyone was so god damn busy. Oh well.

07/18/2010 9:13am

Chancebd7

i was trying to go to at least one practice, but had to work everyday but thursday. The only day they were off. my luck

07/18/2010 9:31am

LeMagnifique

D, is there a player that we can compare despres too? I have heard he is a defensive guy with some offensive skills and vice versa. i guess he could be a letang type but i was wondering if you (or anyone else who has had an extensive look at despres) to give a player comparison

07/18/2010 9:56am

hockeytim

D, if Depres is NHL ready as early as 2011-12, who's place on the blueline do you see him replacing. I know it's really early to even think about it, but we now have such a solid group, I wonder where he would fit in. He sounds like the type of player who will fit in well with Bylsma's system.

07/18/2010 11:47am

dynamicduo

Letang or Gogo will be traded next offseason

07/18/2010 12:04pm

Izzomr

they will trade excess defensemen at trading deadline for a impact winger could even be depres they are set at defense so you can use this chip to get a young talented winger from another organization

07/18/2010 12:16pm

jeffed

D, how's the depth at goalie looking? After Johnson is there another goalie that we can count on if we have some injury issues?

07/18/2010 2:11pm

hockeytim

Dymanicduo - I would lean more towards Gogo since his contract will be up that same year.

07/18/2010 2:50pm

hockeytim

Actually 2011-12 is Gogo's last year on his contract.

07/18/2010 2:56pm

djmr66

There is no way they keep GoGo over Depres...Guy will end up being 6'4" 225 who can move and play both sides of the ice...he is a guy IMO who will anchor the D for years to come after next year...

07/18/2010 3:53pm

jeffed

Despres seems like the real deal, lets hope he pans out, that's all we can really do. He won't be moved for a winger, he's here to stay.

07/18/2010 4:02pm

dynamicduo

Hoping that Gogo continues to develop on both sides of the puck, I think the best option would to eventually move Letang and his $3.5 mill price tag per year. He could eventually be replaced by Despres and a rookie contract under a million for the first 3 years. I would love to see Letang moved for Neil in one year

07/18/2010 4:10pm

dow5020

so i just read that Billy Sweatt will become a free agent on August 15th...i would love to see Shero take a chance on him

07/18/2010 4:15pm

jeffed

I think it will be Despres replacing Gogo, who is apparently a hot commodity. I don't see them taking a step back defensively to keep around Gogo.

07/18/2010 4:16pm

dirtmccurt

Why would we move a 1st pairing guy for a rookie? Seems like gogo and his 3rd line role is much easier to replace

07/18/2010 4:19pm

dynamicduo

I'm saying that if Gogo develops into a viable two way guy then I think it makes Letang expendable based on his salary being twice of what Gogo's is and he certainly isn't twice the player. Move Gogo into a top four role pending on his defensive game, and ease Despres into a 5/6 role

07/18/2010 4:55pm

hockeytim

If Gogo was twice the player he would already be in the top 4 role. It was his first full NHL season, but he is 2 years older than Letang and it took him that much longer to get to the NHL level. Shero doesn't sign players to long term contracts unless he considers them core players.

07/18/2010 5:04pm

dirtmccurt

IMO, if gogo doesn't improve his defensive game, he needs to be putting up 60 points for me to even think about moving Letang over him.

07/18/2010 5:08pm

dirtmccurt

Keep in mind that Letang is also our 2nd highest checking defensemen

07/18/2010 5:09pm

jpaha

in ur scenario, if Gogo would develop like u said, then that would mean that he would be in line for a payday just like Letang's and i'd much rather have Tanger than Gogo if all things were equal

07/18/2010 5:14pm

wolfman

Letang will always be twice as good as Gogo, no matter how much he develops.

07/18/2010 5:48pm

CM2005

Gog has played over 125 NHL games, his grace period is over. He either steps up next year, or he'll be traded at the deadline. My opinion.

07/18/2010 5:52pm

dirtmccurt

My opinion as well CM. We're probably gonna play Despres for the first 5-10 games to judge where he's at. If he looks good, and gogo doesn't significantly improve, gogo will be gone

07/18/2010 6:07pm

jeffed

Give it 10 mins before Dsig and Jeff2266 are in here raving about his potential.

07/18/2010 6:08pm

jeffed

Did you guys know that Gogo was a +7 last year? That's amazing!

07/18/2010 6:09pm

dirtmccurt

My only fear is that his value my drop from where its at now if we wait till the TD

07/18/2010 6:10pm

CM2005

I'm nto a Gogo hater either...but I feel he's had PLENTY of time to bulk up and address his game to adapt to best suit this team. He's a valuable trade commodity, and if he hasn't upp'ed his game, he'll be traded. he has unique tools and skills, but eh also has some noticeable flaws that have cost the Pens games. He has the POTENTIAL to be really good. When he first came up he was playing great, then his game went backwards. IMO. Lovejoy and Depres are solid, and not afraid to use the body.

07/18/2010 6:13pm

jeffed

I just think that the idea of moving Letang in order to keep Gogo and make room for Despres is off base. Letang is 100x more physical than Gogo and is a top pairing guy, he may not be now considering who was signed, but he's still pretty solid. Gogo is no more than a 5th or 6th defensman on this team right now and I don't know if that will ever change. If he's a hot commodity on the trade market and you have guys that you believe can come in and replace him, you move him and not think twice about it.

07/18/2010 6:16pm

CM2005

Dirt- I agree. But I think if he's traded it will be to a WC team, with a different style of play. My idea is that the EC teams, especially inter-divisional teams are bulking up and looking for bigger-stronger-tougher defensemen. Lovejoy, Depres, Engelland are all more physical then Gogo is. But maybe he hit the gym in the offseason. With his skating ability, he should be able to be pretty solid on his skates. This first 10 games will help tell a lot... Gogo doesn't have to smash and bang like Orpik or Letang, but he's got to take the shot when it's on his stick.

07/18/2010 6:19pm

CM2005

Jeffed- Exactly spot on. IMO, Gogo has regressed.

07/18/2010 6:20pm

jeffed

It's pretty obvious that his game regressed during last year, if they didn't add Martin and Michalek then he would still probably be in a top 4 role, but he's not now and I don't see how he possibly gets back into that role even with a good year. I'm not rooting against the guy at all, I'd love for him to live up to half of his potential, but the top four is pretty solid and set IMO. With Despres waiting in the wings it will be very interesting to see what they do, but I think Gogo will be the odd man out, not Letang.

07/18/2010 6:29pm

dsig41

The D that gets moved will be likely based more on cotract than talent.

07/18/2010 8:56pm

dsig41

*contract

07/18/2010 8:56pm

jeffed

I don't see them taking a step back defensively just to move some salary, esp when its not necessary whatsoever.

07/18/2010 9:16pm

dsig41

They only have 5 forwards signed for 11-12. There is also a possibility of the cap going down. Even the cap stays the same, or goes up a few, there still may be a possiblity of a car crunch.

07/18/2010 9:20pm

dsig41

*cap

07/18/2010 9:20pm

dirtmccurt

Did you actually look to see who's leaving? We can easily replace those guys from within, cheaper than they were.

07/18/2010 9:28pm

jeffed

The cap won't be going down, there is almost no chance of that. There is talk of it happening, but it won't IMO. Do you think it will be that hard to replace the guys that are leaving? A couple of them are overpaid anyway. Dupuis is one that comes to mind. He's a valuable player but he makes too much money IMO.

07/18/2010 9:31pm

dsig41

The Pens aren't willing to fill one spot from within this season, but you want them to fill out the entire roster with cheaper options.

07/18/2010 9:32pm

jeffed

Which spot are you talking about this year?

07/18/2010 9:33pm

dirtmccurt

everyone leaving is a bottom 6 player, why do we even have people in the minors then?

07/18/2010 9:35pm

dirtmccurt

How the fuck are we going to replace Rupp or Adams? LOL

07/18/2010 9:36pm

jeffed

He's just trying to make an argument as to why keeping his man Gogo around makes more sense than keeping around an actual defenseman in Letang.

07/18/2010 9:38pm

jeffed

Rupp and Adams can be back if they want to, if not, its' not going to be the end of the franchise. They'll survive.

07/18/2010 9:38pm

dirtmccurt

The 6 forwards we have leaving: Dupuis, Talbot, Kennedy, Rupp, Godard, Adams. Talbot and Kennedy are RFA so we're talking maybe a 500k raise. Adams will get bumped up to 600k. And like jeffed said, Rupp and Dupuis will be back if they want to

07/18/2010 9:41pm

jeffed

Kennedy won't be getting much of a raise unless if he has a decent year, if he has a year like he did last year they may let him hit the road.

07/18/2010 9:43pm

jeffed

I don't see Rupp going anywhere, maybe a modest raise, but nothing special even if there is a raise involved.

07/18/2010 9:44pm

dirtmccurt

We're not going to let Kennedy go

07/18/2010 9:50pm

jeffed

I don't think so either, but if he has another shit year, it could def happen.

07/18/2010 9:53pm

dsig41

I am pretty sure all of the WBS's forward contracts are up as well. I am not trying to make any arguemt about keeping anyone. Just pointing things out to think about. I also have never once said Gogo is untouchable. I have only said that you over exaggerate his poor play. You need to stop putting words in my mouth.

07/18/2010 10:24pm

dsig41

On a side note, please keep John Barbaro in your prayers.

07/18/2010 10:25pm

jeffed

He pass?

07/18/2010 10:28pm

dsig41

No.. Don't really want to say anything else out of respect for his family, but he could use your prayers.

07/18/2010 10:30pm

↑ previous comments ↑

dirtmccurt

Come on dsig, honestly think about it, when was the last time you ever heard an AHL unknown getting a big raise? Pretty much everyone that needs a new contract will either be getting a minimal raise or will be replaced by someone who can do their job cheaper.

07/18/2010 11:20pm

dsig41

I never said anything about an AHLer getting a big raise. So there is not much to think about.

07/18/2010 11:58pm

dirtmccurt

No but you mention all of the AHLers needing new contracts as if they'll be getting raises that will cost more than they players they are replacing

07/19/2010 12:35am

dsig41

I was just making the point that you can't count on replacing everyone from within, since within (WBS) also needs replaced.

07/19/2010 5:34am

dsig41

I understand that most prospects will be resigned, but their where be holes to fill. I just think it's tough to comment on who is going to be moved after this season and in the future because a lot more than overall talent will go into making that decision.

07/19/2010 6:15am