Final Roster Set --- Tangradi Stays; Despres Goes

The Pittsburgh Penguins just announced their final roster moves prior to the mandatory 3 PM cutdown today.

Forward Eric "Big Dog" Tangradi has made the team.  He'll certainly be juiced up to go against his hometown Flyers team tomorrow night.

Unlike Tangradi, Simon Despres won't be around.  The Pens' coaching staff decided in the end that it was best to not keep him and instead sent him back to junior hockey.

After practice today, Head Coach Dan Bylsma said that the team feels Despres is ready to play in the NHL, but went on to essentially add that it doesn't make sense to keep him unless he's going to play meaningful minutes, which he wouldn't do in the #7 role -- and maybe not even in the #6 role, since Blysma has gone on record before as saying that the top 5 blueliners are going to get more icetime than the #6 guy.

Surely, Despres is disappointed, but he shouldn't be.  The Penguins' defense is one of the top groups in the National Hockey League.  He's knocking on the door and it's only a matter of time before he bashes it in.

In truth, the Penguins have so many good prospects on the blueline who are getting close to being NHL-ready that they're going to have to clear that logjam somehow.  As soon as Shero signed Paul Martin and Zybnek Michalek to long-term contracts on July 1, I began speculating about this problem.  While it's a topic for another day, it seems to me that a trade is the only way to resolve the issue, and with the new guys and both Brooks Orpik and Kris Letang on longer term, "core" deals, that leaves Alex Goligoski as the player most likely to be moved at some point. 

Perhaps not this year, but maybe next --- or even in the offseason.

Anyway, like I said, a topic for another day.

The Penguins are still hopeful that Aaron Asham will be ready to play in the opener tomorrow.  I'm not optimistic, but I hope he goes.

I can't say the same about Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger, who had offseason surgery about 6-8 weeks ago and questioned at that time whether he'd be ready to start the regular season.

Well, here we are one day beforehand and there's still uncertainty about whether #44 will suit up.  He's been skating and practicing to some extent, but has been secretive about his status with the media.

I guess we'll see, but I certainly won't complain if he's not in the lineup.

Finally, the Penguins announced that Ryan Craig and Andrew Hutchinson cleared waivers, and would report to Wilkes-Barre of the AHL.

They also announced that Oprik and Jordan Staal would be given the privilege of wearing an "A" on their sweaters as assistant captains for this year.

Obviously, Gronk won't be able to wear one until he returns to the lineup, but when they both play, they will alternate between being an assistant captain on the road and at home.

Good decisions both.

Again, season preview tomorrow .....