The Penguins have announced their roster for this afternoon (3:30pm start) against Buffalo.
FORWARDS
One forward and defenseman will need to be scratched from the list.
This isn’t a pure dress rehearsal game, new rules limit veterans of 100+ games to playing in only two preseason games. At the same time, teams must dress a certain number of veterans per game, so players like Elmer Soderblom and Connor Dewar who are likely to be in the opening night lineup to start the regular season can’t play in this one. In their spot are players like McGroarty, Broz and Zonnon.
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On defense, it’s interesting to see Harrison Brunicke (and not Ilya Solovyov) take part in the proceedings, if only as the seventh defenseman who will get scratched after warmups. Brunicke hasn’t made as noisy and flashy of a run to a lineup spot in this training camp, compared to 2024 and 2025 when he was one of the biggest subjects around, yet he looks to be in good position just the same. The team has plenty of right shot defenders and may choose to start Brunicke in the AHL where he can play, but at this rate he might not remain in Wilkes-Barre for very long.
There’s no surprises in goal, where it looks as if Sergei Murashov has nudged ahead of Joel Blomqvist when it comes to nailing down an NHL roster spot. That situation played out as expected, and seemingly as the team wanted to make their star young goalie prospect the first in line for NHL minutes this season over his competition.
Ryan Graves and Justin Brazeau are both off the ice recently with undisclosed injuries. It looks like Graves is far outside the NHL picture but this mysterious recent ailment might allow him to be attached to injured reserve at the start of the season instead of going on waivers at the end of training camp for the second year in a row. A conspiratorial mind could have field day on the timing of this, but we’ll see what comes of Graves’ status as the regular season approaches. No matter how it shakes out a return to the NHL roster seems the most unlikely at this point given how his preseason went from placement in practices with AHL players to more unsteady performances in exhibition games.
Today’s game will be broadcast in the local market on SNP+ and be carried nationally on the NHL Network.
