The Penguins are expected to keep two more players on their final roster that will start the season in six days at Mellon Arena against the New York Rangers. Preliminarily, those players will fill the roles of a seventh defenseman and twelfth/thirteenth forward, which means they'll spend several games in the press box this season.
Defensemen Nate Guenin and Deryk Engelland and forwards Chris Conner, Ryan Bayda, and Paul Bissonnette are the final five players competing for NHL jobs, with two of them likely to make the team.
The Pittsburgh proudct Guenin seems to have the inside track on the seventh defensive spot, thanks to a strong preseason and the fact that he doesn't have much to gain from more time in the AHL, where he's played for the last several years.
Conner and Bayda are the two most likely candidates for the last forward spot. If the Penguins elect to take a more offensive angle, Conner will make the team and probably play on the third line with Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke, as Tyler Kennedy moves up to Evgeni Malkin's line. If the team opts for a more defensively oriented, tougher approach, Bayda, or potentially the pugilistic Bissonnette, will make the roster.
A lot will be determined tomorrow evening in Detroit when the Pens return to the Motor City for their final preseason game.
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