edit: WBS also announces they signed Cody Chupp to an SPC
Announced today that Simon Despres has returned to Wilkes-Barre / Scranton after being taken off of injured reserve in Pittsburgh.
Currently, there is no one on recall to Pittsburgh. Tremendous news defensively. When Carl Sneep gets back healthy Wilkes-Barre will have nine defensemen available and ten when Boris Valabik is finally ready to go.
Here is a look at what I think is the defense pairs shake out to be depth chart wise:
Picard-Despres
Bortuzzo-Strait
Grant-Mormina / Wild / Sneep
Who then, gets sent to Wheeling? The Penguins have seven defensemen who are left handed. Here’s a chart I made:
|
Player
|
Shoots
|
| Alex Grant |
Right |
| Philip Samuelsson |
Left |
| Joey Mormina |
Left |
| Brian Strait |
Left |
| Robert Bortuzzo |
Right |
| Alexandre Picard |
Left |
| Carl Sneep |
Right |
| Simon Despres |
Left |
| Cody Wild |
Left |
| Boris Valabik |
Left |
The ideal pairing of defensemen would be a lefty and a righty on the blueline. An overabundance of southpaws would lead me to believe that Philip Samuelsson and possibly Cody Wild get sent to Wheeling. I think with his most recent good performances the Penguins would have a very hard time sending Alex Grant to Wheeling, so that’s why I say Wild because you’d slot Joey Mormina or Carl Sneep in as your fifth or sixth defenseman.
With bodies getting healthier by the day, an overabundance of players fighting for a jersey is most certainly a good problem to have.
Let’s Go Pens!
WBS News
Chirps from Center Ice 