On Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they have released 26-year-old defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov from his professional tryout contract (PTO).
Knyzhov, an undrafted defenseman who previously suited up for the San Jose Sharks, was signed to a PTO prior to the start of Penguins’ training camp. He did not appear in either of the Penguins’ two preseason games up to this point.
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The reality for Knyzhov and many others on Pittsburgh’s training camp roster is that they have a logjam of players competing for few spots on the final NHL roster. This includes the defensive logjam.
There are five defensemen who, presumably, are locks for the NHL roster: Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Marcus Pettersson, Matt Grzelcyk, and Ryan Graves.
But for those sixth, seventh, and – possibly – eighth spots? The guys who have been competing for those spots include Jack St. Ivany, Ryan Shea, John Ludvig, Sebastian Aho, Owen Pickering, and Knyzhov.
Unfortunately, for Knyzhov, he fell short in terms of earning a spot with the NHL club.
Related: Here’s What the Final Penguins’ Roster Will Probably Look Like
As for the rest of the competition in camp? Karlsson is currently out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, so there might be more room for more guys to make the final roster in the short term. St. Ivany, Ludvig, and Shea are all on two-way contracts, which may factor into decision-making.
St. Ivany has been paired with Ryan Graves they and Marcus Pettersson, so he seems destined for a spot on the roster. As for the others, they will likely battle for the final spots this weekend in a back-to-back with the Detroit Red Wings and the Ottawa Senators.
Related: Penguins Training Camp Day 6: A Tale of Two Teams, Roster Cut to 52