Final Roster Cut To Come Soon

Last night, in the wake of the Toronto game, Ray Shero and Michel Therrien cut two players from the active roster, leaving one more cut to be made today. Since the Pens will play their first two games overseas in Sweden, they are permitted.

Forward Connor James and defeseman Danny Richmond were both sent to Wilkes Barre.

The Penguins will take 25 players to Europe with them, but only 24 will begin the voyage on the active roster. Alex Goligoski apparently has the team made, as does Jeff Taffe.

This leaves two roster spots left for Janne Pesonen, Bill Thomas, and Paul Bissonnette. All three of these players will make the trip to Sweden, but only 2 will be on the NHL roster.

My prediction is that Pesonen makes the roster along with Bissonnette.

Following completion of the Sweden trip, Thomas will head to the AHL, most likely, while Bissonnette sees limited time here, but still winds up on the NHL roster.

John Curry will tag along as the third goaltender, and then be returned to Wilkes Barre.

I really do think that Pesonen has this team made. So does Jeff Taffe.

So, if my predictions come true, the Pens lineup looks like this.

Sweden Trip-

Fedotenko-Crosby-Satan
Staal-Malkin-Sykora
Dupuis-Talbot-Cooke
Kennedy-Taffe-Pesonen

Orpik-Goligoski
Letang-Eaton
Scuderi-Gill

Fleury
Sabourin

Extras: Godard, Bissonnette, Sydor, Thomas, Curry.


After the Sweden trip, Thomas and Curry will go to play in the AHL with the Baby Pens. Bissonnette, Godard, Taffe, and Pesonen will all remain on the NHL roster, and 2 of the 4 will play each night, while the other two watch from the press box.