UPDATE: The Penguins confirm Jake Guentzel will play tonight.
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED:
Sidney Crosby will face off against the latest “next Sidney Crosby” tonight as the Penguins begin their 56th season. Chicago Blackhawks rookie top overall draft pick Connor Bedard plays against his boyhood idol and may even get the honor of taking the initial draw against Crosby, who is starting his 19th season.
The Penguins’ new president of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas, yesterday finalized his roster for tonight’s opener, featuring ten players who were not with last year’s team, which missed the playoffs. One of the new players is defenseman John Ludvig, who was claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers yesterday. He’s a 23-year-old 2019 third round draft choice who has never appeared in a regular season NHL game.
Dubas says the Penguins have high expectations for the season, as always.
Dubas shook up the Penguins’ roster almost immediately when he arrived in Pittsburgh this summer. He inherited a group of championship players and he’s building both for now and for the future.
The biggest acquisition for the Penguins – and maybe in the entire NHL – over the summer was the trade that brought three-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh. Dubas anticipates a high-scoring pressure attack with Karlsson on the blue line, and we may see the difference right away on the power play.
Coach Mike Sullivan begins his ninth season with the Pens. He’s ready to go and as anxious as anyone to see Crosby skate against Bedard tonight, but his focus is on the game itself.
One of the Pens’ biggest storylines of the offseason has been the ankle surgery Jake Guentzel had on August 4th. The high-scoring left wing was originally expected to miss the first five games of the season, but there’s a real possibility he will be in the lineup tonight after putting in full practices the last couple of days.
Sullivan says whether it’s tonight or some other night, Guentzel will need to work on getting his timing back.
Guentzel says he wants to be confident that the ankle is 100 percent when he takes the ice.
Tonight’s game faces off shortly after eight o’clock at PPG Paints Arena. The pregame airs on 92.5 FM U92 at seven.
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