Filatov to the Penguins?
Recently it has been rumored that the Penguins may be interested in acquiring Nikita Filatov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. It is an intriguing possibility to think about, a young, right-shooting, Russian winger, albeit he is a little on the small side (6-foot, 172-pounds).
Filatov has some limited NHL experience with the Blue Jackets (21 games) and still has plenty of time to grow as a player. Is he a necessity in the Penguins organization right now? No. Would he be a nice pickup if the price was right? Yes.
I know that Pittsburgh is keeping an eye on the current NHL forward situation, as the team still has some forward roster slots open. But I don't think Pittsburgh is aggressively pursuing Filatov right now. If there are other teams interested (Montreal and Vancouver according to Eklund), I don't see the young Russian coming to the Penguins.
I am starting to get a pretty strong vibe that general manager Ray Shero and the Penguins are pretty content with the current lineup heading into training camp, as the team isn't targeting players, merely "watching" them. Pittsburgh doesn't appear to be in any rush to make any more deals. Perhaps a training-camp tryout or late training-camp signing is in the team's future.
But then again we still have the status of Ilya Kovalchuk hanging up in the air. A Kovalchuk signing could stir the free agent pot a little bit around the league.
Penguins Prospect Camp
Tuesday was the opening day of the 2010 Penguins prospect camp. The players began the day with physical testing at UPMC's South Side facility before moving to an on-ice practice at the Penguins' Southpointe facility.
One of the Penguins' top prospects, defenseman Simon Despres. Pittsburgh's 2009 first-round draft pick. Despres entered the 2009 training camp as a boy, tall and lanky, still getting used to his size. He came into Tuesday looking like a man. Still only 18 (he turns 19 on July 27), Despres has put on some weight and muscle in the past year. Now listed at 6-foot-4, 205-pounds, Despres looked more comfortable with his size and he still has plenty of room to grow. He should be a solid player when his time comes.
Another top prospect, forward Eric Tangradi. At 6-foot-4, 221-pounds, the 21-year-old winger has great NHL size. Tangradi's development has been hampered by injuries (including a severed thumb tendon), but the big forward looked healthy and fast in Tuesday's practice, flying all over the ice. In my eyes, Tangradi was the standout player of the session. Hopefully this kid will be NHL-ready very soon.
Top prospect Dustin Jeffrey picks up a bouncing puck. The 6-foot-3, 199-pound left winger has put in several years with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, leading the team in scoring during the 2009-10 season with 71 points. At age 22, Jeffrey is looking to break into the NHL for good.
Pittsburgh's 2010 first-round pick, Beau Bennett, carries the puck up the ice.
The prospects huddle around a white board, going over a drill. The practice was fast moving, with plenty of high energy skating.
There were also some physical checking drills thrown into the mix. Defensive prospect Reid McNeill slams a fellow prospect against the boards, drawing a large "ooooh" from the crowd.
Goaltender Brad Thiessen took a puck to the throat. After a few minutes spent catching his breath, Thiessen was back on his feet and completed the session.
Dustin Jeffrey fires a puck at the net.
Forward prospect Joey Haddad shows some serious stick flex.
Simon Despres turning to head up ice.
Eric Tangradi picks up a bouncing puck at center ice.
Overall it was a solid first practice for this group of prospects. There was a high level of energy and some physical play. A good-sized crowd showed up at Southpointe to watch the prospects skate.
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