Mike Sullivan understands that there is only so much that can be shoehorned into seven practices.
That overloading players -- especially those who are new to the team -- with information could be counterproductive, that it's not realistic to expect his personnel to grasp all the nuances of the Penguins' system before they open the regular season Jan. 13 in Philadelphia.
So when the Penguins convene Sunday for the start of training camp, with the first on-ice workout scheduled for Monday, will have a plan that prioritizes what he hopes to accomplish during the 10 days that follow.
One that's designed to hone the mental aspects of their work as much, if not not more, than the physical ones.
"First and foremost, I think we have to get the players back into a game-ready mode," Sullivan said. "That's why there's going to be an (emphasis) on intra-squad scrimmages, a game-simulation day ... These guys have been skating for a while now, but they've been skating in small groups because of the COVID protocols. I think their skills are sharp, but it's a whole different aspect of playing five-on-five, the spatial awareness of having 10 players on the ice, the recognition of where your linemates are and your opponents are. All of those things. We're going to try to give the guys as much opportunity to get repetitions, five-on-five, as we can."
Not that getting his players in the right mindset for the 56-game schedule ahead is the only thing Sullivan hopes to achieve during the preseason. There are more than a few issues to be resolved, including familiarizing players with the basics of how he wants them to play, putting down a foundation on which the coaching staff can build as the season moves along.
"We want to implement the fundamentals of our system play and our team concept, so that we can be cooperative as a group of five out there," he said. "(So that) we can be predictable for one another but, hopefully, unpredictable for our opponents. We're going to prioritize that. The reality is that, given how short the camp is, I don't think we're going to get to everything before Game 1, but I think we can get the foundation in place, and we've put together a plan for that."
The immigration issues that will prevent Kasperi Kapanen, acquired from Toronto after last season, from being on hand when training camp begins are an unexpected complication, but if he eventually fits in as expected on right wing with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel, the Penguins' top two lines should be set.
But while the makeup of the third and fourth lines might appear to be reasonably settled, Sullivan suggested that there could be considerable movement in that portion of the lineup.
"We're going to try to create a competitive environment," he said. "We're going to give guys an opportunity to show what they can do and how they can help this team win games. It's fair to say we have the top-six that we'd like to start with. I think the bottom-six is going to be a very competitive situation. We have an idea of where we're going to start (with forward combinations), and then we're going to watch and observe and see which combinations are complementary and who performs well, and then we'll make decisions accordingly."
And then, if circumstances call for it, the coaching staff will revisit those decisions and make whatever alterations seem appropriate.
"My feeling is that nothing is ever etched in stone," he said. "Every team goes through an evolution process and sometimes, how you envision it on paper doesn't always play out in real terms in the practical environment. It's the art of coaching, the fine line of having some patience and allowing guys to establish and develop some chemistry. But also, there's always got to be a watchful eye on whether we think an adjustment needs to be made to to try to help our team."
Every team enters every season hoping to play well early -- they also want to play well in the middle of the season, and at the end -- but with a schedule that is only about two-thirds the length of a normal 82-game one, Sullivan acknowledges that struggling in the initial weeks of the season could put a team in a hole from which is cannot escape.
"It would certainly help (to get a strong start), for sure," he said. "As I say to the players every training camp we go into, 'The two points you get in October are the same two points you can get in April.' Two points are two points, and those are really important in the standings. When you look at the parity in the league over the last five, six, seven years, every two points is critical. We want to have the best start we possibly can."
Sharing the East Division with established playoff clubs like Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and the New York Islanders as well as the resurgent New York Rangers, Buffalo and New Jersey means the Penguins shouldn't expect to enter any game -- all of which will be contested inside the division -- assuming that it will leave it with a victory.
"It's a very competitive division," Sullivan said. "There's a lot of real good teams. There are a lot of teams that have had success recently, within the past season or two. There is such a fine line between winning and losing in today's game. When you look at the division we're in, look at the teams on paper, it's a pretty competitive division, and we're one of those competitive teams."