Chirps from Center Ice

The first day of training camp in Pittsburgh wrapped up today. Here’s a clearinghouse of links for your eyes:

— Jonathan Bombulie is on the ground in Pittsburgh and checks in with this entry.

— The venerable Eric Majeski had a note on Day 1 training camp, complete with lines.

It is widely known that Pittsburgh is about a million dollars over the salary cap. It’s also pretty common knowledge that the lines in Pittsburgh are about 90% set. So, what do you do? Trade a player? Send a player on a one way contract down? Demote Simon Despres or Beau Bennett? I don’t have an answer to this. Selfishly, send Despres / Bennett down, if you aren’t going to play them regularly. Time, always tells.

Oh, here’s an article on Tom Kostopoulos from Seth Rorabaugh from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Elsewhere…

— Individual tickets for all Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins home games go on sale September 20. 

— Scott Darling, who backed up Brad Thiessen in Game 3 vs. Binghamton in the Calder Cup Playoffs this past Spring, has signed with the Milwaukee Admirals. I have updated the 2013 Offseason Moves List.

Finally, the annual Chirps from Center Ice AHL Previews are 90% done. I just need the “case for” and “case against” each team. Tentative release looks like this:

– September 29: Last preseason game vs. Hershey
– September 30: West and Midwest Division Preview
– October 1: North Division Preview
– October 2: Atlantic Division Preview
– October 3: Northeast Division Preview
– October 4: AHL Opening Night // East Division Preview
– October 5: Start of regular season for WBS Penguins, @ Bridgeport.

If Day 2 Friday warrants a blog post, I’ll be back tomorrow with an entry.