The 22 Man Roster

Team: 2022-23 Pittsburgh Penguins

Initial Creation Date: Aug. 12, 2022

Published: Aug. 12, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Based on the DKPS Friday Insider tidbit: "A source told me the teams with plenty of cap space are essentially holding the teams without any cap space hostage. They're asking for king's ransoms to take on bad contracts and dead money, and rightfully so. Still, such steep demands have created an utter standstill in activity across the league. My source said this is the most clogged up they've ever seen the system."

I don't see Hextall as the type to pay a "king's ransom" and don't think the Penguins are in that desperate of a position to seek cap relief. I only see a couple GMs being desperate enough to send 1st or 2nd round picks for cap space. Most teams will just roll with what they have as of now. That being said, a 22 man roster can suffice for the Penguins for now.

When it comes to finalizing the roster after training camp, I can see O'Connor, Smith and Friedman starting in the AHL. In regards to waivers, I don't think teams will have to worry about players being sent down and not clearing waivers. A majority of teams are almost up against the cap and will not want to commit to taking on another contract.

The downside of all this is roster flexibility. Management will have to be very selective when making a call up. This could hurt players who need to be seen more at the NHL level like Puustinen and eventually Poulin.