5 Days Until Training Camp, '09: Penguins News and Notes

As both players and fans of the defending Stanley Cup Champions get geared up to open training camp in 2009 this Saturday, September 12, 2009, it's time to get on the pulpit more often. The olympic orientation camps are now over and soon, guys like Brooks Orpik (U.S.A.), Evgeni Malkin (Russia) and Marc-Andre Fleury (Canada), among others, will descend back home and look to bear down on a repeat in the final season it Mellona Arena.

Let's start with a run-down of various news and notes surrounding the team.

First, defenseman Philippe Boucher will not be returning to the Penguins this year, instead announcing late last week that he was retiring from the game.

There had been some thought that Boucher might return to be the Penguins' 7th defenseman this season, and the Penguins -- apparently not 100% comfortable with relying on Ben Lovejoy in that role -- did, in fact, offer him a one-year deal to return, but to no avail.

On a different note, the Penguins also remain engaged in what I think still must be described as 'preliminary' contract talks with defenseman Sergei Gonchar and Kris Letang, both of whom were key contributors to Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup Championship, and both of whom will be free agents after the coming season.

Gonchar would be an unrestricted free agent; Letang would be restricted.

I think there's a 50-50 chance -- at best -- something will get done with one of the two (likely Gonchar) before the season.

In other news, it was recently announced that the Penguins will follow the footsteps of their city brethren Pittsburgh Steelers when they visit President Barrack Obama at The White House this Thursday, September 10.

Of course, the Steelers visited Obama there several months ago in honor of their stirring Super Bowl XLIII victory over the Arizona Cardinals on February 1, 2009.

Like the Steelers, Obama invited the Penguins players, coaches, owners and staff to join him in Washington, D.C. to honor their Stanley Cup championship -- an experience that must truly be one-of-a-kind.

There's no doubt that the Penguins deserve such recognition after their outstanding season and exhilirating post-season.

On a final note, the Penguins are in the middle of their rookie camp this week.

The camp is taking place in Kitchener, Ontario, where there are daily workouts followed by rookie tournament games involving the Penguins' prospects, as well as those of the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins.

So far, the Penguins' prospects have gone 0-2 in the tournament, falling first to the kids from Toronto, 3-1, and then last night to the Senators' prospects, 4-1.

True to organizational form, the Penguins have had their share of shots and scoring chances. Unlike at the NHL level, however, the Pens' prospects have been unable to finish those opportunities.

On the bright side, one of the best players in the camp and tournament so far as been 2009 first round draft pick Simon Despres.

By all reports, Despres, a 6' 5" defenseman, has been strong defensively while showing an ability to start the breakout and advance the puck offensively.

His progress has to be encouraging because the Penguins seem to be getting some inconsistent play from some of their other defensive prospects --- guys like Alex Grant and Brian Strait. Of course, both Grant and Strait have time to still work on their game, and will benefit from time in Wilkes-Barre this season. Hopefully they can find the roles that suit them best. For Grant, that's offense. For Strait, that's defense.

More on the rookie camp and tournament later this week. I'll try to summarize how top prospect Eric Tangradi has performed next time.

Let's Go Pens.