Penguins Training Camp: Instant reaction to group splits

The Pens split into four training camp teams as they et back on the ice

It’s day one for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the 2024-25 season. The players are back on the ice and the splits into the three groups have been announced. The team also disclosed that Erik Karlsson is coming into camp with a day-to-day injury.

Some initial thoughts:

• Four teams! The last group doesn’t have any NHL contracts and are pretty much the bottom of the barrel in camp….And Noel Acciari. That’s weird. Let the speculation begin about what that might mean about Acciari. It certainly is a very odd placement.
• The schedule only mentions three teams working on the ice, is “Team 4” even going to skate and practice like the others?
• Rutger McGroarty and Sidney Crosby are in the same group!!! Might not mean much in the long haul, since Bryan Rust and Drew O’Connor are also with Crosby. But it’s not a bad thing to see the new top prospect share the ice as much as possible with the captain. 2024 draftee Harrison Brunicke also will get to see Crosby up close and personal in the same group.
• Michael Bunting is split away from Evgeni Malkin, and Crosby too. Early in camp it’s not uncommon to see a young player with a star, could Ville Koivunen be in line for that treatment with Malkin?
• Kris Letang and Matt Grzelcyk together in Group 2 could answer early plans about what the defense looks like, or perhaps what the Pens are shooting for giving a shot early on.
• Important to remember that camp groups can be changed as soon as tomorrow if the team wants to shuffle players to different areas. As always, don’t read too much into any combinations or draw serious conclusions about what early assignments and alignments mean for the long-term.

That said, we are back!